[Occupational and environmental exposures and relations with pulmonary health]

The effects of living conditions and occupational and environmental exposures on pulmonary health are well known. Turkey, as a developing country, has a high risk of occupational and environmental exposure, and knowledge on the issue is limited. To prove the general living conditions of the inpatients in our clinic, and to study relation of pulmonary diseases with respiratory exposures. Detailed history of occupational and environmental exposure of the subjects who were followed as inpatients has been examined, and the relation with their diseases has been evaluated. Lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and pneumonia were the most common reasons for hospitalization. Respiratory disease was observed 1.93 times more in males. The risk of lung cancer was 6.36 times higher in smokers, 4.28 times more in ex-smokers, and 2.19 times more in subjects living in downtown. And the risk of respiratory disease was 2.12 times in the dwellers of concrete buildings, and 1.70 times in subjects utilizing one of the risky heating equipment. When the disease distribution was examined in accordance with the occupational groups, civil servants, farmers, teachers, and petty officers were more prone to lung cancer, whereas, workers, housewives, and merchants were inclined to other diseases. Environmental and occupational exposure becomes frequent and complicated because of the current socioeconomic conditions. While exposure to tobacco smoke becomes the most important threat, exposures resulting from the common environment or job ambients should also be taken into consideration.