Work Environment and Asthma
- Wednesday, August 19, 2009, 13:32
- Asthma
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- TURNER:
- We talked about environmental issues in the home, what about in the workplace for adults who may be encountering some things that are exacerbating their condition? Dr. Stempel?
- STEMPEL:
- Well, I think there are all sorts of specific issues about work place. If you’re in an indoor environment, certain buildings have poor air quality. It’s very, very difficult to truly assess air quality in buildings but sometimes there are specific hazards that people have. Certain industries give off more types of fumes that could be irritants. So what we’re looking for in the workplace is more looking at airway irritants in the indoor environment than usually specific allergens. Dust mite allergy is more a home problem than a work problem. But we really need to think about specific things. Just like, if you’re at home and you’re wheezing when you’re around the cat and you do a peak flow before and after the cat jumps in your lap, same thing. Take your peak flow meter to work. And see what happens to your peak flows at work. Do they drop? That would give us a good clue whether or not the workplace environment is negatively impacting your asthma.
- TURNER:
- Dr. Redding?
- REDDING:
- There are some notable rules for occupational asthma. For example, cedar bark can precipitate asthma. There are certain molds that people come in contact with at their job, I think one of the things to keep in mind is whether you’re in a dusty place for example and what is contained in that dust. Often whether it’s a mold or a particular antigen from an organic matter, those have the best scientific basis for producing occupational asthma.
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