Study Says Regular Use Of Paracetmol Will Have More Chances to Be Affected By Asthma

People who regularly use paracetamol are at three fold risk of having asthma, a new research has found.

Study author Dr. Seif Shaheen from Imperial College London and team questioned over 500 adults with asthma and over 500 people without asthma about the use of painkillers. Taking paracetamol weekly increases the risk of asthma three-fold, research has found.

When the study was conducted on children, it was found that those given the painkiller for fever in the first year of life had a 46 percent increased risk of asthma by the age of six or seven.

Analysis of current use in 103,000 children showed those who had used paracetamol more than once a month in the past year had a three-fold increased risk of asthma. The use of paracetamol was also associated with more severe asthma symptoms as well as the increased risk of eczema and hayfever five years later.

Experts said parents should still use the drug for high temperatures. The drug reduces levels of 'glutathione' in the lungs, which is needed to defend the delicate airways against damage from pollution and smoke, study says.

The same effect was not seen for other painkillers and experts have called for more research into the link.