Damp homes were correlated with respiratory issues in a survey study described by Reuters.

“This is an important finding as chronic inflammation is quite a common condition with a very negative side effect on quality of life,” researchers told Reuters Health. “We were surprised that the association with building dampness was so strong.”

The researchers analyzed data from more than 26,000 adults in four Swedish cities who responded to a questionnaire about respiratory symptoms, smoking, education and environmental exposures. In particular, the study team was interested in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), which includes symptoms of runny nose, itchy nose, facial pain, reduced sense of smell, nasal congestion and sneezing.

They identified dampness by asking about visible water damage, floor dampness or visible mold seen in the home during the last 12 months and gave participants a dampness exposure score based on how many of these signs were present.

Read the rest at www.reuters.com