Bronchial asthma at work

Even the seemingly harmless working conditions of a cosmetologist, hairdresser, pharmacist, librarian or pet store clerk can be fraught with danger in the form of bronchial asthma.

List of the most common bronchial asthma triggers

The most popular factors that provoke asthma are:

• Animal allergens: animal hair, hair, natural silk, feathers, vegetable flies, bees, helminths.
• Plant allergens: flower pollen, honey, dust (wood, grain and flour), essential oils, flax, tobacco, cotton.
• Chemical allergens: some dyes, drugs, pesticides, synthetic polymers, formalin, manganese, chromium, nickel compounds, cobalt.

In the first case, veterinarians, hairdressers, workers in the light and leather industries, grocery and pet store sellers usually suffer. Bakery, confectionery, tobacco and textile factory workers, agricultural and woodworking workers encounter plant pathogens of bronchial asthma. People of various professions encounter chemical allergens: sellers, cosmetologists, pharmacologists, scientists, doctors, chemical industry workers, etc.

Occupational bronchial asthma can also be caused by substances that irritate the respiratory tract, such as gases, organic solvents, and quartz-containing dust.

Symptoms of occupational bronchial asthma

An attack of allergic asthma initially manifests itself in lacrimation and a runny nose, followed by suffocation. The person feels better when leaving the workplace. Sometimes asthma is accompanied by skin dermatitis or eczema, and sometimes even respiratory tract damage.

In between attacks, asthmatics almost always experience shortness of breath with difficulty exhaling.

Usually, "allergy to work" develops with prolonged human interaction with chemical allergens. The disease is tolerated quite easily for 2-3 years. Noticeable improvement, and in some cases recovery from bronchial asthma can occur with a timely change in the type and place of activity to another, hypoallergenic one.

Most asthmatics have repeatedly suffered from acute respiratory infections (ARVI), bronchitis, pneumonia. This means that work associated with an allergen can affect the development of mixed-type bronchial asthma. In such situations, the absence of interaction with an industrial allergen does not eliminate asthma attacks. During coughing, mucopurulent sputum is released, during bacteriological examination of which streptococcal, staphylococcal, pneumococcal bacilli and other pathological microorganisms are detected.

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It is observed that in people who deal with organic solvents, bronchial asthma proceeds relatively easily. Asthma attacks usually occur at work, and on weekends or during vacations they decrease or disappear completely.

Bronchial asthma, provoked by dust concentrations in the air that exceed the maximum permissible limits, affects the body's condition much more strongly. The disease is often accompanied by complications in the form of pulmonary emphysema and respiratory failure. Even when an asthmatic stops inhaling dust, his health does not improve.

If you experience the symptoms listed above, you should make an appointment with a pulmonologist. However, the diagnosis of "Occupational bronchial asthma" can be most accurately determined by a narrowly focused specialist in the field of occupational diseases - an occupational therapist. To do this, he will not only prescribe instrumental and laboratory examinations (x-ray of the lungs, bronchoscopy of the bronchial mucosa with biopsy, skin tests, provocative inhalation tests), but will also study the sanitary and hygienic working conditions of the patient; the professional route of the entire place of work and its duration in specific areas; the presence or absence of allergic reactions of the patient's body to anything before the position held; features of the course of bronchial asthma.

It should be clarified that the laboratory research methods described above are carried out only during the period of remission of the disease.

Only specialized medical institutions - professional centers have the legal right to establish the diagnosis of "Occupational bronchial asthma". The central institution, which has an indisputable right to vote, is called the Research Institute of Occupational Medicine of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. If the professional diagnosis is confirmed, the asthmatic must be provided with a workplace that excludes contact with allergens and substances that irritate the respiratory system. At the same time, the law prohibits dismissing such an employee on the initiative of the enterprise administration. In the event of complete or partial loss of working capacity, the patient is sent to the Bureau of Medical and Social Expertise (formerly VTEK) to determine the degree of loss of working capacity, as well as, in some cases, the disability group for which the employee is paid a pension by the employer company.

Treatment and prevention

Scientists continue to try to create a drug that can cure a person of bronchial asthma. Nowadays, doctors have several groups of drugs at their disposal. The basis of the treatment of bronchial asthma are bronchodilators (euphyllin, theophylline), anti-inflammatory drugs (corticosteroids, intal, tayled) and drugs that improve expectoration of sputum. Do not forget that taking any medications for bronchial asthma should only occur after an examination by an occupational therapist or a consultation with a pulmonologist and a thorough examination of the body.

A positive psychological attitude of the patient plays a huge role in the effective treatment of bronchial asthma. It goes without saying that this is a rather difficult disease, which periodically leads to severe breathing complications, decreased physical and social activity, and can even end in a nervous system disorder. Training lessons in specialized asthma schools, which are created on the basis of district clinics, medical centers and hospitals, can help asthmatics cope with their problem.

The main point in the list of preventive measures to prevent occupational bronchial asthma is a strict selection of personnel for vacant positions if working conditions have an increased level of harm. In no case should people suffering from allergies, chronic diseases of the upper respiratory tract and lungs, often suffering from flu and acute respiratory viral infections, or having a weak immune system be hired for hazardous work. If employers do not properly observe occupational safety at work, take care of your own safety.