By VOA
　　17 March, 2014

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　　From VOA Learning English, this is Science in the News.

　　I'm Mario Ritter.

　　And I'm Faith Lapidus.

　　Today we tell about compulsive hoarding syndrome, also known as Hoarding Disorder. It is both a mental disorder and a public safety issue.

　　Many people in the United States are looking forward to the return of spring. At this time of year, millions of Americans do what is known as "spring cleaning." Many open windows in their homes to let in fresh air. Others use cleaning products that make their homes smell nice. And some organize their belongings.

　　Many Americans have a strong desire to clean up their homes. This can also be called "removing clutter."

　　Clutter can be described as "a disorganized collection of things." To remove clutter means to throw away the things you do not want. Then, you organize the things you have decided to keep.

　　In recent years, it has become easy to find information on how to attack clutter. There are books, websites and even television programs on the subject. Specialty stores sell containers and boxes for storing things around the house.

　　Some Americans pay people to come to their homes to remove clutter. These professional organizers offer advice on what to keep and what to throw away. They also help with organizing things. However, the services of a professional organizer can be costly. They can cost up to $200 an hour.

　　Some people have serious problems with clutter. They have what experts call hoarding disorder. Hoarders continually gather objects until there is no space or room for everything. American experts estimate that hoarding disorder affects between two and five percent of the population.

　　Hoarding has been linked to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, also known as OCD. People who suffer from OCD have ideas that interfere with their daily activities. But they recognize they have a problem. Some hoarders do not realize they have a mental health disorder. Hoarding can also result from other disorders.

　　In 2013, the American Psychological Association included hoarding in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Medical health experts often turn to the manual for guidance.

　　People with hoarding disorder continue to gather and save things. Most people say the objects hoarders keep are useless or worthless. However, hoarders believe the objects could be useful someday. They may even develop an emotional connection to such things or feel safer when surrounded by their growing possessions.

　　Hoarders are afraid to throw away things. At the same time, they continue to bring more and more things into their homes. They may save objects such as newspapers, clothing, and even old food.

　　Items from a hoarder's home in Las Vegas in 2012 are stacked from floor to ceiling inside.
　　Hoarders live with so much clutter that it may affect their physical health. Dirt, insects and bacteria that form over time can cause sickness.
　　Safety experts say the homes of hoarders often are unsafe. A room filled with newspapers, for example, can cause floor supports to break down. In many cases, a room is filled from top to bottom with useless things. There is only a small space to walk from one end of the room to the other.
　　As a result, a fire could spread quickly if it were to start in the home of a hoarder. Household clutter could delay efforts by firefighters to rescue people living in the home.
　　Recently, a woman suffered major burns from a house fire in the American state of Maryland. Her household clutter made it difficult for firefighters to rescue her. Hoarding can become not only a safety problem for the person with the disorder, but also for those who may be attempting to help the individual.
　　One of the most famous hoarding cases involved two brothers in New York City. Homer and Langley Collyer were found dead in their home in 1947. Langley Collyer was buried under what appeared to be a mountain of old newspapers. The weight of the newspapers crushed him. Langley was Homer's caretaker. Medical examiners believed Langley had been dead for several days before his brother Homer died of starvation.