Occupational allergies are triggered by occupation-specific allergens. To combat occupational allergies such as baker’s asthma or hairdresser’s eczema, allergen avoidance is often necessary.
What are occupational allergies?
Occupational allergies are allergic diseases that manifest as a result of a specific occupational activity due to contact with occupation-specific substances. Examples of such occupational allergies are the diseases baker’s asthma and hairdresser’s eczema. The so-called baker’s asthma is an allergic respiratory disease that mainly affects bakers. Hairdresser’s eczema is an allergic skin condition that is one of the common occupational allergies among hairdressers. Hairdresser’s eczema is predominantly found on the hands of those affected. Female hairdressers are statistically affected by hairdresser’s eczema about twice as often as men. Occupational allergies can, in many cases, lead to affected individuals having to change careers or retire early.
Causes
Occupational allergies are usually caused by occupation-specific frequent contact with certain working substances. In occupational allergies, frequent contact with substances that are actually nontoxic leads to increasing sensitization, from which occupational allergies may eventually develop. It is also possible that certain allergies were already latent in those affected before they started work, but only became acute as occupational allergies due to frequent contact with substances. Doctors also assume that there is a genetically determined susceptibility to the development of certain occupational allergies. It is therefore not always possible to clearly determine whether contact substances responsible for occupational allergies are really the cause of these occupational allergies or merely their trigger. Specific triggers that can lead to baker’s asthma include flour and enzymes, for example. Fine flour dust is often dispersed in the air breathed in bakeries and can thus lead to baker’s asthma. Hairdresser’s eczema is often triggered by substances such as hair shampoo, hair coloring or bleaching agents, dyes, or even rubber gloves used.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
As a rule, the symptoms and complaints of occupational allergies depend very much on the exact allergy. For this reason, no general prediction of symptoms can be made here. In some cases, however, the symptoms are so severe that they can ultimately lead to the death of the affected person. In the case of baker’s asthma, the affected person primarily suffers from severe shortness of breath. The patient suffers from breathing difficulties and is also permanently tired and fatigued. Sleep problems are also common. Many patients also exhibit abnormal breathing sounds. Coughing mucus escapes and shortness of breath occurs, so that the patient’s ability to cope with stress is also considerably reduced. Many sufferers can no longer pursue their profession due to baker’s asthma. In the case of hairdresser’s eczema, patients often also suffer redness of the skin. The skin itself is covered by itching, which is further intensified by scratching. A severe rash can also appear on the skin and have a negative effect on the quality of life of the affected person. Hairdresser’s eczema often also leads to psychological discomfort or depression. Many patients no longer feel beautiful because of the discomfort and therefore suffer from inferiority complexes or reduced self-esteem.
Diagnosis and course
In order to be able to clearly diagnose occupational allergies such as baker’s asthma or hairdresser’s eczema, a competent specialist must usually first be consulted when symptoms occur; in the case of suspected baker’s asthma, for example, this may be a specialist in lung diseases, and in the case of suspected hairdresser’s eczema, a dermatologist. The affected person is usually first questioned by the doctor about his medical history as well as his occupational situation and workplace. This is followed by specific allergy tests to determine any occupational allergies. On the basis of the physician’s assessment, occupational health insurance associations often then decide whether occupational allergies are actually present. In many cases, baker’s asthma cannot be completely cured, but it can be significantly improved by avoiding the allergenic substances and by appropriate therapy.Hairdresser’s eczema may resolve after avoiding contact with the substance, but usually recurs when contact is renewed.
Complications
One complication of baker’s asthma is nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness. This triggers sudden breathing difficulties due to inhalation of certain substances, but subsides after a few hours. However, the respiratory disease caused by the allergy can also lead to acute or chronic symptoms. The patient then suffers from severe respiratory problems, which greatly restrict him in everyday life and consequently in his job. In this disease process, baker’s asthma may even become life-threatening: the reduced oxygen supply, for example due to severe swelling of the airways, can lead to failure of the cardiovascular system. A supply of medication or oxygen is then indispensable. The respiratory diseases caused by occupational allergies also sometimes lead to an increased incidence of viral or bacterial bronchial diseases. These also heal more slowly than in patients who do not suffer from baker’s asthma. Barber’s eczema becomes a major burden when skin irritations occur in short succession. Severe eczema is also a sign of a complicated course of the disease. Medical measures are absolutely necessary in case of frequent redness, itching and rash. The symptoms of this occupational allergy do not resolve on their own at this acute stage, but they are treatable.
When should you go to the doctor?
