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Natural history and prognosis

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Occupational Asthma

Part of the book series: Progress in Inflammation Research ((PIR))

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Abstract

In patients with occupational asthma, the rate of symptomatic recovery after avoidance of exposure to the respective agents is only about one third, worsening with increasing age. Likewise, persistent nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness at long-term follow-up is found in about three quarters of these patients. The situation is even worse if patients with occupational asthma are left in the same workplace. These clinical and functional data are supported by investigations demonstrating inflammation and airway remodeling in the course of occupational asthma despite inhaled steroid medication. Given the frequently adverse outcome of occupational asthma, much more effort should be taken to avoid the disease.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Clinical Centre, Ludwig Maximilian University, Ziemssenstr. 1, 80336, München, Germany

    Dennis Nowak

Authors
  1. Dennis Nowak
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University, Bartholin Allé 2, 8000, Århus C, Denmark

    Torben Sigsgaard

  2. Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3508 TD, Utrecht, Netherlands

    Dick Heederik

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© 2010 Birkhäuser / Springer Basel

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Nowak, D. (2010). Natural history and prognosis. In: Sigsgaard, T., Heederik, D. (eds) Occupational Asthma. Progress in Inflammation Research. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8556-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8556-9_7

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7643-8555-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7643-8556-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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