pulmonary disorders
Work Related Asthma
Symptoms and Signs of Work Related Asthma
Symptoms of work-related asthma caused by sensitization to an agent in the workplace typically develop over a latency of weeks to years. Once sensitized, the worker can respond to very low concentrations of the agent, making exposure control challenging for sensitized workers. Typical symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, and cough, temporally related to work. Rhinitis and conjunctival symptoms are more common with high molecular weight allergens and may precede the typical symptoms of asthma by months or years. Symptoms typically develop and/or worsen at work after exposure to the sensitizing agent and improve when the patient is away from work (eg, on weekends and holidays). Late asthmatic responses, symptoms starting 4 to 6 or more hours after exposure, are common with low molecular weight agents and can make the association with work challenging to recognize. Continued exposure at work causes the symptoms to become more chronic and persistent, and the association with work can become less apparent. 