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Dust up on Allergy Myths This month we will look at some common allergy myths and see if they can be busted! |
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Getting rid of dust in my house and making dietary changes will reduce allergies |
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Ridding the house of dust mites and making dietary changes does nothing to stop children developing asthma or eczema as was commonly thought. The surprising research results prove that popular steps taken by parents to prevent the onset of allergic conditions simply don't work. A team of Sydney researchers tracked 600 children from birth to age 5 to test whether avoiding dust mites in the home had any benefits. "Basically, there wasn't any reduction in the risk of allergic disease or asthma, which was unexpected," said Dr Guy Marks, a researcher at Sydney's Woolcock Institute. Scientists also tested the commonly held belief that boosting levels of omega-3 fatty acids in a child's diet could ward off allergic conditions. Previous studies had shown that children who once a week ate fish, which has high doses of the special fats, were less likely than others to have asthma. But this, too, was proven to have no preventative benefits, Dr Marks said. "Once again we weren't able to demonstrate any beneficial effect," he said. The study, published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, involved children in western and south-western Sydney with a family history of asthma. The result undermines popular beliefs and leave parents with no solid advice as to how they can protect their children, beyond the recommendation not to smoke around them. "We're left with not having any strong evidence, apart from the avoidance of environmental tobacco smoke, about things that can be done to prevent the onset of asthma in children," Dr Marks said. On the upside, the results prove parents should not blame themselves for failing to help their children dodge the conditions. "Clearly, now there is no reason for people to feel that they should have been making major changes in the household." So this myth is now ... What other myths can we look at? |
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| Flowering plants cause hayfever and allergies | |
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Seasonal allergic rhinitis, commonly known as hayfever, is caused by allergy to pollen, rather than hay. Pollen allergy tends to be due to air borne pollen from wind pollinated grass, weed and tree species. By contrast, the pollen of flowering plants is large and sticky, does not blow very far, and requires birds and bees for pollination. Therefore, when people complain that scented flowers trouble them, it is usually due to chemical irritation from the perfume that makes them sneeze rather than the pollen. Most flowering plants in fact do not cause hayfever or allergies |
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| Continuous exposure to animals will desensitise you to them | |
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If you are allergic to an animal, continuous exposure will not decrease your allergy. In fact, 1 in 3 people who are already allergic and exposed to indoor pets will become allergic to them as well over time. Keeping indoor pets is also associated with asthma and the need for more medication. If you are allergic to animals, sensitivity often worsens with ongoing exposure. The best way to relieve symptoms is to avoid the animal, minimise exposure to household pets by removing them from the home or at least keeping them out of the bedroom, have hard flooring and wash the animal regularly to reduce the amount of allergen they shed. |
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| Allergies and asthma can be cured | |
| There is no cure for asthma or allergies. The closest thing to a cure for allergy is immunotherapy, which is effective for treating some allergies like hayfever, asthma and stinging insect allergy, but not for treating food allergies. With appropriate diagnosis and management, however, most asthma and allergy sufferers will lead normal, active lives with little disturbance to their quality of life. | |
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| Watch out for more Medical Mythbusters next month | |
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:: Dust up on Allergy Myths
