Wheezing and coughing on the job from work-related asthma is more common than you might think, according to a new U.S. health report.
Almost 16 percent of American adults with asthma either developed the condition on the job or have asthma symptoms made worse by conditions in their workplace, says Dr. Jacek Mazurek, lead author of a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That adds up to an estimated 1.9 million cases of work-related asthma in the 22 states that were part of the CDC study.
“Work-related asthma is associated with increased disability, mortality, and adverse social and economic outcomes,” says Mazurek, a lead research epidemiologist with the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies at the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
You May Also Like
Many people who have asthma flare-ups at work experience poor quality of life, loss of income and unemployment, he adds.
Overall, about one in 10 Americans has asthma, researchers found.
Rates of work-related asthma for on-the-job adults range from 23 percent in Missouri and 21 percent in Wisconsin down to nine percent in Hawaii, according to CDC poll data gathered from 22 states in 2012. Twenty-one of those states had rates higher than 13 percent.
MUST READ: 10 Common Asthma Myths Debunked
What are the types of work-related asthma?
Asthma attacks occur when the airways constrict in response to some sort of environmental irritant, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Triggers can include allergens, dust, smoke, fragrances and chemicals.
There are two main types of work-related asthma, says Dr. Susan Tarlo, a respiratory physician and a professor of occupational and environmental health at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Asthma that has been caused by work conditions is called occupational asthma, while existing asthma that is triggered by conditions at work is called work-exacerbated asthma, Tarlo shares.
“Work-exacerbated asthma is much more common,” she says. “We’ve seen a decline in occupational asthma over time, but work-exacerbated asthma has continued to be common.”
A wide array of jobs potentially bring people into contact with these triggers, Mazurek notes. These include positions in industrial plants, metal machine shops, welding shops, hospitals and laboratories, woodworking and furniture-making shops, and hair and nail salons.
Even department store staffers are at risk for work-related asthma, thanks to the perfume counter, says Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
“They’re spraying samples of perfume at you in department stores, and that’s definitely a chemical irritant,” Horovitz adds.
House cleaners and maid services also carry a certain risk of work-related asthma, because of the dust in houses and the cleaning solutions they use, he adds.
RELATED: Is Your Workplace an Asthma Trigger?
Signs Your Asthma May Be Work-Related
If you have asthma—or have recently developed symptoms resembling asthma—it’s important to consider whether your workplace could be contributing to your condition. Work-related asthma can be triggered or worsened by certain exposures on the job. Here are some key signs your asthma may be linked to your work environment:
- Your symptoms get worse during the workday or workweek
You may notice increased coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or chest tightness while at work or shortly after. - You feel better on weekends or vacations
A pattern of improvement when you’re away from work can indicate that something in your workplace is aggravating your asthma. - You experience symptoms shortly after starting a new job or changing work duties
New exposures—such as to dust, fumes, cleaning products, or chemicals—may trigger asthma symptoms if you weren’t exposed before. - Coworkers have similar symptoms
If others in your workplace are experiencing breathing issues, this may point to a shared environmental cause. - Your asthma is harder to control despite treatment
If your usual asthma medications aren’t working as well at work, it might be due to ongoing exposure to triggers in your environment. - You develop nasal symptoms or eye irritation along with breathing issues
These can be early signs of exposure to allergens or irritants in the workplace and often occur alongside asthma symptoms.
If you recognize any of these patterns, speak to your doctor and let them know about your work environment. Keeping a symptom diary that tracks when and where your symptoms occur can also help with diagnosis and treatment planning.
If you’re suffering from work-related asthma, what’s the solution?
In extreme cases, you might have to look for a new gig, Mazurek says.
“For some patients with work-related asthma, it may be necessary for clinicians to remove or restrict the patient from direct or indirect contact with exposure in the workplace,” he says.
Horovitz thinks that’s impractical for most people.
“Jobs aren’t that easy to find these days,” he adds. “If the job is satisfactory for you, you should try to minimize your exposure to triggers in the workplace.”
You can try wearing a protective breathing mask when the job will expose you to triggers, and talk with your employers about improving ventilation in the workspace, Horovitz suggests.
It also might help your work-related asthma if you reduce the triggers in your home, he adds. For example, you can pull up dust-laden carpeting and replace it with linoleum or tile, which is easier to keep allergen-free.
For more on asthma, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
