Occupational asthma

Try to avoid situations where you are exposed to irritants, such as smoke or air pollution, or to substances to which you may be allergic, such as animal dander. If substances at work (occupational asthma) are causing your asthma or making it worse, you may have to change jobs. See information on: Identifying asthma triggers. A plan to occupational asthma treat other health problems. If you also have other health problems, such as inflammation and infection of the sinuses ibuprofen asthma (sinusitis) or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), you will need treatment for those conditions. Medications play a primary role in treatment of asthma.

A daily asthma treatment plan outlines in writing how to treat daily inflammation in your lungs. occupational asthma The plan helps you prevent or slow the development of the long-term effects of asthma and details which medications to take every day. A daily treatment plan may include an asthma diary where you record your peak expiratory flow (PEF), symptoms, triggers, and quick-relief medication used for acute asthma episodes; this occupational asthma valuable tool helps your health professional occupational asthma manage your asthma. A daily asthma treatment plan is often combined with an asthma action plan.

If substances at work are causing your asthma (occupational asthma) or making it worse, you may have to change jobs. For more information, see: Identifying asthma triggers. Using your prescribed medications correctly. Your health professional may adjust your medications depending on how well occupational asthma controlled your asthma is. Medications include: Long-term medication, such as inhaled corticosteroids, oral corticosteroids, long-acting acute asthma beta2-agonists, mast cell stabilizers, methylxanthines, and leukotriene pathway modifiers.

With proper treatment you can alleviate and even eliminate wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. You can avoid emergency room visits, time off from school or work, and any side effects occupational asthma from your asthma medications. The treatment guidelines of the asthma home remedy National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute state that you do not have to accept asthma symptoms as a normal part of your life. You should expect full participation in physical activities and little to no symptoms at all.

This condition is known as the "silent chest" and occupational asthma is a dangerous development in the progress of an asthma attack. Many people believe the absence of wheezing means that the attack is abating. To the contrary, you should be cardiac asthma taken to a hospital immediately. Lack of Oxygen - If your asthma attack is not treated you will eventually find it impossible to speak and your lips occupational asthma and fingernails will develop a bluish color.

Oral medications include aminophylline, and corticosteroid tablets. Historically, one of the first medications used for asthma was adrenaline (epinephrine). Adrenaline has a rapid onset of action in opening the airways (bronchodilation). It is still often used in emergency situations for asthma. Unfortunately, adrenaline has many side- effects including rapid heart rate, headache, occupational asthma nausea, vomiting, restlessness, and a sense of panic. Medications coffee and asthma chemically similar to adrenaline have been developed. These medications, called beta-2 agonists, have the bronchodilating benefits of adrenaline without many of its unwanted side-effects.

Some alternative therapies that might improve sign of asthma or relieve symptoms and may be worth trying as long as they do no occupational asthma harm: Acupuncture - inserting needles into key points of the body to stimulate and regulate the flow of energy. Studies suggest this may cause the release of pain reducing endorphins. Endorphins also induce a sense of well being. People with asthma may feel more relaxed and experience calmer breathing. Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation - manipulation of the spine in order occupational asthma to enhance the body's own ability to heal itself.

The tendency of airway reactivity is inherited i.e. it is transmitted from forefathers. Airway reactivity usually increases with common cold, viral chest infections and exposure to allergens. Once airway reactivity is increased then even trivial trigger factors which normally do not cause asthma may induce attack of asthma. This means occupational asthma that once you come in contact with old dust it leads to increased reactivity of airways and pathophysiology of asthma activities such as laughing, coughing, crying (which normally do not cause asthma) may lead to increased asthma that time. Patient becomes crippled to a situation where trigger occupies pivotal factor controlling his life.

Controlling tobacco smoke is important because occupational asthma it is a major cause of asthma symptoms in children and adults. People should not smoke in a house where a person with asthma lives. Pregnant women who smoke toddler asthma cigarettes during pregnancy increase the risk of wheezing in their newborn babies. Exposing young children to secondhand tobacco smoke increases the likelihood that they will develop asthma and occupational asthma increases the severity of symptoms if they already have the disease. Consider staying inside when air pollution levels are high.

Ongoing treatment Ongoing treatment for asthma (inflammation in the airways allergy and asthma that carry air to the lungs) consists of: Following your daily asthma treatment plan. Keep your asthma diary up-to-date and have regular checkups. Using your asthma action plan to prevent or reduce the severity of acute asthma episodes. See an example of an asthma action plan. For more information on these tools, see: Using daily asthma treatment and action plans. Avoiding triggers, such as smoke or air pollution, or substances to which you may be allergic, such as animal dander.

Cromolyn may be used in children as well as adults. Theophylline (Theodur, Theoair, Slo-bid, Uniphyl, Theo-24) and aminophylline are examples of methylxanthines. Methylxanthines are administered orally or intravenously. Before the inhalers became popular, methylxanthines were the mainstay of treatment of asthma. Caffeine that is in common coffee and soft drinks is also a methylxanthine drug! stress and asthma Theophylline relaxes the muscles surrounding the air passages, and prevents certain cells lining the bronchi (mast cells) from releasing chemicals, such as histamine, which can cause asthma. Theophylline can also act as a mild diuretic, causing an increase in urination.

Methylxanthines, such as theophylline. Leukotriene pathway modifiers, such as zafirlukast, zileuton, or montelukast sodium. Quick-relief medications, which are used as needed, include short-acting beta2-agonists (such as albuterol or pirbuterol) and anticholinergics signs and symptoms of asthma (such as ipratropium). If you are using quick-relief medication more than two times a week, you probably need long-term treatment. Overuse of quick-relief medication can be harmful because it may delay medical care and increase your chances of having a severe asthma episode.

Other irritants in the air (such as fumes from gas, oil, or kerosene or wood-burning stoves) can sometimes irritate the bronchial tubes, which carry air to the lungs. Avoiding these may decrease your asthma symptoms. Allergens If you are allergic to certain substances (allergens), you may decrease your asthma symptoms by limiting exposure to them. However, experts have not been able to determine who will benefit, how much someone may benefit, and whether the benefits of avoiding an allergen are worth the cost. 18 To help reduce your exposure to allergens: Control cockroaches, especially if you are living in an inner-city area or the southern part of the United States. Control dust mites. House dust mites have been linked with the development of asthma in eczema asthma children. 19 Control animal dander and pet allergens.

This attack usually surfaces about four hours after the first contact with the allergen and can last for several hours before dissipating. In some difficult cases, even later and recurrent reactions can take place, usually at night. What Happens in the Body? Constriction - When triggered, the asthma cough muscles around the airways in your lungs tighten. They squeeze your airways and cause them to narrow. This constriction makes it hard for you to breathe in and out. Inflammation - At the same time, the tissue inside the airways becomes red and swollen, or inflamed.