Occupational Asthma - Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms

Less than five years of exposure to an occupational agent can be enough for the appearance of the first OA symptoms. This depends on whether the reason for the OA to occur was exposure to the causative agent over a period of time (with a latency period) or a single exposure to an irritant but at a very high concentration (without latency period). Both eventually result in OA. Coughing, wheezing, nasal irritation, difficulty in breathing, tightness of chest are the most common symptoms and can be recognized more easily by asking oneself the following questions:

1. Are any of the above symptoms recurrent/chronic?
2. Are they present at work?
3. Do they worsen towards the end of the work day and/or end of the week?
4. Does the employee/worker feel an improvement in his condition when away from work, on vacation or on weekends?

If these symptoms persist, the person is most likely suffering from OA. However, one must be aware that this could also be because the person is already suffering from asthma and his condition was simply aggravated by workplace irritants (Work-aggravated asthma). In this case, although he will suffer similar consequences as someone who is suffering from OA (loss of work, medical expenses, etc.), his disease cannot be considered as having an occupational origin..