Exposing home clothes threatens homeowners' health

Doctors warn, drying clothes in the home can seriously threaten the health of people with weak immune systems or severe asthma.

According to experts, clothes that are exposed to wires or around electric heaters can increase the amount of moisture in the home by up to 30%, creating an ideal reproductive environment for mold spores. They are particularly concerned about Aspergillus fumigatus mushroom spores because they are capable of causing lung infections.

Professor David Denning and colleagues from the National Center for Fungal Toxicology in Manchester, England, issued the warning after treating more and more patients to inhale Aspergillus mushroom spores.

Professor Denning explained: "When drying in the house, a batch of wet clothes contains nearly 2 liters of water, will gradually liberate into the room. Most of us are immune to growth fungi in humid conditions like like this, or have a healthy enough immune system to fight fungal infections.

However, in people with asthma, Aspergillus fungal spores can cause coughing and wheezing. For people with weakened or compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy, AIDS patients and people with an autoimmune disease, this fungus can causes mycotoxicosis in the lungs - a disease that may not be reversible and sometimes leads to fatal damage in the lungs and sinuses.

My advice is, dry wet clothes outside the home, dry them in a dedicated dryer or well ventilated indoor space, away from the bedroom and living area to keep it safe. healthy and not regret later ".

Craig Mather, a 3-year-old father from Bolton, contracted tuberculosis in 1997. The disease caused his lungs to weaken and aggravate the problems he suffered from early childhood asthma.

The 43-year-old said: "I just started recovering when I was diagnosed with chronic Aspergillosis and prescribing drugs to fight fungal infections. However, I found myself suffering from severe cough and severe night sweats when drying clothes on a bedroom heater, the doctor said, that may have made my condition worse, during the past 12 months, I did not dry clothes in the room and found a significant improvement in his health ".

Aspergillosis is a common name for a group of diseases caused by Aspergillus molds. They often affect the trachea, sinuses and lungs, but can spread anywhere in the body. Depending on many factors, symptoms of Aspergillosis can manifest differently in severity, from moderate wheezing to coughing up blood.

A previous study by the Mackintosh School of Architecture (Glasgow, Scotland) found that many homes have too high humidity. Up to 1/3 of this moisture comes from drying clothes in the home. Researchers have called for builders to create drying areas dedicated to solving the health problem.

Reference: Daily Mail.