Asthma awful in work

The Denouncer

My asthma is awful when I'm in work. I work at a computer and find it hard to even speak it's that bad. People come over and think I'm messing, I sound terrible and cannot speak to them properly. Its like someone is squashing my chest with their foot.
When I'm on holidays or at the weekends I am fine. I take seretide 250, and use a spacer device. Its the usual routine, weekends, holidays and workdays. Its just the working days, in the office, that I feel absolutely awful, 8.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. I am SO JEALOUS of people who can just speak in their proper voices, nice and clear. Its dreadful, losing my mind in the office.
I'm not particularly stressed so its not that. It could be the carpet but I am close to walking out of the job its that bad. I take Atrovent and it relieves slightly (very little), but I never have to use Atrovent when I'm not in work. I went away fro a month in 2005 and didn't have any breathing difficulties whatsoever. Feel very trapped at the moment.
Any ideas?

Kimbot

Is their Air Con in your job??
If so it could be that the setting are wrong and could do you harm in the long run!!

r3nu4l

Have you discussed this with a line manager or HR? Medical issues have to be taken seriously by employers so they should be doing something to investigate possible causes and solutions.

The Denouncer

I did have a previous line manager who I mentioned it to but she muttered something about an ionizer or something, and nothing was ever done.
The last few months have been the worst. Going for a walk at lunch is like getting a gulp of air after being underwater for hours. Will have to mention it to new manager but I know they won't do anything, they never do anything no matter what laws you threaten

Kimbot

If you could answer the above question I would be able to give you some better advise on how to approach the subject!

missmatty

I'm asthmatic and I don't know how you can live and work in that state! Either leave or get it sorted out, why are you putting up with the suffering!

The Denouncer

Sorry jonny yes there is Air Con in the job. Advise pleez

missmatty sometimes you get into a rut I suppose, a type of alienation that you become accustomed to. I suppose this thread is a first step to something better

Kimbot

Get them to test the air conditioning and see what is the % of water that it is currently using!! Anything above 30% is what would cause the asthma to be like that with yourself and that is deemed unsafe as you could contract legionairres (sp) from it!! I had similar before and when I said this to HR they got it sorted straight away!!

The Denouncer

Thanks jonny..30% water!

Kimbot

I will have a look for the links I had to it all before because I have a lung problem I was a higher risk and when investigated this was the problem and HR were only too happy to help out in the matter because it made the work envoirnment safer for everyone in the long run!!

the 30% has something to do with the air mixture the aircon sends out, 70 recycled air and 30% water IIRC is the best solution all round!!

The Denouncer

Jonny thanks I raised that with HR and Line Manager, that sounds like it could be the issue alright

Kimbot

Brilliant, let me know what the outcome is.

The Denouncer

OK facilities left a couple of things on my desk, monitoring the air humidity and temperature. He'll collect them on Wednesday but I have to keep the window shut all that time! :eek:

The Denouncer

Bloke came back and says humidity is too low! There is a problem alright..he'll be putting the testers around the room - good suggestion jonny24ie

sosgal

how do you find the seretide?

Nonoperational

Hi there, you need to go to your doctor and have a chat with him/her about it. Perhaps your allergic to something in your office environment thats aggravating your asthma. While the ideal solution would be to avoid or remove the thing your allergic to, that may not be possible here.

You may benefit from trying a leukotriene antagonist such as Singular as an add on to your seretide. These can be very effective for some people with allergen induced asthma.

I know you say you use a spacer device so your probably ok but you must make sure that your inhaler technique is ok, your pharmacist will run through that with you if you like. It may be worth trying the seretide diskus.

If your asthma gets that bad at work I'd really recommend carrying ventolin or bricanyl with you for emergencies. I notice you use atrovent at times but its going to do no harm to carry a B2 agonist aswell!

The good news is that this CAN and SHOULD be quite manageable.

langerdan79

don't know if this has been mentioned on the board before but i did the buteyko method about this time last year and i haven't taken my inhaler once in the last 8 months. fair enough i wasn't very bad and only took my ventolin more for sports than anything else but if you do it and stick with it you will notice a big difference. it is difficult to put into practice but it may help with your problem

corajen

Hi I just came across your thread and you might offer some advise. In that I have asthma and have worked in the company for years with no effects, but the health and Safety officer has just dropped a document on my desk asking if I have any respiratory issues (one of the questions). Now if I sate I have where dose that leave me with reference to my job I need my job and cant afford to be unemployed. Then again I cant lie.