Cleaning Products Increase The Risk Of Adult Asthma

Asthma is one of the most common health concerns across the UK, affecting hundreds of thousands of people every year. The disease is especially prevalent in children, and the sight of a child with an asthma inhaler is a common one. However, it is now increasingly common to see cases of adult-onset asthma. The reason for this increasing figure is still in debate.

Now, however, it seems that a number of experts from the UK can shed a little light onto the matter. It has been suggested that people who work with cleaning products are placed at a high risk of developing the condition.

A study looked at more than 7,000 people in the UK, looking at the link between asthma and occupation. The results revealed that exposure to bleach and other chemical products is a major factor in one in every six cases of adult asthma.

The study identified 18 jobs that it considered to be ‘high risk’. Of these, four involved a level of cleaning. There were: general cleaners, office cleaners, domestic helpers and care workers. It has been suggested that it is not so much the occupation that places people are risk, but rather the environment that they work in.

This study is one of many that has identified the risk of cleaning products causing asthma. It is thought that new regulations may need to be brought in to govern the level of exposure someone can be placed in while at work.

Asthma is a disease that causes narrowing of the airways. While the causes are not entirely known, it is known that there are some things that trigger asthma symptoms and attacks. Chief on this list are smoke and fumes, but now it seems that cleaning chemicals may also have a significant importance.