Most asthmatics know that outdoor air pollution and exposure to cigarette smoke makes their asthma worse, but did you know that your job could be making you sick? Studies have shown that between 9 to 24% of cases of adult-onset asthma may be due to indoor air pollution at work.

Workers in the craft and manufacturing industries have a significantly higher incidence of asthma, especially those who work around cleaners, latex, epoxy glues, or the chemical glutaraldehyde. Construction workers who are exposed to dust and machinery fumes are also at a higher risk for respiratory problems. In the health care industry such as hospitals and doctors' offices, steps have already been taken to remove natural rubber latex gloves and replace them with a nitrile or vinyl type to prevent patients and health care workers from being exposed. Hairdressers have a significantly higher risk of occupation-induced asthma due to their frequent contact with many chemicals, particularly bleaching agents and persulfate salts. Housekeepers and maintenance workers may also be exposed to asthma triggers such as dust, mold and chemicals in cleaning supplies. Food allergens such as flour exposure in the food or food manufacturing industry have been implicated as possible triggers for sensitive workers.

Even working in a typical office building could be making your asthma worse. Researchers have coined the term "sick building syndrome" for office workers who develop symptoms from indoor pollution in offices. Sensitive individuals may develop symptoms such as wheezing, cough, fatigue, and nasal discharge from exposure to paper dust, carbonless copy paper, and fumes from photocopiers and printers.

So what do you do if you think your job may be making your asthma worse? Talk to your doctor first. Discuss the type of work that you do and what types of things you come into contact with at work. They may want to arrange for pulmonary function testing (spirometry) and send you to an allergist for sensitivity testing. Talk to your doctor about whether changing your medications or desensitization treatments might help.

After you know what indoor exposures are triggering your respiratory problems, discuss ideas for reducing your contact with these agents with your employer. Emphasize that you as well as other sensitive employees will be able to be more productive and decrease your sick days if steps can be taken to eliminate or reduce these triggers. Often simple changes can be made in the work environment to reduce or eliminate your exposure and improve ventilation. Everyone wins when you find ways to improve your health!