WHAT ARE OCCUPATIONAL ASTHMA AND BRONCHITIS?
If you get asthma or bronchitis from your workplace it is called “occupational asthma” or “occupational bronchitis”. This definition sounds simple and straightforward but in reality the diagnosis of either condition is often very difficult. Generally, the following criteria must be met to diagnose occupational asthma or occupational bronchitis: 1) No pre-existing asthma or bronchitis before exposure at the workplace; 2) Some substance in the workplace environment (a chemical compound, or some type of dust or fume), usually inhaled, can be identified. The worker may not be able to name the actual substance, but he or she can usually identify a process or work activity that identify cough or shortness of breath; 3) The worker suffers cough and/or shortness of breath, and often has wheezing; 4) If the diagnosis is asthma, the worker will have hyper-reactive airways when tested in the pulmonary laboratory. WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE THESE CONDITIONS? Despite the straightforward defini
