Cleaning workers have increased risk for asthma

there is a 42% increase in the risk of incident asthma in cleaning women

-persons who are responsible for the cleaning of the home are the collective risk associated to the incipient asthma, with a percentage of 4% of the total

-disinfectants, degreasers sprays or bleach, they are the main triggering agents of this respiratory disease

– in many cases, asthma just causing the abandonment of work

Madrid, March 2012.- in the industrialized countries, asthma is the most common occupational respiratory disease. Exposure to certain products, labour, is responsible for between 5-20% of incident asthma in the adult population. Moreover, prolonged exposure to the causative agent is associated to a worse prognosis and a decrease more accelerated lung function.

The main irritant contained in cleaning products are quaternary ammonium compounds, degreasing sprays, bleach (sodium hypochlorite) and other disinfectants.

These components separately, either, the mixture of several of these, as well as exposure to allergens of interiors, such as mites and fungi, have reported as possible causal agents of asthma.

Important population, recent studies, have detected a high risk of asthma in professionals in the cleaning of all known occupations with exposure risk. Although there are few longitudinal studies that analyze the risk of exposure in adult or aggravated asthma at work. The latest data from a study conducted in Finland, report that there is a 42% increase in the risk of asthma in the cleaning staff compared with other professionals. Another study, based on surveys of the European Lung Health reported an increase in the risk of asthma between 30-50% in adults who used cleaning products in the form of spray in their homes, at least once per week. Today there is no work to study the clinical evolution of asthma in this occupational sector.

In our country, a study of incident asthma in adult related domestic cleaning in 4% of all cases and is considered the occupation of risk which is most associated with this condition ”, says pulmonologist Xavier houses, which will develop the Conference asthma and cleaning ” in the framework of the forty-fifth Congress of SEPAR in Madrid.

No domestic cleaning staff also presents a high risk of asthma, generally, women workers in cleaning kitchens, general cleaning in hospitals and in schools, where the cleaners carried out the task of Polish soil. This type of asthma is developed by a period of latency, with acute exposure and to high concentrations of irritants of the bronchial mucosa of accidentally, which induces a dysfunction syndrome reactive airway, which in turn generates bronchial hyper-responsiveness. Although the type of asthma more associated with workers in the cleaning, which may also be an aggravating factor or cause an exacerbation of a previous asthma, is due to low or moderate, but protracted, exposure to irritants breathing.

This problem causes that many of the people involved in this area are forced to leave their duties, since health problems are becoming more persistent and more severe symptoms.

45Th Conference of SEPAR in Madrid

The Spanish society for Pneumology and thoracic surgery (SEPAR) this year celebrates the 45th Annual Congress in Madrid. The SEPAR Congress is the meeting point of the health professionals where the latest issues concerning respiratory diseases occur.

Not every day is an opportunity to bring together more than 2,000 specialists in a same venue, which this year will be Madrid, to present the most current issues concerning the Pneumology and thoracic surgery and bring together the Spanish specialistsEuropean and Latin American ”, says the pulmonologist and President of the National Congress of SEPAR, Dr. Julio Ancochea. The annual Congress is the perfect space to share and discuss the latest advances and innovations in what to lung health-related diseases referred to in ”, explains the DRA. Star Fernández, President of the Committee of conferences SEPAR, and, in this regard, the Congress we will celebrate in madrid stands out for the high quality of the contents, the presence of the most reputed specialists and a willingness to bring the prevention and awareness of respiratory diseases to all citizens ”.