Toluene diisocyanate or TDI is a chemical used d in the manufacture of foams, upholstery, automotive seats and other polyurethane products. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency labels toluene diisocyanate as highly toxic and highly hazardous to human health. A 1986 study in the journal "Chest" found that asthma persisted in workers long after exposure to toluene diisocyanate ended. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also warns that continued exposure to isocyanates may result in death from severe asthma attacks.
Wheezing
According to the findings in "Chest," wheezing occurred as a result of first-time and continued exposure to toluene diisocyanate. In an asthma attack, the muscles in the airways tighten and swell, causing the airways to narrow. Wheezing is a whistling or squeaky sound produced when a person breathes through the narrow tubes.
Coughing
Coughing is a reflex to force air through the narrowed airtubes. It is also an attempt to get rid of the excessive mucus produced in the airways during an attack. Night-time symptoms of TDI-induced asthma include coughing, which gets worse at night or early morning when more mucus is produced and the airways become more relaxed.
Breathing Difficulty
Other symptoms of toluene diisocyanate-induced asthma are shortness of breath after a small amount of activity and a feeling of chest tightness. The person attempts to gasp and breathe faster or deeper as the lungs work harder during an asthma episode. Spirometry readings, a measure of breathing, decrease when a person has difficulty breathing, as observed in TDI-induced asthma episodes.
