Transferring from moisture damaged school building to clean facilities - The avoidance of mold exposure induces a decline in symptoms and improvement in lung function among personnel.

Working in a moisture-damaged building can cause different symptoms and effects on lung functions. Moving to a clean environment, it is believed to reduce symptoms and alleviate potential adverse health effects. This case study monitors the health effects of personnel in one school building before and after all school activities were transferred from a moisture-damaged school building to clean premises. The whole school staff was invited to attend this follow-up study. All participants (N = 45) were interviewed, and pulmonary functions were measured by spirometry and exhaled nitric oxide testing (FENO) before transferring the school activities to a new building and the control measurements were performed twice; three months and six months after the transfer. After transferring to temporary facilities, 82% of participants felt that their symptoms were improved or resolved and the pulmonary functions were improved; 50% of those who had decreased pulmonary functions at the beginning, their pulmonary function values returned to normal after three months. Over the next six months, the perceived symptoms continued to reduce so that 93% of the respondents felt fully asymptomatic with respect to indoor air, and the spirometry results improved further. Transferring workers from the damaged building to healthy environment provided beneficial health effects on pulmonary functions and to perceived symptoms even in a relatively short time period. Based on this study, and from the perspective of promoting and protecting the health and well-being of personnel, transferring school activities from a moisture damaged building to clean facilities brought considerable advantages, despite the possible cost and difficulties of finding replacement facilities.

Asthma, allergies and respiratory symptoms in different activity groups of swimmers exercising in swimming halls.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory symptoms are common in competitive swimmers. However, among these and in swimmers at other activity levels the swimming distance, the total spent time in swimming halls and their medical background varies. Our objectives were, first, to assess their medical histories and the associations with respiratory symptoms among swimmers in different activity groups and then second, to study the pulmonary function findings and related medications in competitive swimmers who exercise in swimming hall environments the most. METHODS: First, 1118 participants consisting of 133 competitive-, 734 fitness- and 251 occasional swimmers answered questionnaires concerning their medical background, their respiratory symptoms in connection to swimming distance and their amount of time spent in swimming halls. Secondly, in 130 competitive swimmers, pulmonary function was tested by spirometry and a specific questionnaire was used to assess respiratory symptoms, medical histories and prescribed medication. RESULTS: Respiratory symptoms were reported by 18% of the studied swimmers. Competitive swimmers had significantly more symptoms than fitness- and occasional swimmers. Naturally competitive swimmers swum more than 2000 m and stayed by the pool more than 90 min, longer than the other activity groups of swimmers. Spirometry testing showed airway obstruction in 15 swimmers, which was 12% of the 130 competitive swimmers. 21 of them, had physician-diagnosed asthma and 16 of these individuals had prescribed medication for it. CONCLUSIONS: Competitive swimmers had the highest swimming hall exposure and reported significantly more respiratory symptoms. A high prevalence of airway obstruction findings in competitive swimmers with asthma and allergies suggests a need for future recommendations for regular testing and special medical care for competitive swimmers.

Swimming-induced changes in pulmonary function: special observations for clinical testing.

BACKGROUND: A special improvement in pulmonary function is found in swimmers. In clinical testing the airway reactivity is observed at certain exercise intensity and target ventilation. However, in highly trained swimmers exercising in water the reactions may not function the same way. The aim was to study the combined effects of the water environment and swimming on pulmonary function and the associations with perceived symptoms. METHODS: First, 412 competitive swimmers completed questionnaires concerning respiratory symptoms at different swimming intensities. Then, pulmonary function testing was performed in 14 healthy elite swimmers. Spirometry and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV) were measured on land and in water before and after swimming. While swimming, minute ventilation (VE) tidal volume (VT) and breathing frequency (fb) were measured during competition speed swimming. RESULTS: Swimmers reported the most symptoms at competition speed intensity swimming. In the transition from the land into the water swimming body position, the ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced expiratory capacity (FVC) (FEV1/FVC) decreased by a mean (SD) 5.3 % (3) in females and by 2.2 % (5) in males. During competition speed intensity swimming, the minute ventilation (VE) had a mean of 72 and 75 % of calculated maximal voluntary ventilation (cMVV) in females and in males, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Spirometry showed sex differences in water compared to land measurements. These differences should be considered when the effects of swimming are observed. During the intensity that triggered the symptoms the most, the VE was approximately 20 % higher than the target ventilations for clinical testing. These findings encourages specific modifications of clinical testing protocols for elite swimmers.

Swimming and Asthma: Differences between Women and Men.

