Work Related Asthma in the Textile Industry

Abstract

Nowadays, occupational asthma is the most common form of occupational lung disease in the world. In some countries the textile industry remains an important source of potential agents causing occupational asthma. In the textile industry several agents such as cotton dust and dyes may cause occupational asthma. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology, pathogenesis/mechanisms, clinical presentations, management and prevention specific to occupational asthma in the textile industry.Work-related asthma risk is considerable. Current understanding of the mechanisms by which many textile agents cause occupational asthma is limited, especially for low molecular-weight sensitizers and irritants. The diagnosis is generally established on the basis of a suggestive history of a temporal association between exposure and the onset of symptoms and objective evidence that these symptoms are related to airflow limitation. Early diagnosis, elimination or reduction of exposure to the offending agent and early use of convenient therapy according to disease severity may play an important role in the prevention of long-term persistence of asthma. Its prevention in the textile industry should be both technical and medical. It depends on the difficulties to reduce dust level, the limits in arranging work station or in occupational rehabilitation. These difficulties are increased in small textile industry companies. Persistent occupational asthma in this sector is often associated with substantial disability and consequent impacts on income and quality of life. Prevention of new cases is the best approach to reduce the burden of asthma attributable to occupational exposures. This review also outlines different patents on the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.

Prevalence of work-related asthma among Egyptian farmers in Great Cairo

“…29 In the study conducted by Ha et al, 2021 studying the prevalence and associated factors among textile workers in Vietnam, they found that in a total of 1082 workers, 80 (7.4%) were diagnosed with asthma, and 46 (4.3%) diagnosed with cotton dust-related allergic asthma. 30 Also in Tunisia, the prevalence of occupational asthma among textile workers was 8% according to a research study compiled by Chaari et al, in 2011. 31 The present study showed that of the 11 WRA subjects, 6 (4%) had allergic occupational asthma, 3 (2%) had WEA, 2 (1.3%) had irritant occupational asthma.…”

“…30 Also in Tunisia, the prevalence of occupational asthma among textile workers was 8% according to a research study compiled by Chaari et al, in 2011. 31 The present study showed that of the 11 WRA subjects, 6 (4%) had allergic occupational asthma, 3 (2%) had WEA, 2 (1.3%) had irritant occupational asthma. Different prevalence of allergic OA was reported in different occupations.…”

Asthme professionnel indemnisé dans le centre tunisien: étude transversale sur huit ans

“…On estime que 10 à 25% des cas d’asthme de l’adulte peuvent être attribuables à l’activité professionnelle [2]. Cette pathologie, reste souvent sous-estimée et sous- déclarée [14]. Cette étude menée sur huit ans de façon exhaustive sur les cas d´AP indemnisés dans la région du centre Tunisien, a permis d´apprécier les caractéristiques épidémiologiques et cliniques des patients atteints, ainsi que d’évaluer les pratiques des comités habilités à fixer les taux d’IPP et d’objectiver les discordances d’application du barème indicatif officiel.…”

“…Le secteur de textile et de confection est particulièrement bien développé dans la région du centre tunisien. En effet, 25% de la main d’œuvre industrielle du gouvernorat de Monastir est employée dans ce secteur [14]. …”

“…Beaudin définit l’atopie comme une facilité anormale de synthétiser les anticorps IgE spécifiques vis-à-vis des allergènes ayant pénétré dans l’organisme par des voies naturelles [17]. Certains auteurs s’accordent que le risque de survenu d’AP est plus élevé parmi les travailleurs atopiques [14]. Parmi les 57 travailleurs chez qui nous avons pu préciser la notion de tabagisme, 12 ont été des fumeurs.…”