Source: news.scotman.com
LYNDSAY MOSS
HEALTH CORRESPONDENT (lmoss@scotsman.com)
USING cleaning sprays and air fresheners in the home just once a week can significantly increase the risk of asthma, researchers said yesterday.
A study involving more than 3,500 people across Europe found that use of household cleaning products made adults more likely to develop asthma.
The researchers said that use of cleaning products could account for as many as one in seven adult asthma cases.
Around 390,000 people in Scotland are currently receiving treatment for asthma, including 100,000 children.
Previous research has found that people who use cleaning products as part of their jobs suffer increased rates of asthma.
The new study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, is the first to investigate the effects of occasional use of cleaning products at home.
The researchers, led by Jan-Paul Zock at the Municipal Institute of Medical Research in Barcelona, recruited volunteers from ten European countries.
They were assessed for current asthma and wheezing symptoms, and also questioned about cleaning product use.
Two-thirds of those who reported doing the bulk of the household cleaning were women. Of these, 6 per cent had asthma when they were followed up nine years later.
Those regularly exposed to the sprays and polishes were between 30 and 50 per cent more at risk from asthma.
But even using the products as little as once a week increased the risk of asthma developing.
Cleaning sprays, especially air fresheners and furniture cleaners, had a particularly strong effect.
Among the UK volunteers, 31 per cent used air fresheners at least once a week - second only to Estonia at 39 per cent. This compared to just 3 per cent in Sweden.
"Frequent use of household cleaning sprays may be an important risk factor for adult asthma," Dr Zock said.
Victoria King, research manager at charity Asthma UK, said: "We know that up to 25 per cent of people exposed to chemicals, including cleaning sprays, at work will go on to develop occupational asthma.
"However, this report also highlights significant findings regarding the link between asthma and the use of spray cleaning products in the home."
Andrew Williams, of UK Cleaning Products Industry Association, said
there were questions over the findings of the study, which did not measure people's exact use of, or exposure to, cleaning products.
"The safety of consumers is the highest priority of our industries and the safety of our products is regularly checked and subject to rigorous controls, as well as stringent European legislation," Mr Williams said.
ASTHMA TRIGGER
FOR Leora Sinclair, cleaning the house can be a tricky business.
Her daughter, Courtney, eight, has severe asthma.
One thing that can make her symptoms worse is cleaning products, such as polish and bleach. Ms Sinclair, from Arbroath, said this means they use virtually no cleaning products, or make sure Courtney is out when they have to.
"We tend to just use a damp cloth to wipe the surfaces, and we Hoover a lot," she said.
"There are not really any products I can use that won't affect Courtney."
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1636252007
Last updated: 12-Oct-07
