There are immediate benefits when one can establish the diagnosis of occupationally induced asthma. It is a man-made disease and is thus reversible. Diagnosis depends on knowledge of the source and types of exposure which can be correlated with the clinical, physiological and immunologic patterns of affected workers. The discovery of one case can often lead more readily to recognition of others. Individuals with asthma of an occupational origin should be removed from work. Equally as important is the initiation of proper industrial hygiene procedures which would improve the occupational environment and periodic medical surveillance of workers for the identification of early disease or individuals with few or no symptoms.

Key terms airway disease; allergic and nonallergic mechanisms; allergic mechanism; asthma; bronchial asthma; nonallergic mechanism; obstructive airway disease; occupational asthma; review