Household Mold Doubles Asthma Risk
Mold and dampness in the family home doubles the risk a child will develop asthma, British researchers report.
“These findings strengthen evidence that exposure to molds increases the risk of developing asthma in childhood,” study author Jouni Jaakkola, director of the Institute for Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Birmingham.
Jaakkola’s team tracked the health of nearly 2,000 Finnish children, aged 1 to 7, for more than six years. Just over 7 percent (138) of the children went on to develop asthma during the study period.
The study identified increased asthma susceptibility in children with a parent with a history of allergies. And it also found that an odor of mold in the home increased the children’s risk of asthma, independent of their parents’ medical histories.
Children who lived in homes with mold odor during the initial phase of the study were more than twice as likely as other children to develop asthma in the following six years, the researchers report.
Children exposed to mold or dampness in the home were also more likely to be exposed to other allergens such as secondhand tobacco smoke or pet birds, cats or dogs.
“This study is important for families everywhere. Anyone with young children in the home should be aware of the potentially harmful effects of long-term exposure to mold and this potential link to asthma in children,” Dr. Jim Burkhart, science editor for Environmental Health Perspectives, said.
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Environmental Health Perspectives
Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec Comments on Mold and Dust
Your home is your sanctuary and your bedroom is your inner sanctuary. Four things are major offenders of your health in your household environment.
1. Mold
2. Dust
3. Chemicals
4. Bacteria and viruses
As these studies have shown, the mold will weaken the immune system and trigger many types of immune disorders one being asthma. Dust is very toxic because it represents the chemicals in your house and the world. This study shows 35 hazardous industrial chemicals in household dust, some including pesticides, toxic chemicals, and flame retardants just to name a few.
Another study shows that common house dust contained 33 chemicals that promote breast cancer formation.
What is the answer?
First purify your home environment by the following steps:
1. Never use standard cleaning supplies in your house, only all natural, nontoxic substances.
2. Remove all carpets as soon as possible. Carpets are loaded with chemicals, mold and dust. Replace with hardwood floors.
3. Get rid of draperies, window treatments and any other dust collectors.
4. Purchase a Fresh Air which detoxifies chemicals, kills mold, bacteria and settles floating dust to the ground.
Remember if dust, mold, bacteria and viruses are gong into your system, you are constantly weakening your immune system and opening yourself up to increase risk of cancer, allergies, autoimmune disease and infections.