If allergic symptoms occur repeatedly in the workplace, a doctor should be consulted. The medical professional can use an allergy test to determine whether it is a typical occupational allergy and suggest further measures. A visit to the doctor is recommended at the latest when the symptoms affect performance or well-being. For example, a severe cough, a runny nose or reddening of the skin that cannot be attributed to any other cause should always be clarified. If the symptoms can be clearly traced back to a specific substance at the workplace, an immediate sick note is required. In cooperation with the physician, the appropriate insurance agencies should also be contacted to ensure financial coverage during the absence from work. In the event of acute asthma attacks and circulatory problems at work, an emergency physician should be called. Affected individuals should leave the workplace immediately and seek medical attention for symptoms to prevent worsening of their general condition. In severe cases, first aid must be administered until emergency medical services arrive.
Treatment and therapy
In the course of therapy for occupational allergies, such as baker’s asthma and hairdresser’s eczema, approaches that are used to combat the cause and to combat the symptoms are often combined:
Depending on the form and severity of contact allergies present, it may be necessary to avoid contact with substances that trigger the occupational allergies in order to combat the cause. For this purpose, it may be important to subject the individual workplace to various protective measures. Complementary symptom control can be achieved in baker’s asthma and hairdresser’s eczema by administering various medications. To treat hairdresser’s eczema, for example, cortisone preparations are often used, which are regularly applied in the form of creams or powders to the areas of skin affected by hairdresser’s eczema. Baker’s asthma can also be treated symptomatically, for example, with long-term administration of cortisone (also known as a glucocorticoid in medicine). The cortisone is absorbed here, for example, via an inhaler, so that the airways can be targeted.
Outlook and prognosis
Because occupational allergies are triggered by certain substances that sufferers are exposed to in their work, the prognosis is unfavorable if they continue to be exposed to these substances. If a baker has an allergic reaction to components of a baking mixture, the only solution is usually to avoid these substances or to greatly reduce contact, which is hardly possible in the bakery. The situation is similar with hairdressers. As long as they reduce or completely avoid contact with the allergy-causing substances, the complaints also decrease. In both occupational groups, however, the complaints immediately reappear when they come into contact with the allergy triggers again.Baker’s asthma can be life-threatening due to breathing difficulties, because the swelling of the airways can lead to cardiovascular failure. In this case, oxygen must be supplied immediately. In addition, the allergy increases susceptibility to viral or bacterial bronchial infections. In the case of hairdressers, contact dermatitis usually occurs on the hands when they come into contact with the allergy-causing substances, and the symptoms do not subside in the case of continuous contact. If it only affects the hands, it can sometimes be enough to wear gloves during certain work such as coloring or perming. In worse cases, both occupational groups must change jobs.
Prevention
It is difficult to prevent occupational allergies. However, to limit the risk of occupational allergies, it may be useful to undergo appropriate allergy testing before choosing an occupation to detect any allergies present. If allergies or a high susceptibility to allergies are already known, it may be advisable to avoid occupations that involve frequent allergen contact to prevent occupational allergies.
Follow-up
For aftercare of occupational allergy, it is crucial to avoid the allergenic substance. In the case of baker’s asthma and hairdresser’s eczema, it is often not possible to change the workplace so that the affected person does not come into contact with the allergens. In this case, a professional reorientation comes into question. In this case, the allergy sufferer looks for another occupation, completes further training or retrains in order to be able to perform a new job later on in which he or she is not confronted with the allergens. Vocational rehabilitation can be financially supported by the statutory accident insurance or another institution. It is considered a benefit for participation in working life. In order for financial assistance to be granted, a specialist opinion is usually required and the allergy sufferer must submit a corresponding application. The doctor who diagnoses the occupational allergy usually discusses the specific course of action with the patient. The duration of occupational rehabilitation may vary. Some measures are relatively short courses that take only a few weeks, while other measures are designed for six months or a whole year. Completely new vocational training may also take a longer time. Vocational rehabilitation is provided by accredited institutions.
What you can do yourself
Occupational allergies such as baker’s asthma or hairdresser’s eczema can significantly affect the everyday working life, but also the leisure life of those affected. Anyone who repeatedly has to struggle with occupational allergies in everyday life should consider whether a change of occupation would not be sensible. If a change is not possible, the allergen contact should be minimized if possible or prevented completely. In the hairdressing profession, wearing gloves should become a habit. If a baker is equipped with a mouth guard at work, he can protect himself from dust exposure in the bakery. Those who work as bakers should likewise ensure that the air, which is polluted by aggressive flour dust, is cleaned and, subsequently, that the dust is removed. The air can be cleaned by means of a suction device that filters the polluted air in the room. As a preventive measure, hairdressers should take good care of their skin in advance in order to better protect the skin from the outset and help skin problems to heal. If self-help measures at work do not show much success, a change to other activities within the company can also be considered. In this way, contact with the triggering allergens and the associated symptoms could be reduced in order to restore the affected person’s quality of life and enjoyment of the job.