Background and Aim. Asthma is common in endurance athletes including swimmers. Our aim was to study gender differences in asthma, allergy, and asthmatic symptoms in swimmers and investigate the effects of varying intensities of physical exercise on competitive swimmers with asthma. Methods. Three hundred highly trained swimmers (156 females and 144 males) were studied by a questionnaire. Their mean (±SD) ages were 17 ± 3 and 19 ± 3 years, and they had training history of 7 ± 2 and 7 ± 3 years in females and males, respectively. Gender differences in asthma, allergy, and respiratory symptoms were examined. Special attention was focused on asthmatic swimmers, their allergies and respiratory symptoms during swimming at different intensities. Results. The prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 19% for females and males. No gender differences in asthma or respiratory symptoms were found. Males reported allergies significantly more often than females (P = 0.007). Gender difference was found in respiratory symptoms among swimmers with physician-diagnosed asthma because females reported symptoms significantly more often (P = 0.017) than males. Asthmatic females also reported symptoms significantly more often at moderate intensity swimming (P = 0.003) than males especially for coughing. Discussion. Gender difference in prevalence of asthma was not found in swimmers. However, allergy was reported significantly more by male swimmers. Male swimmers with asthma reported significantly more cases having family history of asthma, which may be a sign of selection of asthma-friendly sport. Moderate intensity swimming seemed to induce significantly more symptoms especially coughing in asthmatic females.

Low total haemoglobin mass, blood volume and aerobic capacity in men with type 1 diabetes.

Blood O2 carrying capacity affects aerobic capacity (VO2max). Patients with type 1 diabetes have a risk for anaemia along with renal impairment, and they often have low VO2max. We investigated whether total haemoglobin mass (tHb-mass) and blood volume (BV) differ in men with type 1 diabetes (T1D, n = 12) presently without complications and in healthy men (CON, n = 23) (age-, anthropometry-, physical activity-matched), to seek an explanation for low VO2max. We determined tHb-mass, BV, haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]), and VO2max in T1D and CON. With similar (mean ± SD) [Hb] (144 vs. 145 g l(-1)), T1D had lower tHb-mass (10.1 ± 1.4 vs. 11.0 ± 1.1 g kg(-1), P < 0.05), BV (76.8 ± 9.5 vs. 83.5 ± 8.3 ml kg(-1), P < 0.05) and VO2max (35.4 ± 4.8 vs. 44.9 ± 7.5 ml kg(-1) min(-1), P < 0.001) than CON. VO2max correlated with tHb-mass and BV both in T1D (r = 0.71, P < 0.01 and 0.67, P < 0.05, respectively) and CON (r = 0.54, P < 0.01 and 0.66, P < 0.001, respectively), but not with [Hb]. Linear regression slopes were shallower in T1D than CON both between VO2max and tHb-mass (2.4 and 3.6 ml kg(-1) min(-1) vs. g kg(-1), respectively) and VO2max and BV (0.3 and 0.6 ml kg(-1) min(-1) vs. g kg(-1), respectively), indicating that T1D were unable to reach similar VO2max than CON at a given tHb-mass and BV. In conclusion, low tHb-mass and BV partly explained low VO2max in T1D and may provide early and more sensitive markers of blood O2 carrying capacity than [Hb] alone.

Swimming and asthma: factors underlying respiratory symptoms in competitive swimmers.

BACKGROUND: Swimming is recommended for asthmatics. However, many competitive swimmers report asthmatic symptoms. While some studies identify the swimming environment as a trigger for allergy and asthmatic symptoms, even more studies suggest swimming to be suitable for people with allergies and asthma. The factors behind the symptoms were studied first by determining the prevalence of asthma, allergy and self-reported asthmatic symptoms in experienced Finnish swimmers and then by examining the relationships between the reported symptoms and the main triggering factors: medical history, environment and exercise intensity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Top swimmers (n = 332) of the Finnish Swimming Association registry (N = 4578) were asked to complete a structured questionnaire on their medical history, swimming background, swimming environment and symptoms in different swimming intensities. Two hundred experienced swimmers, 107 females and 93 males, with an average age of 18.5 [standard deviation (SD) = 3.0] years and a swimming training history of 9 (SD = 3.8) years completed the questionnaire. RESULTS: Physician-diagnosed asthma was reported by 32 swimmers (16%), including 24 (12%) with exercise-induced asthma. Physician-diagnosed allergy was reported by 81 (41%) swimmers. Asthmatic symptoms during swimming were described by 84 subjects (42%). Most symptoms occurred when swimming exceeded speeds corresponding to the lactic/anaerobic threshold. Family history of asthma was significant and the most important risk factor for asthmatic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of asthma in swimmers was higher than in the general population but not different from that in other endurance athletes. Family history of asthma and increased swimming intensity had the strongest associations with the reported asthmatic symptoms.