Traditional and Emerging Occupational Asthma in Japan

Abstract

Occupational asthma (OA) is one of the most common forms of occupational lung disease in many industrialized countries, and it accounts for 9–15 % of adult asthma. If a worker with an occupational allergic disease doesn’t consider it an occupational disease, or if affected workers bear it and take no measures or treatment, extensive exposure at the workplace will persist. These cause the disease to worsen or become refractory. Sometimes, patients might lose their job and face economic difficulties. Therefore, we should always take the possibility of OA into consideration and obtain a detailed history from patients. When OA is diagnosed, patients should avoid allergen exposure, and the workplace environment should be improved, as well as adequate drug therapy being provided. This paper covers the history, current state, and the published first guideline for diagnosis and management of occupational allergic diseases in Japan.