These household factors promote childhood asthma

Our home environment affects the risk of asthma?

More and more children develop asthma early in their lives. Researchers are now exploring the links between common home exposures and childhood asthma. Experts have found that household moisture and the use of gas stoves increase the risk of developing childhood asthma.

The scientists at the University of Queensland's School of Public Health found in their current research that gas stoves and increased humidity in households increase the risk of developing asthma. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Medical Journal of Australia".

Many children suffer from asthma. Researchers found that certain household exposures increase the risk of developing childhood asthma. (Image: bubutu / fotolia.com)

Asthma increases the risk of broken bones in boys

Gas stoves and moisture in the rooms of a home cause children to become more likely to develop asthma. In addition, the scientists found a surprising side effect in boys with asthma, they had a greater risk of fractures.

How do a damp environment and gas stoves affect you??

In twelve percent of children with asthma, the disease is due to exposure to gas stoves used for cooking. Eight percent of the cases were caused by the moisture in the home, says study author Dr. Luke Knibbs of the University of Queensland's School of Public Health. Cooking with gas releases harmful substances such as nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde, which cause inflammation in the airways and aggravate asthma. This is a common problem for 38 percent of households in Australia who use natural gas for cooking on the stove. In Australia, moreover, increased humidity in the home is quite common, which can affect the lungs of children, adds the physician. According to the study, moisture was detected in 26 percent of households.

There are few known sources of asthma

As children's asthma rates in Australia are among the highest in the world, researchers are calling for greater awareness of asthma-causing dangers in the home. Most parents of children with asthma are aware of the possibilities of minimizing exposure to dust mites, pollen, and animal hair by vacuuming and replacing carpets with hard floors. Knibbs. However, further sources of danger would hardly be considered because they are hardly known.

We need a coordinated strategy

A coordinated national strategy is needed to raise awareness of indoor environmental pollution, such as emissions from gas stoves and moisture. It should also highlight the different ways in which people can reduce exposure at home. About 16.9 percent of Australian babies suffer from asthma or so-called wheezing in their first three years of life, and 4.1 percent develop non-asthmatic children between the ages of four and five, up to the age of seven, according to the experts.

Use an extractor hood

To reduce the impact of gas on the still young lungs of children and adolescents, scientists recommend that parents use highly efficient cooker hoods. But it's important to make sure that the cooker hood has a connection to the outside, instead of using an extractor hood, which simply circulates the air. Knibbs.

How do I combat moisture in the household?

There are simple ways to reduce moisture. For example, better ventilation in homes and so-called room dehumidifiers can be used to combat moisture. In addition, the use of tumble dryers indoors should be avoided, the researchers advise. (As)