Occupational asthma is treated like other asthma, following the six-point plan. Achieve best lung function - Preventers, in particular, inhaled corticosteroids are an important early intervention in occupational asthma. In discussion with the patient. Whilst the optimal treatment for occupational asthma is removal from exposure, in practice this may be difficult to achieve. Ultimately the only possibility may involve a change of occupation and retraining.
Protection is important in high risk industries to prevent sensitisation.
Bakers and spray painters may need to use respiratory protection. This may benefit some workers with asthma and adequate ongoing monitoring is important. It is not in the patients interest to allow ongoing exposure whilst merely suppressing symptoms. Replacement of powdered latex gloves with powderless or nonlatex gloves for all workers may reduce ambient concentrations of latex allergens. This may be sufficient to prevent symptoms in workers with already established occupational asthma.