Actually, spring cleaning fits well with our 2019 motto "get off the sofa and into life," but did you know that we lung patients have a good excuse not to overdo it with the cleaning?

Many cleaning products not only tackle dirt but also release fumes that end up in our lungs and damage them. Besides shortness of breath, allergies and skin irritation are also common problems associated with cleaning.

According to a study by the Norwegian University of Bergen, women who regularly clean or clean professionally are more likely to experience a significant decline in lung function in the long term. The data were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

For further reading, we have found the following links for you:

• at NDR
• In the medical journal
• At the air analysis center

Did you know:

There were 797 organ donors in Germany in 2017, almost 500 fewer than seven years earlier. Although 84 percent of Germans declare their willingness to donate organs, only 36 carry an organ donor card. (Source: Apotheken Umschau 01/2019)

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