SCIENTISTS at Southampton Univer-sity have discovered that proper ventilation in the home can help defeat asthma.

The researchers recruited 40 local asthma sufferers to discover how the use of dehumidification equipment and powerful vacuum cleaners affected their health.

The results of the 12-month study showed that ventilation systems and regular cleaning dramatically reduce the number of dust mites in the home.

This in turn was shown to relieve symptoms and improve the health of asthma sufferers, both young and old.

Dr Jill Warner said: "We know that ventilation systems work well in other countries around the world but we wanted to see how they would cope in the UK, where we have extremely damp conditions.

"The homes with ventilation systems did show a reduction in humidity - enough to significantly reduce the number of dust mites."

Southampton mum Myra Brackstone took part in the study to see if the equipment could help her ten-year-old son Kenny.

Mrs Brackstone, of Church View Close, Sholing, said: "It has done wonders for Kenny. He still suffers from asthma but it's nowhere near as bad as it was.

"Before I was forever taking him up to the hospital but he's leading a normal life and he hasn't needed to take much time off school."

The dehumidifiers used are made by a company called Baxi. The machines cost anything between £200 and £1,500.

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