Occupational asthma is a disease in which people become allergic to something they breathe in at work. The substances that cause it are called ‘respiratory sensitisers’ or asthmagens.
The lungs of people with occupational asthma change and enter what is called a ‘hypersensitive state’. Once in this state, exposure to even low levels of an asthmagen may trigger an attack.
Symptoms include wheezing, a tight chest or feeling breathless. If you think your symptoms are caused by something at work seek advice from your occupational health adviser or your GP.
You may be breathing in substances at work, which over weeks, months or years can lead to your airways becoming damaged, making you breathless or wheezy.
Most cases of occupational asthma occur as a result of exposure to the following substances:
Occupational asthma is asthma that has been caused by exposure to a substance at work, e.g. flour dust.
Many people have asthma for other reasons and may have had it all their life. For people who already have asthma, exposure to substances at work can make their asthma worse than before. For these people, controlling exposure at work will ease their symptoms but won’t prevent asthma attacks.
Perhaps 1 in 10 cases of adult asthma is caused by work. The disease can ruin your health by restricting your ability to breathe.
There are an estimated 1,500 to 3,000 new cases of occupational asthma each year.
It is the most commonly reported occupational respiratory disease in Great Britain. But, if spotted early, complete recovery is possible.
Occupational asthma ruins lives and costs society up to £1.1 billion over 10 years.
It is important that we learn from past cases so that workers and their families can avoid the pain and suffering caused by this disease.