Asthmacure.com - Triggers

Occupational asthma may be caused by one of three mechanisms: irritants, allergic or pharmacologic factors.

Irritant occupational asthma

Exposure to hydrochloric acid, sulphur dioxide or ammonia found in the petroleum or chemical industries. People who already have asthma or some other respiratory disorder are particularly affected when exposure occurs. In the instances where irritants are responsible for causing the asthma, allergic mechanisms are not actively involved. An allergic mechanism refers to the body's immune system responding adversely to an offending substances.

Allergic occupational asthma

Allergic factors play a role in the following instances: exposure to the enzyme of Bacillus subtilis in the washing powder industry, exposure to castor and green coffee beans and contact with papain in the food processing industry. Other examples: the complex salts of platinum in metal refining and other agents such as ethylene diamine, phtalic anhydride, toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and trimellitic anhydride (TMA) in the plastics, rubber and resin industries.

Pharmacologic occupational asthma

Such asthma occurs after inhalation of dust or liquid extracts of dusts from cotton, flax or hemp. In these cases, tissue cells in the lung directly release chemicals, such as histamine which can cause bronchial smooth muscle to contract and thus block airways. Yet this reaction can occur in subjects who are not allergic to any of these substances. The exact role that these factors play in producing this drug like or pharmacologic effect is not yet completely known at this time.

Asthmatic style of prevention from occupational asthma

Once etiological factor of asthma is identified, the exposure levels should be reduced. The job of a worker may be changed.

In high risk jobs for developing occupational asthma pre-screening reactivity testing may be useful in excluding people with the potential of developing asthma.
Periodical measurement of lung function testing and peak flow variability apart from symptom screening may detect onset of asthma at the earliest stage.
Etiological factors with potential of inducing asthma should be identified and its level in working environment should be monitored to keep it at the lowest level.

INDUSTRIAL MATERIAL KNOWN TO CAUSE OCCUPATION ASTHMA

Industry	Material
Veterinarians, Animal and Poultry breeders, Laboratory workers and Fishermen.	Animals, Birds, Fish and Insect serum, Dander, Secretions, Excreta and Contaminated water.
Oil and Food Workers, Farmers and Grain handlers.	Castor bean, Green coffee bean, Papain, Pancreatic extracts, Organic dusts and Molds.
Bakers, Farmers and Grain handlers.	Flour.
Detergents.	Enzyme from Bacillus subtilis.
Plastics, Rubber and Resin.	Hot trypsin, Ethylenediamine Phthalic anhydride and Trimellitic anhydride.
Pharmaceutical.	Cholrides,Sulphones and Chloramides
Platinum refining	Complex salts of platinum

Metal plating.	Salts of nickel.
Wood mills and Carpenters.	Grain (including insect and related grain contaminants).
Printers.	Vegetable gums (Acaria, Karaya), natural resins.
Pharmaceutical manufacturing.	Amphicillin, Spiramycin, Piperazine, Amprolium hydrochloride and Antibiotic dusts.
Polyurethane, Printers, Adhesives, Painting, Plastics and Electrical workers.	Diisosyanates (Toluene diisocyanate and others).
Meat wrappers Electrical trade.	Pyrolysis products of Polyvinyl chlorides, Price labels, Adhesives, and Soldering fluxes.
Farm workers.	Organic phosphorus.
Textile workers.	Cotton dust.
Medical and Pharmaceutical.	Formalin.