Cleaning With Bleach May Lead to Infection in Kids

A study published in March 2015 in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine looked at data from more than 9,000 children from Spain, the Netherlands, and Finland. Parents of the children were asked to report the frequency of infections experienced by their child over the past year, and they were also asked whether or not they (or anybody else) used bleach to clean the child’s home at least once per week.

The results showed that in households where bleach was used, the prevalence of infections was higher. Specifically, the data from the Netherlands showed significantly higher rates of influenza in children of bleach users, and the data from Finland showed higher rates of sinusitis and pneumonia._[1]

The authors can’t be sure what is responsible for this correlation, but they hypothesize that multiple mechanisms may be at play. For one, cleaning products like bleach produce volatile compounds (which become airborne) that can be inhaled, irritate the lining of the respiratory tract, and cause inflammation, which facilitates infection. Bleach may also have immunosuppressive effects that could contribute to an increased risk of infection._[1]

Household Cleaning Products and Respiratory Problems

Several studies have found that bleach and other cleaning products are associated with respiratory irritation and respiratory problems, such as bronchitis._[1] Adults are at risk too; women exposed to the fumes from various cleaning products, especially bleach fumes, report higher levels of asthma symptoms and chronic bronchitis symptoms._[2]

Other cleaning products can be harmful to respiratory health as well. For example, kids who were exposed to the most antimicrobial cleaning products in their homes had the highest rates of allergic symptoms._[3]

Beware of Household Cleaning Products During Pregnancy, As Well

The use of cleaning products in the home during pregnancy can also be associated with wheezing and respiratory problems during early childhood. One study found that young children were more likely to have persistent wheezing if their mothers were exposed to higher levels of cleaning products during pregnancy._[4]

Try Natural Alternatives Instead

Using bleach from time to time to treat a tough stain, to get rid of some mold that just keep creeping back, or to brighten up your whites is probably okay. But regular use of bleach in your home might be exposing you and your family to toxic bleach fumes and could increase the risk for infection and respiratory issues. Try out DIY recipes for all-natural bleach alternatives like this one that can be used safely for laundry, cleaning, and disinfecting purposes.

Share Your Experience on Bleach Fumes

Do you use bleach in your home, or do you prefer natural household cleaning products? Have you had any harmful experiences related to inhaling bleach fumes? Do you have any favorite alternatives to bleach that work well for you? Share your tips in the comments section below.

Originally published in 2015, this post is regularly updated.

[1] Occup Environ Med. 2015 Apr 2. pii: oemed-2014-102701.
[2] Occup Environ Med. 2005 Sep;62(9):598-606.
[3] Environ Health Toxicol. 2014 Nov 21;29:e2014017.
[4] Thorax. 2005 Jan;60(1):45-9.

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Inside the lungs, there is a branching system of progressively smaller tubes (called bronchial tubes), at the end of which are air sacs (called alveoli). The alveoli have very thin walls, and are surrounded by capillaries (the smallest blood vessels). When you breathe in, oxygen and carbon dioxide travel through the bronchioles to the alveoli, and then pass through into the capillaries, where they are absorbed by red blood cells. This “oxygenated” blood travels to the heart, and then the rest of the body.

At the same time, carbon dioxide from the blood in the capillaries passes into the alveoli, to be passed out of the body when you exhale. This exchange of gases—oxygen in, and carbon dioxide out—takes just fractions of a second. But chronic bronchitis symptoms can prevent it from happening in the way it should.

Chronic bronchitis is characterized by “recurring bouts of airway inflammation accompanied by a persistent cough and phlegm production,” according to Science Daily. “Although chronic bronchitis has a variety of causes, by far the most common is smoking. Smokers with chronic bronchitis are prone to bacterial infections and face a high risk of developing a more debilitating form of airway inflammation known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).”

What Is Chronic Bronchitis?

Chronic bronchitis symptoms are caused by inflammation in the airways and an increase in the production of mucus. Inhaled tobacco smoke and other noxious particles cause lung inflammation.

When harmful foreign substances (such as bacteria, viruses, and other detrimental substances) enter the body, the immune system often responds by producing inflammation at the site of the threat. This serves to bring disease-fighting cells to the area where they are needed. In the airways, the presence of harmful substances also sparks the increased production of mucus to help move the substance out of the lungs.

Under normal circumstances, once the infection or foreign substance has been eliminated, any inflammation and excess mucus production subside. In people with COPD signs and symptoms, the inflammation and excess mucus production do not completely subside, but instead persist.

In addition, inhaled tobacco smoke can damage the hair-like cilia that normally help to sweep mucus out of the lungs and expel toxic substances. Constant inflammation in the airways and an overabundance of mucus can cause difficulty breathing, and a chronic cough. Other chronic bronchitis symptoms include fatigue and chest discomfort.

Chronic Bronchitis Treatment

Chronic bronchitis treatment involves a similar approach to that used to treat emphysema symptoms and COPD signs and symptoms. Drugs called bronchodilators can ease your breathing by expanding your airways, and you also may be given steroids to soothe airway inflammation.

Find out more on our COPD medications list, and also check out some of the COPD home remedies that can help ease chronic bronchitis symptoms. As with emphysema symptoms, a major cause of chronic bronchitis symptoms is smoking, so you should quit smoking if you are diagnosed with either.

Originally published in 2016, this post is regularly updated.

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In order to know how COPD affects your lungs, it’s necessary to know some basic facts about lungs.

