How to manage your asthma at work

     If you find that you have more asthma symptoms when you're at work, you may suffer from occupational asthma. Even if your asthma was diagnosed before you started at your current workplace, the air quality of your surroundings while you work may be aggravating your symptoms. 

     You might feel like you don't have the power to change the quality of the air in your workplace, but there are still some things you can do:

  • Determine whether you're in a particularly asthma-inducing field. People who hold certain jobs are much more likely to be exposed to asthma irritants than others. These include people who work with noxious chemicals, like hairdressers and those whose jobs involve spray paint, people who spend a lot of time in dusty areas, like bakers and carpenters, and anyone who works with animals. If you work in one of these fields and you start experiencing asthma symptoms on the job, you may want to seriously consider a career change, as your asthma will only get worse with continued exposure to irritants.
  • Ask coworkers to smoke away from the work space. Cigarette smoke is one of the biggest asthma irritants, and even secondhand smoke exposure can lead to health problems. Everyone in your workplace will benefit from a designated smoking area that doesn't allow smoke to seep into the air while you're working.
  • Work with your company to improve air quality. Let your company know that you're experiencing occupational asthma symptoms and that it's their responsibility to make sure the workplace has healthy air. Often, improving the ventilation system is the only change necessary to significantly improve air quality in an office or retail setting.

     Another way you can defend yourself against asthma symptoms is by investing in a desktop air purifier from US Air Purifiers.