WEDNESDAY, June 23, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Diesel fuel and solvent use sow the seeds of wheezing in farmers, according to researchers.
A new study of 20,898 farmers in Iowa and North Carolina found that driving tractors and trucks powered by diesel fuel and regular use of solvents to clean and paint were associated with increased risk of wheeze.
The U.S. government study found that 19 percent (3,922) of the farmers reported at least one episode of wheezing in the year prior to the study, but only 5 percent noted that they had a history of asthma.
Of all farm activities, the daily use of gasoline and other solvents to clean and paint was associated with the highest odds of wheeze; the study found that those who painted every day were 82 percent more likely to have breathing problems.
The research appears in the June 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
More information
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about wheezing.
