That's bad for the workers with this condition because without accurate diagnosis, the worker won't be protected from the irritating substances. Causes of occupational asthma can be traced to one of three mechanisms, he said. Workers exposed to these substances will frequently begin wheezing and experiencing other asthma symptoms immediately after exposure to the irritant substance. This is an irritant reaction rather than an allergic reaction, since it does not involve the immune system. Workers who already have asthma or some other respiratory disorder are particularly affected by this type of exposure.
Allergies play a role in many cases of occupational asthma.
This type of asthma generally develops only after months or years of exposure to a work-related substance. This is because the body's immune system needs time to develop allergic substance. For example, workers in the washing powder industry may develop an allergy to the enzymes of the bacteria Bacillus Subtilis, and food processing workers may develop an allergy and occupational asthma symptoms from exposure to castor beans, green coffee beans and papain. Allergic occupational asthma can occur in workers in the plastic, rubber or resin industries following repeated exposure to small chemical molecules in the air. Veterinarians, fishermen and animal handlers in laboratories can develop allergic reactions to animal proteins, and health care workers can develop asthma from breathing in powdered proteins from latex gloves or from mixing powered medications.