Occupational Asthma

Occupational asthma has been defined as asthma due to conditions attributable to work exposures, not to causes outside the workplace. This review focuses on current data on pathogenesis, evaluation, and management. Asthma is common in the general population, including those in the workforce. 1 , 2 Work exposures can cause or exacerbate asthma 3 and can also be associated with asthma variants (e.g., eosinophilic bronchitis 3 and aluminum potroom asthma 3 ) as well as symptoms that mimic asthma (e.g., the irritable larynx syndrome). 4 In addition, even non–work-related asthma can affect the ability to work. 5 This review focuses on current data about occupational asthma, defined as asthma due to conditions attributable to work exposures and not to causes outside the workplace. 3 , 6 One important and common subtype of work-related asthma that is not addressed further in . . .