Cats OK for the allergy sufferer
New research shows having a pet
can even be protective.
NEW YORK, March 4 — It’s a pet joke of many doctors:
Tell the allergy sufferer to get rid of his cat, and he’ll
get rid of the allergist instead. But the truth is, there’s
not much merit to advice to give away the pet to begin with,
one of the nation’s leading allergists said Monday.
CONTRARY TO what’s long been advised,
people who suffer from the itchy eyes, sniffling and sneezing
of allergies need not get rid of their feline companions, said
Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills, head of allergy and asthma at the
University of Virginia in Charlottesville. “You usually hear
that families [with allergies] should get rid of their cats,” he
said. “But we do not have enough evidence to say to families
with allergies or asthma that they should do this.” In fact,
putting the cat out may bring bad luck — or at least worse
symptoms, according to Platts-Mills.
New studies show that if a child tests
positive for allergies to pollen and dust mites, but negative
for cat dander, and parents give away the pet, “it’s quite
possible the child will become allergic to cats,” he said.
Another study shows that kids with a dog
or a cat in the house get less asthma — with two pets being
more protective than one. “One cat will do,” Platts-Mills said, “but
two — two dogs, two cats, a cat and a dog — is even better.”
WHY? It’s all part of the new “dirt
is good for you” theory. Current dogma among allergists
is that exposing a child early in life to dust, dander and
other allergens will help the body to build up immunity against
them — just like a vaccination. Conversely, clean living
has an adverse effect: Studies show if that if children escape
multiple infections or are not exposed to allergens as infants,
their immune systems later overreact to dander or other things
that cause allergies. That’s why children who grow up on
farms are less likely to develop allergies or asthma than
those who reside in hermetically sealed apartments, Platts-Mills
explained. Or why in Sweden, 80 percent of kids who are allergic
to cats have never had a cat.
THE THANKSGIVING EFFECT Other new research shows
that the protection afforded by having a cat is not permanent,
he said. “You raise a kid with a cat who has allergies, but
not to the cat; he goes off to college, spends a few months
away and comes back to visit,” Platts-Mills said. “But now
he is allergic to that cat — he has lost that protection.” Dr.
John Costa, an allergist at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston,
said he is also aware of the so-called “Thanksgiving effect.” "Perhaps
a lucrative business would be cat hair-filled pillows for college
students,” he joked. In truth, though, it is not cat hair that
provokes the runny nose, watery eyes and other symptoms of
an allergic reaction, but rather their dander, or dead skin
flakes, and a protein in the saliva, he said. The experts spoke
Monday at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology.
Also at the meeting, British researchers reported
that contrary to common belief, modern, high-efficiency vacuum
cleaners do not rid carpeting of cat dander — in fact, the
newer models increase allergen levels just as much as the leaky
machines of years past. Don’t let the more expensive models
lull you into a false sense of security, said Dr. Robin Gore
of the North West Lung Centre in Manchester, England. Even
though they do not leak like old vacuum cleaners, the new high
-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, machines stir things
up, raising levels of dander-laden dust in a room, Gore said.
The sweeping action may even blow settled dander off the walls
and into your nose, he said. Advertisement Gore compared six
vacuum cleaners, four of which were newer HEPA-filter models.
WHAT IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC? So what should you do if you are
allergic to cats? Platts-Mills offered this advice: Get rid
of carpeting, which harbors allergens. Replace upholstery with
leather coverings. Wash pets at least twice a week. Use a HEPA
air filter in the rooms. Animal dander is often airborne. Cover
mattresses and cushions with zippered, plastic casings to cut
down on allergen build-up. “No matter how allergic you are
to cats, these simple measures can reduce symptoms by 95 percent,” Platts-Mills
said.
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