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Occupational Asthma: An Overview

  • OCCUPATIONAL ALLERGIES (JA POOLE, SECTION EDITOR)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Occupational asthma is a form of asthma that is often under-diagnosed and under-reported. Unrecognized occupational asthma can lead to progression of disease and increased morbidity. The medical history is a critical element for establishing a diagnosis of OA. The history should include a detailed assessment of the workplace environment, the work process, changes in symptoms in and away from the workplace, and a review of relevant material safety data sheets that may provide clues regarding exposure(s) and the potential cause(s). Objective testing including spirometry pre- and post-bronchodilators, peak expiratory flow rate monitoring in and out of the workplace, provocation testing (i.e., methacholine challenge) to assess for airway hyperresponsiveness, and, if feasible, specific provocation by experienced personnel in a controlled setting to a suspected inciting agent are necessary for confirming a diagnosis. Skin or serologic testing for specific IgE to aeroallergens to assess the worker’s atopic status is useful especially when considering certain forms of OA where atopy is a risk factor. Specialized laboratory testing may be useful for specific OA causes. It is important to correctly make the diagnosis of OA as the impact on the worker’s future employment and earning power can be significantly affected.

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Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

Conflict of Interest

Jonathan A. Bernstein is the medical director for Flint Hills Resource’s TMA immunosurveillance program.

Jessica Tan and Jonathan A. Bernstein declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Immunology/Allergy Section, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3255 Eden Ave. ML#563, Suite 350, Cincinnati, OH, 45267-0563, USA

    Jessica Tan & Jonathan A. Bernstein

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  1. Jessica Tan
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  2. Jonathan A. Bernstein
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Correspondence to Jonathan A. Bernstein.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Occupational Allergies

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Tan, J., Bernstein, J.A. Occupational Asthma: An Overview. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 14, 431 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-014-0431-y

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