Occupational Health Service: World Asthma Day

org/wad/" target="_self">World Asthma Day took place on 1 May. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease and there are an estimated 5.1million sufferers in the UK. Although there is no cure, there are effective medicines that allow most people to control their condition so that it does not interfere with daily life.

Here are some top tips for getting your asthma under control:

1. Knowing what medicines to take and when to take them

2. Review your symptoms and medicine with your doctor or asthma nurse regularly. Ask them how to identify and avoid triggers.

3. Use your preventer inhaler regularly as prescribed - this will reduce your risk of having an asthma attack if you come into contact with a trigger.

4. Maintain a healthy Diet take regular exercise

5. If you smoke - give up! Contact Smokefree- ways to quit

Occupational asthma is a disease that can occur when people are exposed to respiratory sensitisers in the workplace. Health and Safety law requires employees at risk of exposure to these allergens to have regular health screening. UCL Occupational Health Service (OHS) screen certain groups of laboratory workers to detect symptoms of disease that might be related to work with respiratory sensitisers.

Both managers and staff have an important role in ensuring that exposure to respiratory sensitisers is reduced to as low a level as possible and in ensuring that the OHS are informed of staff exposed to laboratory allergens as a result of their work. More information is available here, or from the Occupational Health Service by email: ohsadmin@ucl.ac.uk / telephone: 0207 679 2802 (internal 32802).

Further information

Asthma UK advice line 0800 121 6244 9.00 -5pm Monday to Friday

British Lung Foundation Tel: 08458 50 50 20 wwww.lunguk.org

Elaine Fletcher, Occupational Health Adviser, Human Resources Division