Inside your lungs, there’s a branching system of progressively smaller tubes (called bronchial tubes), at the end of which are air sacs (called alveoli). The alveoli have very thin walls, and are surrounded by capillaries (the smallest blood vessels). When you breathe in, oxygen and carbon dioxide travel through the bronchioles to the alveoli, and then pass through into the capillaries, where they are absorbed by red blood cells.

This “oxygenated” blood travels to the heart, and then the rest of the body. At the same time, carbon dioxide from the blood in the capillaries passes into the alveoli, to be passed out of the body when you exhale. But the conditions that underpin COPD can prevent this process from happening in the way it should.

What Is Emphysema?

Is COPD the same as emphysema? No—but emphysema can underpin COPD, and here’s why. The bronchioles and alveoli inside the lungs are normally very elastic, easily stretching and then returning to their original size as you breathe.

But with emphysema, the thin walls between many of the alveoli are destroyed, and they (and the bronchioles that lead to them) are no longer able to return to their original shape during exhalation. Some of the airways collapse entirely, and this means that some alveoli don’t properly deflate. When airways collapse and alveoli are destroyed, air gets trapped in the lungs. This causes parts of the lung to become enlarged.

Destruction of the alveoli also hampers the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and this leads to too little oxygen and too much carbon dioxide in the blood.

Chronic Bronchitis Symptoms

When you ask “What is COPD?” you also need to consider chronic bronchitis, another serious condition on the lung diseases list. It’s caused by inflammation in the airways, and an increase in the production of mucus.

Inhaled tobacco smoke and other noxious particles cause lung inflammation. In the airways, the presence of harmful substances also sparks the increased production of mucus to help move the substance out of the lungs.

Under normal circumstances, once the infection or foreign substance has been eliminated, any inflammation and excess mucus production subside. In people with COPD, the inflammation and excess mucus production persist.

In addition, inhaled tobacco smoke can damage cilia: the tiny hair-like projections that normally help to sweep mucus out of the lungs, and expel toxic substances. Constant inflammation in the airways, along with an overabundance of mucus, narrows the bronchioles. This can cause difficulty breathing, and a chronic cough.

What Causes COPD?

What is COPD’s typical cause? Generally, it occurs as a result of repeated exposure of the lungs and airways to irritants, most commonly smoke from cigarettes, cigars, and pipes. But other factors also may come into play, including genetics and air pollution.

Kicking the habit of smoking can significantly reduce your chances of getting COPD and other lung disease.

Smoking: COPD most often affects people over age 40, who have smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 10 or more years. Pipe and cigar smoking also can decrease lung function, give you lung problem symptoms, and increase the chance of COPD, even in people who have never smoked cigarettes. Recent research suggests that e-cigarettes also may be harmful to the lungs.

Smokers who have a family history of COPD are at particularly high risk, and so are people who are often exposed to secondhand smoke. People who have quit smoking are still at increased risk of eventually being diagnosed with COPD. But stopping the habit of smoking significantly reduces the chances of getting COPD, as well as other serious lung and heart diseases. You may be wondering: how long can you live with COPD? If you are, keep in mind that while COPD can’t be cured, smokers with COPD who stop smoking can slow the progression of the disease.

Genetics: Is COPD hereditary? Well, not all smokers develop COPD—therefore, experts believe that some combination of smoking and genetic factors may be at work in those who do get the disease. With the exception of the alpha-1 antitrypsin gene (see below), the specific genes that may be involved in COPD are not known. However, researchers have begun to identify possible candidates.

Occupational exposures: Long-term exposure to various kinds of chemicals, fumes, and dust can also harm the lungs and cause COPD. For example, agricultural workers may be exposed to gases and organic dusts generated by cotton, flax, hay and grains, as well as fertilizers and pesticides. Cotton textile workers may inhale cotton dust. Flourmill workers and bakers may breathe in flour and other grain particles. Exposure to coal mine dust over a full working lifetime, even at federally mandated limits, produces a cumulative exposure that appears to increase the risk for COPD.

Air pollution is not our friend, contributing to pulmonary difficulties, experts believe, that can become serious. (Photo: Alexander Tolstykh | Dreamstime.com)

Air pollution: Whether outdoor air pollution from sources such as automobile, factory, and power plant emissions can cause COPD is uncertain, but there is some evidence that it damages lung function. A recent study found that people who lived near major roadways and were exposed over a long period of time to the tiny particles in automobile exhaust had an accelerated rate of decline in lung function.

In addition to fine particulate matter, another type of outdoor air pollution is ozone. In the upper atmosphere, ozone protects against harmful ultraviolet radiation. But when present at ground level, where it may form when exhaust from tailpipes, coal-fired power plants and other sources mixes with oxygen, ozone is a pollutant. One study found that increased levels of ground-level ozone correlated with an increased risk of dying from respiratory illnesses, including COPD. For people who already have COPD, exposure to high levels of outdoor air pollution can worsen their condition.

Indoor air pollution also can be a risk factor for COPD. Studies have found that exposure to wood smoke may increase COPD risk for smokers. In addition, people who already have COPD and are exposed to both types of smoke experience more frequent and severe symptoms.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency: In a small number of people, COPD is caused by a hereditary disorder called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Alpha-1 antitrypsin is a protein that prevents an enzyme called neutrophil elastase from damaging the alveoli. People with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency lack this protein, and about 75 percent of adults with the deficiency develop COPD. People with this deficiency who smoke are at particularly high risk of developing severe lung disease, often at a relatively young age.

Originally published in May 2016 and updated.

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