Occupational asthma has become one of the most prevalent occupational lung diseases. Early identification and intervention are crucial for the prognosis of occupational asthma. This article outlines the recent guideline recommendations for prevention and management of occupational asthma.
Occupational asthma is induced by exposure to the working environment to airborne dust, vapors or fumes, in workers with or without pre-existing asthma. Recent meta-analysis implicates that occupational factors account for approximately 1 out of 6 cases of asthma in adults of working age, including new onset or recurrent disease. Occupational asthma is further categorized into: Sensitizer-induced occupational asthma Sensitizer-induced occupational asthma is characterized by a latency period between first exposure to a respiratory sensitizer at work and the first presentation of immunologically…
