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Like occupational asthma, occupational rhinitis may be either induced or exacerbated by workplace respiratory irritants and sensitizers. Work-related irritant or allergic rhinitis may predispose the worker to chronic sinusitis. [LaDou, p. 299-302] Symptoms include nasal congestion, sneezing, rhinorrhea, and lacrimation. There may be pharyngeal itching and conjunctivitis. Nasal washing usually reveal eosinophils in allergic rhinitis and polymorponuclear white blood cells in irritant rhinitis. Asthma caused by laboratory animal allergens is usually preceded by rhinoconjunctivitis. Other exposures often linked to occupational rhinitis are swine confinement; livestock breeding; feed handling; cotton, flax, and hemp processing; wool processing; rice field harvesting; tobacco leaf processing; hairdressing; furniture manufacturing; compost and waste handling; greenhouses; pulp and paper mills; and inhalation of wood dust, silicate dust, metal salts, pollen, gases (nitric oxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine), insects, fungi, insecticides, flour, isocyanates, methacrylates, diacrylate, vegetables (soybeans, garlic), mites, coffee beans, proteases, latex gloves, xerographic toner, and milk protein. [Asthma in the Workplace, p. 789] Adult asthma and rhinitis are strongly linked to the home environment. [PMID 15824627] |
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