If you think your job is making you sick, recruit a health care provider’s help. Together, you can check your symptom pattern and consider likely triggers. You may need to measure your breathing several times a day to see how it changes at work. You do this with a peak flow meter, a hand-held device into which you breathe. Your doctor also may perform a "challenge test," where you inhale asthma-causing substances to test your reaction.

If you do have occupational asthma, you’ll probably need to talk with your boss. Before you do, learn about your health rights. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a federal agency that studies work-related health problems, offers a hotline (1-800-356-4674) to all employees. Or check out NIOSH on the Web.

Most of the time, occupational asthma can be cured. The solution is getting treatment and staying away from the chemical triggers. If asthma goes unchecked, however, it can lead to permanent lung damage. You may need to switch jobs or move to another location at your company. Sometimes, changes in the office environment--like an improved ventilation system--can solve the problem.

Reviewed Jan.1998 by Douglas S Paauw, MD, University of Washington

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©iVillage, Inc. 1998. All rights reserved. Transmitted: 4/6/99 2:10 PM