Cleaners May Trigger Asthma

Cleaning products with bleach and air fresheners may cause asthma, or aggravate symptoms, even if those products are used only once a week, according to new research. As many as 1 in 7 asthma cases may be caused by exposure to household cleaners, says a study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Scientists speculate that chemicals in spray air fresheners, furniture cleaners, and glass cleaners act as irritants, but stress more research needs to be done to determine how these products trigger symptoms. Occupational use of cleaning products had previously been linked to asthma, but this study is one of the first to link common household cleaners to the illness. (More asthma stories.)