Housework is bad for you

Years of housework could put you at higher risk of asthma, researchers warn.

A study has found that women who work as domestic cleaners are in significantly more danger of developing the condition.

A quarter of the asthma cases investigated could be attributed to domestic chores.

Asthma - which affects three million Britons - has been linked to cleaning work before. But the new research, in Spain, is the first to distinguish between the risks in different environments.

Researchers made the bizarre discovery that women who worked as domestic cleaners were more likely to suffer from asthma and bronchitis than those cleaning offices and most other environments.

The general risk to cleaners, researchers claim, could come from frequent contact with irritant cleaning products, especially those containing bleach, that may trigger allergic reactions. Vapours from inappropriate combinations of products could also irritate the airways and lungs.

But the extra risk for domestic cleaners may result from increased contact with indoor allergens such as dust and pet fur, which are recognised causes of breathing problems.

Dr Jan-Paul Zock, of Barcelona's Municipal Institute of Medical Research, said: 'The new message is that people who clean private homes are most at risk.'

He and his team found the proportion of women with workrelated respiratory problems was 12 per cent among those who had worked as cleaners compared to five per cent for those who had not.

Women cleaners working in hospitals and health centres were also at greater risk. There was a slightly higher risk among those cleaning hotels, laboratories and kitchens, but not significantly so.

Researchers also concluded that working as an office cleaner was not associated with an increased risk of respiratory problems.

Overall, one in eight women had asthma, one in six had bronchitis.

The team, whose research was published yesterday in the interand-Substantial
national medical journal Thorax, analysed the medical records of 4,500 women from a city near Barcelona.

Four out of 10 women had at some time worked in domestic cleaning - a major source of employment for Spanish women - one in seven was currently employed as a domestic cleaner.

Researchers said there was a higher asthma risk among former cleaners compared to current cleaners, which could be due to those with the condition being more likely to leave the job.

Dr Zock said: 'The high risk of asthma attributable to domestic cleaning suggests a substantial public health impact, which might be even greater if we take into consideration that housewives and others doing cleaning tasks at home are probably also at risk.

'What we have found is a statistical link. What we need to do now is find out what specific products are linked to this risk.'