Using household cleaning sprays and spray air fresheners just once a week can increase your risk of developing asthma, new research suggests.

Whether or not the cleaning products are a direct cause of asthma, or simply a trigger for people who already have the disease, isn't clear from this epidemiological study.

However, the European team involved in the study believes that spray cleaners can be a cause of new-onset asthma, because the people included in this study did not have asthma or asthma symptoms at the start of the study.

The use of spray cleaners as little as once a week increased the risk of developing the respiratory ailment by nearly 50 percent, the researchers found.

"Cleaning sprays, especially air fresheners, furniture cleaners and glass cleaners, had a particularly strong effect. The risk of developing asthma increased with the frequency of cleaning and number of different sprays used, but on average was 30 to 50 percent higher in people regularly exposed to cleaning sprays than in others," said the study's lead author, Jan-Paul Zock, a research fellow at the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology at the Municipal Institute of Medical Research in Barcelona, Spain.

Results of the study were expected to be published in the second October issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The most important thing consumers need to know, cautioned Zock, is that "cleaning sprays -- for sale in all supermarkets -- are not harmless, and their use may involve serious health risks."

Previous research has found an association between asthma and being employed as a professional cleaner. Other studies have also noted a link between respiratory symptoms and certain cleaning products, but Zock and his colleagues wanted to learn if typical household exposures to cleaning products would have any effect on the development of asthma.

Drawing on a 10-country database, called the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, the researchers identified more than 3,500 people without any history of asthma or asthma symptoms. All reported being responsible for the cleaning of their homes.

After an average of close to nine years of follow-up, face-to-face interviews were conducted, and the study volunteers were asked about the types of cleaning products they used and how often they used them. They were also asked if they had been diagnosed by a physician as having asthma, or had been treated with asthma medications during the study period. The researchers also performed lung-function tests on the study volunteers.

Overall, 42 percent of the study volunteers reported using a spray cleaner at least once a week. Glass cleaning sprays were the most commonly used sprays, with about 22 percent reporting using them at least once a week.

Liquid multi-purpose cleaners were also frequently used -- just over 83 percent said they used such a product at least once a week. However, the researchers didn't find any association between asthma and properly used liquid cleaners.

Weekly use of a spray cleaner increased the risk of having current asthma by 45 percent in women and 76 percent in men. Among those who used the cleaning sprays at least four days a week, the risk of asthma was more than doubled.

Zock said it's too soon to tell people to swear off spray cleaners altogether, but added, "Nevertheless, from the perspective of precaution, we may recommend to use sprays only when really necessary. In most cases, it is possible to replace the spray by non-spray cleaning liquids and to do the cleaning properly. If [sprays are] used, people can protect themselves by opening windows, avoiding the application near the breathing zone, and by using masks or other types of personal respiratory protection."

"Cleaning compounds are generally just tested to make sure that they don't kill people or cause cancer," noted Dr. David Rosenstreich, director of the division of allergy and immunology in the department of medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

"But, these products may not be safe for asthmatics to breathe in. And, if it's not safe for asthmatics, it's probably not safe for anyone else," he said. His advice: "Switch to liquid cleaning products rather than aerosols. If there's any difference in cleaning, it's a small sacrifice to be made in terms of protecting your respiratory health."

Zock did add one caveat, however. "Don't forget that old-fashioned liquid cleaning products can involve risks for respiratory disorders as well. The most notorious example is bleach, particularly when mixed with other cleaners -- something that should never be done."

喘风险
Using household cleaning sprays and spray air fresheners just once a week can increase your risk of developing asthma, new research suggests.

Whether or not the cleaning products are a direct cause of asthma, or simply a trigger for people who already have the disease, isn't clear from this epidemiological study.

However, the European team involved in the study believes that spray cleaners can be a cause of new-onset asthma, because the people included in this study did not have asthma or asthma symptoms at the start of the study.

The use of spray cleaners as little as once a week increased the risk of developing the respiratory ailment by nearly 50 percent, the researchers found.

"Cleaning sprays, especially air fresheners, furniture cleaners and glass cleaners, had a particularly strong effect. The risk of developing asthma increased with the frequency of cleaning and number of different sprays used, but on average was 30 to 50 percent higher in people regularly exposed to cleaning sprays than in others," said the study's lead author, Jan-Paul Zock, a research fellow at the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology at the Municipal Institute of Medical Research in Barcelona, Spain.

Results of the study were expected to be published in the second October issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The most important thing consumers need to know, cautioned Zock, is that "cleaning sprays -- for sale in all supermarkets -- are not harmless, and their use may involve serious health risks."

Previous research has found an association between asthma and being employed as a professional cleaner. Other studies have also noted a link between respiratory symptoms and certain cleaning products, but Zock and his colleagues wanted to learn if typical household exposures to cleaning products would have any effect on the development of asthma.

Drawing on a 10-country database, called the European Community Respiratory Health Survey, the researchers identified more than 3,500 people without any history of asthma or asthma symptoms. All reported being responsible for the cleaning of their homes.

After an average of close to nine years of follow-up, face-to-face interviews were conducted, and the study volunteers were asked about the types of cleaning products they used and how often they used them. They were also asked if they had been diagnosed by a physician as having asthma, or had been treated with asthma medications during the study period. The researchers also performed lung-function tests on the study volunteers.

Overall, 42 percent of the study volunteers reported using a spray cleaner at least once a week. Glass cleaning sprays were the most commonly used sprays, with about 22 percent reporting using them at least once a week.

