Asthma and chemical hypersensitivity: prevalence, etiology, and age of onset

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Two more by the fragrance-busters at UWa:

1: */Prevalence of fragrance sensitivity in the American population/*

Caress SM, Steinemann AC.

J Environ Health. 2009 Mar;71(7):46-50.

pmid 19326669

This study determined the percentages of individuals who report adverse

effects from exposure to fragranced products in the U.S. population and

in subpopulations of those with asthma or chemical sensitivity. Data

were collected through telephone interviews from two geographically

weighted, random samples of the continental U.S. in two surveys during

2002-2003 and 2005-2006 (1,057 and 1,058 cases, respectively).

Respondents were asked if they find being next to someone wearing a

scented product irritating or appealing; if they have headaches,

breathing difficulties, or other problems when exposed to air fresheners

or deodorizers; and if they are irritated by the scent from laundry

products, fabric softeners, or dryer sheets that are vented outside.

Results aggregated from both surveys found that 30.5% of the general

population reported scented products on others irritating, 19% reported

adverse health effects from air fresheners, and 10.9% reported

irritation by scented laundry products vented outside. This study

reveals that a considerable percentage of the U.S. population reports

adverse health effects or irritation from fragranced products, with

higher percentages among those with asthma and chemical sensitivity.

2: */Asthma and chemical hypersensitivity: prevalence, etiology, and age

of onset/*

Caress SM, Steinemann AC.

Toxicol Ind Health. 2009 Feb;25(1):71-8.

http://tih.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/25/1/71

This study investigates asthma's national prevalence and potential

overlap with chemical hypersensitivity. It also examines asthma's

etiology, age of onset, and demographic characteristics. Data were

collected from a geographically weighted random sample of the

continental U.S. (1058 cases), in four seasonal cohorts (2005-2006). The

study found that 12.9% of the sample report asthma, 11.6% report

chemical hypersensitivity, and 31.4% of those with asthma report

chemical hypersensitivity. Among asthmatics, 38% report irritation from

scented products, 37.2% report health problems from air fresheners, and

13.6% report their asthma was caused by toxic exposure. Asthma cases

affected each racial/ethic group in roughly the same proportion, with

nearly 50% classified as childhood onset.

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