Isocyanate asthma is perhaps the most frequently recognized form of occupational asthma. Isocyanate chemicals are the building blocks for polyurethane and widely used in packing materials for virtually all electronic components, and in automotive paints. Other agents causing occupational asthma have been found among animal researchers, bakers, hospital workers, sawmill laborers, textile workers, coffee roasters, hairdressers, crab processors, hard-metal grinders, tool setters, electronics workers, egg processors, and farmers, to name a few. Once you're sensitized, the slightest amount of exposure can trigger an episode. If it's caught soon enough, people can have permanent remissions, said Kreiss.
Early diagnosis is very important.
Without it, a curable form of asthma can change into an incurable form. She suggests paying attention to the timing of your symptoms. If you suspect occupational asthma, contact your physician immediately. Few doctors have training in occupational asthma, so it may be important to see a specialist, she said. Accommodations for People with Occupational Asthma Because continued exposure to an allergen can lead to permanent lung impairment, workers with occupational asthma may want to transfer to a completely uncontaminated area in the facility.