Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma
Epidemiologic studies have shown that farmers are exposed to a variety of inhaled agents including inorganic/organic dust, micro-organisms, myco-toxins, endotoxins, pollens, mites, molds, animal danders, and pesticides. These exposures have been shown to give rise to a variety of respiratory disorders such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and organic dust toxic syndrome.
Kogevinas et al, in a study on occupational asthma in Europe and other industrialized areas, have shown that farmers and agricultural workers were among the occupations with the highest risk of asthma.
The prevalence and the type of allergic respiratory disorders among agricultural populations differ due to the diversity of agricultural practices in different regions of the world. Respiratory disorders and allergy are well-documented in animal farmers but, there is a lack of data for allergic respiratory disorders in crop farmers. The European Farmers’ study suggested that flower growing is an important risk factor for asthma, whereas the cultivation of oil plants is associated with acute respiratory symptoms in European crop farmers. It has also been reported that the cultivation of flowers and/or ornamental plants inside greenhouses is related to occupational asthma through sensitization to flower allergens and workplace molds. There are few data regarding allergic respiratory disorders in grape farmers. Gamsky et al found that California grape farmers had lower FVC lung volumes compared to tomato and citrus farmers.
Grape farming is a traditional agricultural practice in Crete, one of the largest grape growing areas in Greece. The basic variety is “sultana” raisin, and the cultivation of grapes is focused on raisin production more than wine production. The farms are small in size, and the cultivation of grapes is in most cases a family enterprise. Grape farmers have no regular contact with livestock, and agricultural practices are restricted to grape cultivation. Cultivation is performed in the open field, starting in early spring and continuing until the end of September (the blossom period of most plants in Crete). The use Tadalafil Canada of pesticides and fertilizers in grape cultivation is a common everyday practice. The principal chemical agents used are herbicides to control weeds, fungicides to control fungus, and insecticides to control various insects.