Liquid multi-purpose cleaners were also frequently used -- just over 83 percent said they used such a product at least once a week. However, the researchers didn't find any association between asthma and properly used liquid cleaners.

Weekly use of a spray cleaner increased the risk of having current asthma by 45 percent in women and 76 percent in men. Among those who used the cleaning sprays at least four days a week, the risk of asthma was more than doubled.

Zock said it's too soon to tell people to swear off spray cleaners altogether, but added, "Nevertheless, from the perspective of precaution, we may recommend to use sprays only when really necessary. In most cases, it is possible to replace the spray by non-spray cleaning liquids and to do the cleaning properly. If [sprays are] used, people can protect themselves by opening windows, avoiding the application near the breathing zone, and by using masks or other types of personal respiratory protection."

"Cleaning compounds are generally just tested to make sure that they don't kill people or cause cancer," noted Dr. David Rosenstreich, director of the division of allergy and immunology in the department of medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

"But, these products may not be safe for asthmatics to breathe in. And, if it's not safe for asthmatics, it's probably not safe for anyone else," he said. His advice: "Switch to liquid cleaning products rather than aerosols. If there's any difference in cleaning, it's a small sacrifice to be made in terms of protecting your respiratory health."

Zock did add one caveat, however. "Don't forget that old-fashioned liquid cleaning products can involve risks for respiratory disorders as well. The most notorious example is bleach, particularly when mixed with other cleaners -- something that should never be done."
 新的研究表明，每周使用一次家居喷雾清洁剂或空气清新剂能增加你患哮喘的风险。

但这次的流行病学研究并没有清楚的表明，清洁产品是导致哮喘的直接原因还是仅仅只是哮喘患者的诱因。

然而参与这次研究的欧洲小组相信，喷雾清洁剂是导致哮喘发作的一个新病因，因为参与研究的实验对象在研究开始时并没有患哮喘或是有哮喘的症状。

研究发现，仅仅每周使用一次喷雾清洁剂，会导致患呼吸系统疾病的风险增加50%。

该研究的负责人—Jan-Paul Zock（他是西班牙巴塞罗那市政学院医学研究中心环境流行病学研究所的研究员）认为：喷雾清洁剂，尤其是空气清新剂，家居清洁剂和玻璃清洁剂诱导哮喘发生的作用极为明显。（虽说）患哮喘的风险与使用喷雾清洁剂的频率和不同清洁剂的种类有关，但一般而言，经常暴露在喷雾清洁剂的人患哮喘的风险要比其他人高 30%-50%。

本次研究的结果有望在十月分发行的第二期美国呼吸及危重病学杂志上发表。

 Zock告诫说：“消费者需要明白的最重要的事情是：在所有超市卖的喷雾清洁剂并不是无害的，它们将有可能导致对健康的危害。”

以前的研究已经发现哮喘与清洁工的联系，另外一些研究也已经注意到呼吸道症状与特定的清洁产品之间的联系，但是Zock和他的同伴们希望发现典型的家庭接触清洁产品是否会对哮喘的发展产生影响。

在这次被称作欧洲社会呼吸健康的调查中，共查阅了10个国家的数据库，研究人员确定了有超过3500名没有任何哮喘历史或哮喘症状的人（作为实验志愿者），（这次调查的）所有的报道都与他们打扫自己的家园有关。

在经过平均近9年的跟踪调查之后，面对面的采访开始进行，实验志愿者们被询问了有关他们使用清洁剂的种类和频率，以及他们是否被医生诊断患有哮喘或是在研究期间服用过治疗哮喘的药物等问题。研究人员还为这些志愿者们做了肺功能测试。

总的来说，有42%的志愿者至少每周使用一次喷雾清洁剂，玻璃清洁剂是最常使用的喷雾剂，大概有22%的志愿者说他们至少每周使用一次。

多用途的液体清洁剂也经常被使用，超过83%的志愿者说他们至少每周使用一次，然而研究人员没有发现哮喘与液体清洁剂之间的任何联系。

每周使用一次喷雾清洁剂可导致女性患哮喘的风险增加45%，男性增加76%。在那些每四天使用一次喷雾剂人当中，患哮喘的风险将增加一倍以上。

Zock 说，现在就告诫人们远离喷雾清洁剂还为时尚早，但他补充说：“毫无疑问，从预防的角度来看，我们推荐仅仅在必要的时候才使用喷雾剂。在大多数情况下，最好用液体清洁剂取代喷雾清洁剂，并且正确的进行清洁工作。如果一旦使用了喷雾剂，可以通过开窗，不在呼吸区域使用，应用面罩或其他的个人呼吸道保护措施来保护自己。

“对清洁化合物的检验通常只是确保不会使人致死或致癌”David Rosenstreich博士说。他是纽约Montefiore Medical中心和爱因斯坦医学院的免疫系主任。“对哮喘病人的呼吸而言，这些产品未必安全。并且，如果它们对哮喘患者不安全，那么也就意味着对其他人也不安全".他的建议:选用液体清洁剂而非喷雾清洁剂，如果两者在清洁效果上有所差别，在保护你呼吸道健康的方面，液体清洁剂仅需要较小的牺牲。

Zock提出了另一个警告：“别忘了那些老式的液体清洁剂也可能导致患呼吸系统疾病的风险。最有名的例子是漂白剂——尤其是那些混有其他清洁剂的，那是绝对不能使用的。