Oct 12, 2007 6:00 pm US/Eastern
Health: Spray Cleaners And Asthma
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Americans love the stuff. Spray cleaners are big sellers. They're quick and easy to use. And who doesn't like having a clean house?
But a new study of 3,500 people shows they can increase the risk for asthma.
"These are aerosolized type products," said Dr. Edward Schulman, Chief of Pulmonary Critical Care at Drexel College of Medicine.
The sprayed cleaners contain chemicals that when inhaled can potentially cause damage.
"The cells lining your airways can become inflamed as a result of both the irritant affect and the chemical injury that occurs, said Dr. Schulman.
This is the first study on occasional use of spray cleaners. They can cause respiratory injury, even when used just once a week.
The risk of developing asthma was 30 to 50 percent higher when compared to people not exposed.
Minnie Courtney of Southwest Philadelphia cleans her house often and said, "I'm in trouble cause I use it more than once a week, so I would be in serious trouble."
The more the sprays were used the higher the risk. The risk was also found with air fresheners.
"I think this study is very important cause it indicates that we need to be far more vigilant in terms of what we are using in our house holds," said Dr. Schulman.
Experts say to protect yourself use just the liquid cleaner. Take off the spray top and pour it in a cloth. Or if you use it a lot wear a mask. They also say be careful when spraying it around children.
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