Reducing the presence of mould in the home may reduce the incidence of asthma in middle-age according to new research conducted at the University of Melbourne.
In a longitudinal health study conducted in Tasmania, participants completed respiratory and home environment questionnaires. Survey results revealed that recent presence of mould in the home was associated with asthma.
Published in the Journal Respirology, Dr John Burgess from the Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health said the asthma signs were more prevalent in males.
“We found that the more mould present, the more likely of finding participants with significant trends for asthma, wheezing and night chest tightness. “We studied people in their homes and discovered that visible mould, high fungal spore levels and dampness in the home contributed to incidents of asthma,” he said.
Similarly, exposure to tobacco smoke in the home is also a well-documented risk factor for asthma and respiratory symptoms.
It is acknowledged that asthma has increased substantially in recent decades with up to ten percent of Australians known to suffer from asthma. Environmental factors have been suggested as contributors to this increase.
Add Comment