lung and airway disorders
Work Related Asthma
Symptoms of Work Related Asthma
Symptoms of work-related asthma caused by sensitization to a substance in the workplace typically develop over weeks to years. Once sensitized to a particular substance, the worker can respond to very low concentrations of that substance, making exposure control challenging. Typical symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, and cough. Sometimes people show signs of allergy at work, with symptoms of sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes. These allergy symptoms may be present for months or years before shortness of breath and other breathing symptoms develop. Symptoms typically develop and/or worsen at work and improve when the person is away from work (for example, on weekends and holidays). Continued exposure at work causes the symptoms to become more chronic and persistent, and the association with work can become less apparent. 