Can colophony asthma lead to fragrance reactions?


Last year I was exposed to colophony soldering fumes for about four weeks, and I started coughing daily and eventually had a very difficult time breathing. I sought medical attention and now have been diagnosed with Reactive Airways Disease, Asthma, and a Chemical Sensitivity requiring the office to be fragrance free. Oddly it's just man made chemicals that cause an asthma attack, especially fragrances. I've never had any of the above medical diagnosis
Occupational Asthma, Specialist, 9/4/2018, 9/4/2018,

Colophony is a sensitising agent which can cause occupational asthma. There should be a latent interval from first exposure to first symptom which is usually more than 4 weeks, unless you have been exposed to colophony before, sensitisation would be less likely. If you are sensitised there should be a regular improvement when away from exposure, for instance on days away from work. Colophony (or pine resins) are sometimes present in commercial products as a fragrance, but is unrelated to general fragrances, which sometimes upset asthmatic via unclear (non-allergic) mechanisms. It is almost impossible to avoid all fragrance exposure in modern life.
Reactive airways disease (or RADS) is asthma which follows a single large exposure to an irritant, and then leaves the sufferer with ordinary asthma afterwards, without sensitisation. I think that very high exposures are needed to cause irritant reactions, which have been described in existing asthmatics, but not as a cause of RADS.
Chemical sensitivity is a loose term, but is generally taken as reactions to unrelated chemicals by non-allergic mechanisms. A mild form of this is common in asthmatics, and can usually be managed by standard asthma inhalers. Fragrances are getting more of a problem, as some are genetically engineered enzymes and many of secret formulation, making attempts at specific diagnoses very difficult
9/4/2018

Please sign in or register to add your thoughts.


Oasys and occupational asthma smoke logo