Occupational asthma: what is it and what causes it ?
What is occupational asthma?
Some substances that you might come across at work can actually cause
asthma. The condition can take weeks, months or even years to develop, depending on the person and the substance. If you think your asthma has been caused by something at work, look out for these clues:
- your asthma symptoms are worse during the working week, at work or after work
- your symptoms may get worse after work, or you may find your sleep is disturbed during the night
- your symptoms improve when you have been away from work for several days (for example when you are on holiday).
Which substances cause occupational asthma?
Substances that can cause
asthma are called
respiratory sensitisers. Below is a list of some of the main ones and the jobs where you are most likely to come across them.
- Chemicals called isocyanates are the most common cause of occupational asthma in the UK. There are many jobs in which you might be exposed to these chemicals, particularly spray painting, foam moulding using adhesives, and making foundry cores and surface coatings.
- Working in a bakery: flour can be a trigger for asthma and be a cause of occupational asthma. Dust from flour and grain (pictured). Industrial baking, farm work and grain read more
