Ask The Expert Question: Am I allergic to chemicals at work?
I have been having a lot of problems at work with the chemicals they use for cleaning and for stripping the floor. When I am around these chemicals I get a numbing feeling in my throat and my chest gets very tight. Should I see a doctor about this? Dr. Martha Vetter White responds:
Your symptoms are not unusual. Cleaning chemicals, like cigarette smoke, often act as pulmonary irritants. If you have a lung condition, such as asthma, exposure to ammonia or other strong or irritating smells could trigger symptoms. Chest tightness is characteristic of asthma, and this can be diagnosed with a simple, painless test in which you are asked to blow into a machine that measures how open your airways are. Your best bet, if your internist or family practitioner isn't able to help you, is to ask for a referral to a lung specialist, such as an allergist or a pulmonologist. If you live in a rural area, you may need to drive to a larger city to find a lung specialist, but it will be well worth your while. Good luck, Dr. White -- Dr. Martha Vetter White, MD, is cofounder and director of research at the Institute for Asthma &Allergy in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, one of the nation's most active clinical research centers devoted to allergy, asthma, and sinusitis.
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Last updated July 30, 2009
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