Occupational Asthma

Asthma is a disease that affects your airways, making it hard to breathe. When asthma begins or gets worse because of your job, healthcare providers may diagnose work-related asthma. For 15% to 33% of adult-onset asthma, their asthma is work-related.

Work-related asthma has two categories:

Occupational asthma starts due to inhaling (breathing in) irritants in the workplace.
Work-exacerbated asthma is when existing asthma gets worse from exposure to substances at work.

Who gets occupational asthma?

Anyone who spends a significant time around common irritants can develop occupational asthma. But some careers have a higher risk because of frequent contact. These careers can include:

Bakers who may get “baker’s lung” after breathing in flour and grain dust over a long period.
Farmers, grain elevator workers or millers.
Healthcare workers who breathe in powder from latex gloves or other chemicals.
Laboratory workers who deal with animals.
Pharmaceutical workers with exposure to airborne particles of drugs.
Maintenance or cleaning occupations with exposure to chemicals from cleaning products.
People who work with metals, plastics or wood.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

Request an appointment

Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

Living with atrial fibrillation?

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