Cleaning sprays may cause adult asthma
Publication Date:17/10/2007
Household cleaning sprays could cause asthma in adults who use them regularly, a new study has found.
What do we know already?
Although most people with asthma have it from childhood, it's possible to get it for the first time as an adult. Adults who work as professional cleaners have a higher chance of getting asthma, possibly because they are in regular contact with cleaning chemicals. The same cleaning products are found in many homes, so researchers have looked at whether people who do the household cleaning have a bigger risk of getting asthma.
What does the new study say?
Cleaning products do seem to increase the risk of asthma, but only if they come as a spray. Products like air fresheners, spray-on window cleaners and furniture sprays may play a part in causing asthma if you use them four days a week or more. But liquid bleach, liquid cleaners and powders don't seem to carry a risk.
The researchers think that sprays could cause asthma because they're easy to breathe into your lungs. Sprays might irritate the lungs directly, or make them more sensitive to other asthma triggers.
Tell me more about the study's findings
Researchers interviewed thousands of people across Europe, asking whether they had any breathing problems. At the start of the study, about 3,500 of these people had no signs of asthma and also did some household cleaning. Researchers then checked up on these people about nine years later.
People who used cleaning sprays four days a week or more had a higher chance of getting asthma. People who used sprays between once and three times a week were more likely to have had a wheezy chest at some point in the past year, but it wasn't clear that they had a bigger risk of full-blown asthma.
One slightly strange thing about the results showed up when people had breathing tests to check how well their lungs worked. People who used cleaning sprays didn't seem to have worse test results, as you might expect. This seems to contradict the main results of the study, but it's hard to know how important this is.
Where does the study come from?
The study was done by a group of researchers based in universities and hospitals around Europe. It formed part of a large investigation into all kinds of breathing problems that was organised by the European Commission. The study appeared in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, which is published by the American Thoracic Society.
How reliable are the findings?
The study was done well, and looked at lots of people in 10 European countries. But there are a few problems with the research.
Although the researchers found a link between cleaning sprays and asthma, they can't be sure that sprays caused people's asthma. For example, people who clean regularly could have more contact with asthma triggers such as dust and pet hairs. Or people who get breathing problems may make more of an effort to keep their homes clean and free of dust, so they use cleaning products more regularly.
The link between cleaning sprays and asthma varied from country to country. It could be that people use different cleaning chemicals in different countries, and this changes the risk of asthma. Or it could be that other differences between countries affected the results.
The researchers collected information by asking people questions about their health and lifestyle over the years. So, the results depend on people remembering how often they used cleaning products.
What does this mean for me?
The researchers say that using cleaning sprays a lot may play a part in causing adult asthma. The risk seems to be bigger the more often you use these sprays.
The researchers suggest that cleaning products could play a part in about 15 in 100 cases of adult asthma. However, this is an assumption. The actual number of people affected may be lower.
What should I do now?
Using sprays less often or switching to other cleaning products may reduce your risk of asthma. Researchers point out that you'll still breathe in some chemicals from products that don't come as sprays. Always read the labels of household cleaning products and follow any safety advice that's given.
Some cleaning products can give off poisonous gases when mixed together. Bleach and products containing ammonia are especially dangerous if mixed with other products.
People who already have asthma sometimes find that cleaning products can trigger their symptoms. If this happens to you, you could try avoiding sprays, using smaller amounts of cleaning products and making sure you have the windows open while you clean.
From:
Zock J, Plana E, Jarvis D, et al. The use of household cleaning sprays and adult asthma: an international longitudinal study. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2007; 176: 735-741.
To read more, see our information on asthma in adults.
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© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
