COPD and the Workplace

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a major cause of disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the US. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 16 million people, mainly middle age or older adults, are diagnosed with COPD while many more have the disease and don’t know it. It starts slowly and worsens over time to the point that sufferers have such a hard time breathing that it prevents them from doing everyday activities like walking, cooking, and practicing basic self-care.

COPD can often be prevented. Smoking cigarettes or breathing in secondhand smoke is the most common reason for developing the disorder. A rare genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency can also cause it. However, the NIH reports that about 15% of COPD cases are caused by environmental exposures in the workplace. Workers regularly exposed to certain dusts, gases, chemical fumes, or other pollutants may develop COPD.

Workers in some jobs, including mining, manufacturing, housekeeping, farm work, and vehicle repair, carry higher risks for work-related COPD than others. Workers who are exposed to asbestos, pesticides, aerosol paint, or ash may be at greater risk of getting COPD. But people in other jobs can be vulnerable, too. Those in publishing or data processing or who work in offices as administrative assistants and clerks may have contact with dusts and fumes from photocopiers, certain inks, paints, and glues.

The NIH recommends that workers and employers discuss the risks and take steps to get avoid lung irritants, such as getting the right protective equipment. It’s also important to understand and recognize the signs and symptoms of COPD as there is no cure, and doctors do not know how to reverse the damage to the lungs.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), common symptoms of COPD include constant coughing, excessive mucus, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. These symptoms may start out mild and get worse as time goes on and may be downplayed as signs of aging or allergies. An appointment with a healthcare provider is recommended when there have been changes in breathing or an individual experiences any of the other common COPD symptoms.

Practitioners will routinely ask questions about health history, breathing, smoking history, and exposure to any pollutants at work or elsewhere. Practitioners also will listen to the lungs and may advise getting a spirometry test, a simple procedure that measures how much air you can breathe in and out of your lungs, as well as how easily and fast you can the blow the air out of your lungs. Seeing a healthcare provider is an important step in diagnosing the disease early and learning how to control it. Treatments and lifestyle changes may help patients feel better, stay more active, and slow the progress of the disease.

NHLBI’s Learn More Breathe Better® program provides free educational resources about COPD, including tip sheets and advice on how to manage the disease.