Cleaning the house as bad for women as 20 cigarettes a day, OK for men

Cleaning the house is as bad for women's lungs as smoking a packet of cigarettes a day, a study has found.

But using cleaning products had no effect on men's lungs, research showed.

Researched assessed the lungs of 6,235 women and men at 22 centres – and then checked on them again over the course of twenty years.

They were asked whether they cleaned their own house, or whether they worked as professional cleaners. They were also asked how often they used liquid cleaning products and sprays.

The research found that women who cleaned – either around the house as little as once a week or as professional cleaners - had an "accelerated" decline in lung capacity.

The drop in lung function in both groups was comparable to smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes for between 10-20 years, the Daily Mail reports.

The authors warn that cleaning for women "may constitute a risk to respiratory health".

No effect was found on the lungs of men who did the cleaning – either professionally, or just as part of their domestic chores.

The authors – led by researchers at the University of Bergen – said that a variety of potential irritants to the lungs are found in domestic products – including bleach and ammonia.

Participants were asked if they used "sprays, or other cleaning agents". No significant difference was found between using cleaning sprays and cleaning liquids – a surprise to the researchers who expected sprays to have more impact on the lungs.

The authors write: "Women cleaning at home or working as occupational cleaners had accelerated decline in lung function, suggesting that exposures related to cleaning activities may constitute a risk to long-term respiratory health."

Source :- nzherald