What is Work-Related Lung Disease?
Occupational or work-related lung diseases are lung conditions that have been caused or made worse by long-term exposure to certain irritants in the workplace. Exposures such as dust, fumes, chemicals, or vapors at your job can irritate your airways and tissues in the lungs. These exposures may increase your risk of worsening a pre-existing lung condition or developing a new work-related lung disease.
One example is work-related COPD. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition that causes airway obstruction and breathing-related symptoms. Your healthcare provider may diagnose you as having COPD, emphysema, or chronic bronchitis that may be worsened by continued exposure to workplace irritants.
Many workplaces may expose workers to risk factors for a lung disease like COPD, but the leading job types include agriculture, mining, and manufacturing.
Early Warning Signs of Work-Related COPD
Over time, exposure to smoke, dust, chemicals, and other lung irritants may cause COPD-related symptoms. The most common early warning signs of COPD are shortness of breath, a cough that may bring up sputum (mucus or phlegm), wheezing, tiredness or fatigue, or repeated lung infections like bronchitis or pneumonia.
You may notice symptoms starting in your early 40’s. At first, you may think these signs are part of normal aging and change your activities to have fewer symptoms.
A lung disease like COPD is often diagnosed when people are between 45-60 years old. As lung function worsens and symptoms become harder to manage, it may affect your productivity at work. COPD flare-ups or exacerbations may also lead to more missed workdays and medical-related costs. COPD may also lead to early retirement. Over one in four people with COPD aged 45-68 years old retire early before of worsening COPD symptoms.
What should I do if I work at a job that exposes me to dust and I get short of breath?
While shortness of breath is a sign of COPD, it is also a sign of other health conditions like asthma. The first step is to talk to your healthcare provider about risk factors like your smoking history, workplace exposure and breathing-related symptoms.
How can I keep my lungs healthy if I work around dust, chemicals, gases, or vapors?
Page last updated: June 6, 2024
