Asthma is known to affect people of all ages. While it often starts in childhood, it can also develop for the first time in adults. In childhood, asthma triggers are more likely to be allergies. However, it is not same in adult-onset asthma which is more likely to be triggered by work-related and factors such as hormonal changes and lifestyles.
Occupational asthma is adjudged the most common cause of adult onset asthma and constitutes about 15 per cent cases of asthma in adults of working age. In addition, up to 10 per cent of employees develop asthma in some industries.
In adult-onset/late-onset asthma (occupational asthma), exposure to certain substances at work can cause it. The allergens that cause occupational asthma, otherwise known as respiratory sensitizers cause your airways to be hypersensitive.
It may take some time before you start having asthma symptoms after being exposed to the allergens, a small amount of the substance can trigger the asthma symptoms, Such substances can include things like chemicals found in spray paint, flour or grain dust, wood dust, animals, latex or substances found in fumes amongst others.
However, some of these jobs are likely to cause occupational asthma when you are exposed to allergens includes:
Vehicle spray painting(workers spraying cars and other vehicles) – Chemical called isocyanates (typically in 2-pack paints)
Baking (workers in bakeries, flour mills and kitchens) – Flour dust and enzymes which contain additives such as amylase
Woodworking (people working in joinery and furniture industries) – Dusts from hardwood, softwood and wood composite, Glues/resins
Soldering (people who work in the electronics and assembly industries) – Fumes from rosin-based solder flux
Healthcare work – natural and rubber latex proteins, Gluteraldehyde and invisible toxic gases, particles and vapours from diathermy, Penicillin’s/cephalosporin’s
Working with animals (pet shops, stable owners, laboratory workers, zookeepers) – Animal fur, feathers, dander, dried urine and saliva dusts, ‘animal aeroallergens’
Working in agriculture-Agricultural dusts – grain dust and poultry dust, or other dusts, fungal spores, bacteria, endotoxins, mites, animal dander and faeces, plant dust, soil, bedding, feed and feed components, chemicals, etc.
Engineering (people who work in machining or shaping) – Metal working fluids (MWFs), Cobalt
Hairdressing (Hairdressers) – Persulphate in Hairdressers’ bleach, hair dyes
Banking (people in the cash counting room) – Dust. This is peculiar to Nigeria due to poor handling of Nigerian currency notes by the citizens, causing the notes to be so dirty; hence, produce unusual dusts during counting
The second type of occupational asthma is the irritant-induced occupational asthma, which occurs when a chemical is inhaled at work and it irritates the airways, causing asthma symptoms.
Usually, this happens when there is an accidental chemical spillage in the workplace. Some of the irritant chemicals include chlorine (used in swimming pools) and ammonia which is a common agent in refrigerators.
In addition to occupational asthma, cigarette smoking, respiratory infections and nasal congestion, female hormones and stressful life events are other factors responsible for adult-onset asthma.
Occupational asthma is preventable if required measures are put in place by an employer who is using substances which can cause asthma in the workplace to prevent and control worker exposure.
Finally, knowing and understanding your asthma triggers and avoiding them is a first step to managing your asthma. If you are currently employed in an industry that exposes you to the identified substances, it is important to consult either qualified occupational physician respiratory physician to check your systems. Asthma is not a death sentence. Together, we shall BEAT ASTHMA.
CHIWUIKE UBA
Chiwuike Uba, is a founder of Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation (ACUF).
