Housecleaning May Worsen Asthma

Do you ever feel your asthma is worse after cleaning your house? If you do you are not alone. According to a recent article in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology house cleaning may make your asthma worse.

“Women with asthma should be routinely interviewed as to whether they clean their home and cautioned about the potential respiratory health effects of these activities” said Jonathan A. Bernstein, M.D., of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in a press release. Dr. Bernstein observed increases in self reported asthma symptoms, but not actual changes in peak flow or other pulmonary function tests. While the impact may seem relatively small, these symptoms are significant when you think about them occurringand effecting quality of life for months or years.

The authors concluded "longer, prospective studies of nonprofessional household cleaners are needed to determine whether there is an association between household cleaning agent exposure and the development of asthma” according to the press release.

This study highlights that many things in our everyday life can worsen asthma. Preventing or limiting exposure to triggers is essential. You may want to look at What Triggers Your Asthma Symptoms to learn more about triggers.