Air Fresheners and Incense, and Your Health (Part 1)
- Dr. Melissa Adams
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 9
A couple weeks ago, a patient asked about incense and whether or not it is safe, is it harmful, if it is harmful, how bad is it, etc. So, we had a look through several studies and it is safe to say, it was quite surprising. This is just part one of what we found!
We have become more and more aware of and perhaps sensitive to the smells in the places we frequent whether that is home, a public restroom, work place, hospital, or somewhere else. We have essentially decided that natural smells are bad, we need to cover those up. We also equate some of these products (incense in particular) with religious meanings, meditation, and other relaxing, self-care activities.
But ... are they safe for us?
In this first study (by Wang, et al), they looked at the exposure to 8 different household chemicals and their potential association with cognitive decline. The chemicals they looked into included insecticides, repellents, anti-caries agents (like fluoride), air fresheners, air purifiers, disinfectants, toilet cleaners, and oil removers.
They focused on adults who were 64 years and older, living in China, with no significant disorders, and they had a group of more than ten thousand individuals. they completed a cognitive function assessment which looked at the person's orientation, registration, attention and calculation, recall, and language with a total of 30 questions.
The top three most common household chemicals used in households were insecticides, repellents, and toilet cleaners with the least used were air purifiers and air fresheners.
The researchers were careful to control for things like age, gender, body composition, where they lived and their level of education, as well as things like smoking and alcohol habits. They did this to try to make sure the results were based on the household chemicals and not some other potential factor.
The study found that more frequent use of household chemicals were associated with a decline in cognitive function with combined exposure more important than the exposure to a single chemical. More specifically, there was a significant correlation between the use of anti-caries agents, air fresheners, and disinfectants, and cognitive decline. More specifically, using these chemicals more frequently increased the risk of cognitive decline by 3.59 fold compared to low frequency usage.
There seemed to be a stronger correlation for females compared to males, however, generally speaking, females use more of these chemicals so there may be more to this than just gender-differences. The males were more likely to experience issues with recall while females were more likely to experience issues with attention, calculation, and recall.
If someone has a history of asthma, they may be more likely to experience greater cognitive decline.
It is unsure exactly what it is about air fresheners and chemicals that may be responsible, but air fresheners do contain several harmful chemicals. In fact, in one case study, a 79 year old man with dementia consumed a repellent air freshener and ended up dying as a result. This may be an even greater indication to ensure these chemicals are out of the reach of children and others who may have difficulty with impulsivity and understanding their actions and the potential consequences of them.
In a study of mice, it was noted that inhaled exposure to air fresheners (sprays, candles, deodorizers, and diffusers) aggravated liver injury (specifically nonalcoholic fatty acid liver disease - NAFLD). This indicates air fresheners may have a negative impact on the liver, may induce insulin resistance, and may even slightly increase HbA1c levels. They also found an increase in pro-inflammatory markers, with the air freshener exposure.
It seems that the recent studies are pointing to air fresheners being a potential risk factor in several conditions and diseases, and perhaps some additional education should be provided to the public about these potential issues, so individuals can then make an informed decision. If you are someone who is dealing with some significant health issues of some sorts (take note, it isn't all respiratory conditions), and you utilize air fresheners, maybe stop using them to see if that changes things but you need to give your body time to heal from any damage the air fresheners may have caused (a few days is not enough).
Blog sponsored by One More Step Foundation
This is not medical advice, always ask a chiropractor if chiropractic care is appropriate for you, and your preferred healthcare provider before making dietary, supplement, or lifestyle changes.
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