Will I ever be able to return to work in my field?

I am an occupational health nurse no less and was exposed to very high levels of industrial strength chlorine over a period of 2 1/2 years. I was hospitalized twice during the month of August and subsequently diagnosed with OA by our worker's compensation pulmonologist. The doctor said that I will never be able to be exposed to even minute amounts of chlorine again or it could be fatal due to the severity of my attacks. I am currently taking singulair and advair daily as well as en emergency inhaler if needed. I have been out of work for 3 months on workers comp. I do not see how it would ever be possible to work in my profession again as even someone coming in with the fumes on their clothes could cause lung damage potentially. In the health care field, in most fields in fact, chlorine is regularly used in cleaning. Should I consider applying for disability or maybe vocational rehabilitation to another field? If so, what fields would guarantee NO chlorine exposure?

Occupational Asthma, Worker, 12/3/2006, 12/8/2006,

This is a difficult question for which you will need expert advice from somebody who knows all your clinical details. From the information given it is unclear whether your asthma is due to a single large exposure, or whether you have become sensitised to something. Asthma following a single large exposure (chlorine being the commonest example) does not usually lead to sensitisation. In that case exposure to small concentrations of the same agent should not cause problems. If you have developed sensitisation, then repeated exposure to low levels of the same agent will often precipitate asthma. Chlorine is often blamed for swimming-pool asthma, where in fact the chloramines formed by the chlorine reacting with protein, are the most likely cause of sensitisation. Chlorine is in common use, as you say. There must however be many occupational settings were chlorine exposure is no more common than in domestic life. Thickett KM, McCoach JS, Gerber JM, Sadra S, Burge PS, Occupational asthma caused by chloramines in swimming-pool air, Eur Respir J, 2002;19:827-832, Brooks SM, Hammad Y, Richards I, Giovinco-Barbas J, Jenkins K,, The spectrum of irritant-induced asthma: sudden and not-so-sudden onset and the role of allergy, Chest, 1998;113:42-49, Hery M, Hecht G, Gerber JM, Gendre JC, Hubert G, Rebuffaud J, Exposure to chloramines in the atmosphere of indoor swimming pools, Ann Occup Hyg, 1995;39:427-439, Brooks SM, Weiss MA, Bernstein IL, Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome, J Occup Med, 1985;27:473-476, Brooks SM, Weiss MA, Bernstein IL, Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS). Persistent asthma syndrome after high level irritant exposure, Chest, 1985;88:376-384,

12/8/2006

I have a chlorine sensitization from repeated exposure over a period of time and thus even minute amounts of chlorine, my doctor says, may cause a serious reaction. My chlorine sensitization has nothing to do with a pool but rather industrial strength chlorine being inhaled over an almost 3 year period of time. I no longer use bleach to wash my clothes because even the smell of bleach on mine or my families clothes causes a reaction. Any opinions are appreciated. Thanks

12/8/2006