Air Fresheners

Having been an asthma sufferer for most of my childhood and now, in my later years, I notice that many household sprays and air-fresheners; e.g. those made by Airwick, Ambi Pur, Glade etc, can make life very unpleasant. I feel that much of the increase in childhood asthma is caused by the introduction of these agents into the home. Has any one carried out a study on the usage and over usage of these chemical sprays and their effect on asthmatic children and adults in the home environment? I would be interested in your comments Elberling J, Skov PS, Mosbech H, Holst H, Dirksen A, Johansen JD, Increased release of histamine in patients with respiratory symptoms related to perfume, Clin Exp Allergy, 2007;37:1676-1680, Kumar P, CaradonnaGraham VM, Gupta S, Cai X, Rao PN, Thompson J, Inhalation challenge effects of perfume scent strips in patients with asthma, Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol, 1995;75:429-433, Jensen OC, Petersen I., Occupational asthma caused by scented gravel in cat litter boxes, Ugeskr Laeger, 1991;153:939-940,

Occupational Asthma, Specialist, 6/8/2010, 6/8/2010,

Many asthmatics find that perfumes precipitate their asthma. It is unclear whether this is due to allergy to one of the many chemicals in most perfumes, or some non-allergic mechanism. There are individuals whose asthma is caused by air fresheners, particularly the sort that plug into the electric mains.

6/8/2010