05/04/2013 // Concord, CA, USA // LifeCare123 // Greg Vigna, MD, JD, Joe Motta, JD // (press release)

Occupational asthma or reversible reactive airway disease occurs in workers exposed over time to numerous environmental agents or can occur as a result of high level exposure to a toxic substance for a short period of time. Following the BP Deep Horizon oil spill, workers were mobilized to meet this environmental disaster. These workers were exposed to dangerous chemicals including petroleum products, dispersing chemicals, and inhaled numerous chemicals on a daily basis under some of the most difficult circumstance. Many of these workers now suffer from reversible reactive airway disease.

Symptoms of reversible reactive airway disease include wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and fatigue. Reactive airway disorder caused by work related exposure is called occupational asthma. It affects 15% of patients with asthma. Symptoms may reappear years after exposure, it reduces productivity and quality of life, it increases cost to employees, families, and sometimes leads to profound disability. Diagnosis is made by history, physical examination, and by an objective diagnostic inspiratory breathing test carried out in a physician’s office or hospital. Reversible reactive airway disease occurs because of persistent chronic hyper-reactivity of upper airway tone related to an occupational exposure. The changes observed in the upper airways are similar to the findings which occur in allergic asthma. Even after removal away from the causative agent, the hyper-reactivity of the upper airways of the lung may persist and may lead to progressive deterioration of lung function.

Occupational asthma, also called work-related asthma, is the most common occupational lung disease in the United States. It affects about 15% of adults with asthma, although estimates vary. It can cause wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. Symptoms may emerge hours after exposure to harmful substances and symptoms can be delayed for even months to years later. Occupational asthma is costly for everyone. It reduces productivity, it affects quality of life and increases costs to employees, families, businesses, and taxpayers. Some employees become too disabled to work, while others must change jobs to avoid the substance that caused their asthma.

BP workers deserve fair compensation for their occupationally induce asthma. It is no fun fighting for your breath no matter the varying degrees of occupational asthma. There are those with persistent disease who suffer on an ongoing basis. Adequate compensation must be the goal in any claim against BP for a person who suffers from occupational asthma.

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