It happens more often than you think: Your asthma hasn’t bothered you for a while, and then it flares up at work.
Unfortunately, unless you’re the owner of the company, you don’t really have much control over your work environment, yet it’s still the place where you spend the majority of your time away from home. So, if you’re experiencing unexplained asthma flareups (or adult-onset asthma symptoms for the first time) at work, then it’s likely that your workplace has an air quality problem.
In fact, this is not uncommon. Many industries and trades see a high exposure to asthmagens, resulting in workers experiencing a variety of respiratory issues. Here’s what you need to know about asthma and the workplace.
What Are Asthmagens?
Asthmagens, a.k.a. asthma-causing agents, are chemicals, substances, and fumes that can irritate your respiratory system and may be to blame for your sudden asthma onset or flareups.
If you’re experiencing asthma symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness on the job, then you’re probably being exposed to a significant concentration of asthmagens.
Common asthmagens that might be present in your workspace include:
- Dust and mites
- Cleaning materials
- Molds
- Latex
- Animal urine
- Wood dust
- Acrylate polymers
- Epoxy resin
- Amines
- Flour
- Metalworking fluids
- Animal dander
- Feathers
- And many more
The asthmagens that you are exposed to at your job site depend on the industry that you work in. For more information on occupational asthmagens, look at this list on the NYS Department of Health website.
Environmental Testing Can Help
To protect your health and that of your coworkers, it’s crucial to identify where any new sicknesses or asthma flareups may be coming from.
Whatever you suspect might be causing your workplace-related asthma, MoldXpertsNY can help identify it. We’ll perform an environmental air quality test at your place of business, and then provide your employer with a report on the specific asthmagens and concentration levels present. We can even use our report to advise your employer on an air quality improvement plan going forward!
We’re proud to provide environmental testing all over NYC and Long Island, particularly Nassau and Suffolk counties. To schedule an appointment, call or email us today!
Testimonials
Gary is very professional, knowledgeable, and honest. I’m very grateful that he came on a Sunday and for the fact that he was willing to answer any question I had about the report.
Gary was very informative in explaining to us about mold, how it grows and what we needed to do to remove it. I would highly recommend him for mold testing.
Gary is a total professional. He goes out of his way to accommodate your needs, patiently answers all questions and offers suggestions as to how to alleviate problems. I could not be more pleased.
Gary was very polite, knowledgeable and made suggestions as to how I could improve the environment in my house.
Very fast good work they are very nice people and knowledgeable. I did not feel rushed and they answered all my questions. Very accommodating to my hours I needed since I work.