It’s well known that damp and moisture can cause a lot of health problems, like respiratory infections, allergic reaction and, some say, asthma. However, there is a strong debate between medical professionals about how much of a link between the type of environment you live in and developing asthma there is.
While most agree there is a link between the two, it’s not exactly known how much of an effect a damp environment will have in causing someone to develop asthma. Asthma is a chronic condition that can strike throughout a person’s life.
It can also affect people of any age, although it tends to be worse for young children and young adults. According to NHS statistics around 5.4 million people in the UK suffer from asthma of one form or another. You might be thinking that since asthma runs in families and some people are born with it, that it can’t be caused by a damp environment.
While it’s true asthma does commonly run in families, scientists believe that a number of different things actually cause the condition to start to develop. So while you may have asthma you may never have an attack if you stay away from these things.
What is Asthma?
Asthma works by affecting the airways that carry air in and out of a person’s lungs. Asthma effects these by inflaming the muscles around the airways, causing them to become irritated. This also causes a build-up in the mucus lining that lines the airways.
This makes it increasingly difficult for the person affected to breathe properly, which can cause them to wheeze and cough. Severe asthma attacks can cause much more serious symptoms and can even be fatal in some cases. Episodes of asthma can last a varied amount of time, from as little as an hour to weeks at a time if left untreated.
The suggested link between a damp environment and asthma is that damp and moulds produce allergens which can easily cause asthma attacks in sufferers. So there is likely to be a definite link between a damp environment and asthma. If you suffer from asthma and your home or work environment is suffering damp then you should make sure you tackle the problem straight away, by investigating damp proofing treatment and other methods of keeping damp away.
