Avoidance of Inhaled Pollutants and Irritants in Asthma from a Salutogenic Perspective

Georgia Véras de Araújo Gueiros Lira,1,2 Giselia Alves Pontes da Silva,2 Patricia Gomes de Matos Bezerra,3 Emanuel SC Sarinho1,2 1Allergy and Immunology Research Centre, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil; 2Department of Paediatrics, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil; 3Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Instituto de Medicina Integral Prof. Fernando Figueira, Recife, PE, BrazilCorrespondence: Georgia Véras de Araújo Gueiros Lira, Allergy and Immunology Research Centre, Federal University of Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Morais Rego, 1235 – University City, Recife, PE, CEP: 50670-901, Brazil, Tel +81 2126-8000 ; +81 3268-9336, Email georgiaveras@uol.com.brAbstract: Much is known about the role of aeroallergens in asthma, but little is described about the damage caused by inhaled pollutants and irritants to the respiratory epithelium. In this context, the most frequent pollutants and irritants inhaled in the home environment were identified, describing the possible repercussions that may occur in the respiratory tract of the pediatric population with asthma and highlighting the role of the caregiver in environmental control through a salutogenic perspective. Searches were carried out in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Lilacs and Scopus databases for articles considered relevant for the theoretical foundation of this integrative review, in which interactions between exposure to pollutants and inhaled irritants and lung involvement. Articles published in the last 10 years that used the following descriptors were considered: air pollution; tobacco; particulate matter; disinfectants; hydrocarbons, fluorinated; odorants; chloramines; pesticide; asthma; and beyond Antonovsky’s sense of coherence. Exposure to smoke and some substances found in cleaning products, such as benzalkonium chloride, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and monoethanolamine, offer potential risks for sensitization and exacerbation of asthma. The vast majority of the seven main inhaled products investigated ...