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Occupational Asthma

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Allergy and Asthma

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Abstract

Allergic respiratory diseases in the workplace, like occupational asthma (OA), represent a significant public health concern leading to long-term health consequences and socioeconomic costs for the affected worker, employer, and society as a whole. The lungs are particularly vulnerable to contact with these types of exposures due to their extensive surface area, high blood flow, and thin alveolar epithelium. Occupational asthma is the most prevalent occupational lung disease in industrialized countries and since undiagnosed OA can cause considerable medical and economic consequences, aggressive prevention strategies are essential. Despite an increase knowledge of sensitizing agents in the workplace as well as improvements in workplace safety and reporting, OA continues to afflict workers worldwide. Various health surveillance programs have been implemented over the years with varying degrees of success. Greater collaboration between employers, employee organizations, legislators and researchers should be encouraged to determine the most effective and economically feasible interventions for preventing OA in the workplace.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bernstein Allergy Group, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Justin Greiwe & Jonathan A. Bernstein

  2. Division of Immunology/Allergy Section, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Justin Greiwe & Jonathan A. Bernstein

Authors
  1. Justin Greiwe
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  2. Jonathan A. Bernstein
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonathan A. Bernstein .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Milton S Hershey Med Ctr, Penn State University Milton S Hershey Med Ctr, Hershey, PA, USA

    Timothy Craig

  2. Suite 502, Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Suite 502, Tampa, FL, USA

    Dennis K. Ledford

Section Editor information

  1. Division of Allergy & Immunology, Dept. of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, James A Haley Veterans' Hospital, Asthma and Immunology Associates of Tampa Bay, Tampa, Florida, USA

    Dennis K. Ledford

  2. Department of Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA

    Timothy Craig DO

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Greiwe, J., Bernstein, J.A. (2019). Occupational Asthma. In: Craig, T., Ledford, D. (eds) Allergy and Asthma. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58726-4_16-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58726-4_16-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-58726-4

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