Choose an Asthma Friendly Job

Finding a new job is always an exciting and perhaps nerve-raking proposition. This, though, is made even more complicated if you have respiratory problems like asthma. Unfortunately, there are a wide variety of job-related risk factors that can aggravate your condition. However, by identifying positive workplace characteristics, avoiding major risks, and keeping your health in mind, you’ll be able to choose an asthma friendly job.

Steps

Identifying Positive Workplace Characteristics

1. Look for a job in a climate controlled environment. One of the most important things to focus on is finding a job in a climate controlled environment. By working in a climate controlled environment, you’ll eliminate a variety of potential risks such as allergens in spring time, pollution, and more.
   • A clean and high-functioning air conditioning system is essential.
   • Stable humidity is important.
   • Make sure your employer changes air filters as often as necessary.
2. Find a job in a clean and well-maintained building. While climate control is important, you also need to keep other factors in mind that impact indoor air quality. Old and unkempt buildings can pose several dangers, such as:
   • Mold and mildew.
   • Asbestos.
   • Dust buildup.
3. Focus on jobs that don’t force you to overexert yourself. Although air quality is important to think about, the best jobs for asthmatics are ones that are not too physically demanding. Even in an environment with great air quality, you can still suffer an asthma attack if you overexert yourself.
   • Jobs that require a lot of desk work may work well for some asthmatics. Consider careers in accounting, law, or medicine.
   • Think about jobs that require you to be on your feet, but do not push you beyond your limit. Consider careers in education, writing, or editing.
   • Avoid jobs that require major physical activity such as manufacturing jobs or jobs in construction.

Looking for Possible Risks

1. Avoid jobs where you will be exposed to allergens. One of the biggest risk factors for people with asthma are allergens that naturally occur in the environment. Thus, do what you can to avoid jobs in which you will be exposed to allergens that can aggravate your asthma. Stay away from jobs in:
   • Lawn maintenance, house-cleaning, or landscaping.
   • Forestry.
   • Construction.
   • Home nursing care. You will be exposed to roach infestations (highly allergenic for those with asthma) as well as tobacco smoke.
   • Agriculture.
2. Stay away from air pollution. Perhaps even worse than naturally occurring allergens is air pollution. Inhaling air pollution, even on a limited basis, can exacerbate your asthma.
   • Avoid working outside in urban or even suburban environments. Inhaling pollution created by cars can trigger an asthma attack. Some of the worst jobs you could take include: highway toll keeper, postal carrier, or street sweeper.
   • Do not take a job in an industrial district. For instance, even the air quality indoors in an industrial district will be low. If you’re in a region with heavy industry, consider relocating or working far from any manufacturing plant.
3. Steer clear of jobs in which you are exposed to chemicals of any type. While there are a variety of well-paying jobs in which you work in clean, climate-controlled environments, make sure you stay away from jobs in which you’ll work with or will breathe in chemicals. Such jobs include:
   • Certain manufacturing jobs.
   • Jobs in which you are exposed to paint fumes.
   • Any job in which you must work with or be around cleaning agents. For example, jobs in custodial maintenance, dry cleaning, or pool care.

Thinking About Your Health

1. Talk to your physician. If you are concerned about how a potential new job could impact your asthma, contact your physician. Your physician will be able to evaluate potential health risks and give you a good idea of whether the job will cause you health problems.
   • Schedule a consultation with your doctor. Let them know that you are taking a new job. Say “I’m very interested in this new job, but I’m concerned about how it will impact my asthma.”
   • If you don’t already have a respiratory specialist, have your general practitioner refer you to one.
2. Have the air quality of your workplace tested. If you are about to accept it, or you are just taking a job, consider having the air quality tested. This is important especially if you have major reservations about how the work environment could impact your health
   • Ask your current or prospective employer if they have had the air quality tested recently.
   • If your employer will allow you, arrange for an environmental assessment specialist to test the quality of the air.
   • Consider purchasing a “home” air quality test kit online. These tests will provide the equipment for you to take an air sample, which you can then send to a laboratory for testing. Prices range from $50 to $200.
   • Depending on what state or country you live in, there may be laws guaranteeing your right for information about air quality in your work place.
3. Investigate environmental risk factors at a location or business. You can also take some investigatory steps to see if a business or location has higher risks for asthmatics or people with other conditions. By doing this, you’ll rely on the experience of past and current employees, as well as experts and government agencies.
   • Use pollution monitoring services to see pollution levels in a city or region. Visit aqicn.org for more information.
   • Contact your state or provincial government’s environmental protection agency for more information about environmental conditions or pollution at a specific location or for a specific business.
   • Google the name of the business and location to see if there are any news articles containing information about environmental problems or other risk factors associated with it.

References

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