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 Researchers found that about 11 percent of homes had visible signs
of dampness - and the more signs were present, the higher the
likelihood of residents having nose, throat and lung-related health
problems, according to the report in Clinical and Experimental
Allergy.
“A lot of papers show an association between asthma-related symptoms
and building dampness. What’s new is the association between chronic
inflammation and building dampness,” said senior study author
Christer Janson of Uppsala University.
“This is an important finding as chronic inflammation is quite a
common condition with a very negative side effect on quality of
life,” he told Reuters Health by email. “We were surprised that the
association with building dampness was so strong.”
The researchers analyzed data from more than 26,000 adults in four
Swedish cities who responded to a questionnaire about respiratory
symptoms, smoking, education and environmental exposures. In
particular, the study team was interested in chronic rhinosinusitis
(CRS), which includes symptoms of runny nose, itchy nose, facial
pain, reduced sense of smell, nasal congestion and sneezing.
They identified dampness by asking about visible water damage, floor
dampness or visible mold seen in the home during the last 12 months
and gave participants a dampness exposure score based on how many of
these signs were present.
A total of 2,992 people, or 11.3 percent, reported any signs of
dampness. For 8.3 percent of the study participants, one sign was
present, for 2.3 percent there were two signs and for 0.7 percent
all three signs were seen in the home.
Reported dampness was more common in humid or mild climates, as
compared to areas of the country with longer, colder winters. People
reporting damp homes were more likely to be women, unemployed or
full-time students, smokers and less likely to be retired.
Compared to nonsmokers with no signs of dampness at home, nonsmokers
with any dampness signs were 90 percent more likely to have
nighttime shortness of breath, 77 percent more likely to have
chronic rhinosinusitis and 67 percent more likely to have chronic
bronchitis. They also had higher rates of wheeze, nighttime
coughing, asthma and allergies.
For chronic rhinosinusitis, the authors note, the degree of
increased risk from dampness for nonsmokers was about the same as
the effect of smoking for people without dampness in the home.
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“I found it both interesting and alarming that the adverse effects
were stronger among people with low socioeconomic status due to
limited possibilities for moving to a better home or making needed
renovations,” said Jouni Jaakkola of the University of Oulu in
Finland, who wasn’t involved in the study.
Future studies should look at long-term results to better understand
cause and effect with dampness at home, Jaakkola told Reuters Health
by email.
“Cross-sectional studies (like this one) may underestimate the
effects if people who get symptoms in damp homes change to better
homes,” he said. “This probably explains the interaction between
socioeconomic status and damp problems.”
Janson and Jaakkola recommended several online resources to help
people prevent dampness and mold problems. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, for example, has a mold-control primer on EPA.gov
(http://bit.ly/29fxO4Y) and so does the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention on the CDC.gov website (http://bit.ly/2lxArWu).
The World Health Organization offers brochures in PDF format on its
European website here: (http://bit.ly/10VfGJq) and here: (http://bit.ly/2nGrpH4).
These resources recommend locating moisture problems, removing molds
and controlling excessive water and condensation at home. Leaky
pipes and roofs are often the biggest issues, the WHO notes.
Professional help may be needed for leaks in building structure,
sewage and air ducts, otherwise mold-removal can be done at home
with a protective mask, goggles and rubber gloves, according to the
EPA.
A mild detergent can remove the mold, followed by a full-room wet
wiping or vacuuming after the spores are sealed in a plastic trash
bag.
“If there are signs of building dampness in your home or you have
water damage, get professional help and try to fix it as soon as
possible,” Janson said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2usUI4P Clinical and Experimental Allergy,
online July 11, 2017.
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