A recent study shows that children who are exposed to two banned compounds in the womb are more likely to develop asthma.
Researchers in Denmark recently determined that children who are exposed to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the womb are more likely to develop asthma by the age of 20. According to Scientific American, the use of these persistent organic compounds has been banned since 1965 and 1977, respectively, but they are still present in the environment and can build up in the tissue of both humans and animals.
"The offspring of women in the group with the highest concentrations of HCB and PCB-118 were about twice as likely to be on asthma medication between the ages of six and 20 as the offspring of women with the lowest concentrations," states the source. "A weaker association was found for five other PCB compounds and asthma."
The news outlet reports that the most common way for women to become exposed to HCB and PCB is by consuming fish.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are 7.1 million children and 18.9 million adults in the United States who suffer from asthma — and studies like the one mentioned in this post are helping medical professionals get to the bottom of what causes the chronic respiratory disease and how to best treat it.
In the meantime, if you're looking for some relief in addition to the medication you're taking for your affliction, you may want to consider investing in residential air purifiers, which work by removing common pollutants directly from the air. Check out the Air Purifiers Direct 2U website today for more information.