Who would not be tempted of that adorable and playful kitten in the pet shop? But before you decided to get one, you may want to think first.
While having a cat as a kid may protect against future allergies, getting one in adulthood nearly doubles the chances of developing an immune reaction to it such as wheezing, sneezing and itchy eyes according to European studies.
Researchers surveyed more than 6,000 adult Europeans twice over nine years and took blood samples. None of participants had antibodies against cat in their blood to begin with, meaning they weren't sensitized to the animal's dander. Sensitization can also be measured in a skin prick test. It doesn't necessarily lead to symptoms, but in many cases it is the harbinger of full-blown allergies. About three percent of people who didn't have a cat at either survey became sensitized over the study, compared to five percent of those who acquired a cat during those nine years. Four in 10 of the newly sensitized also said they experienced allergy symptoms around animals -- four times the rate seen among people without antibodies against cats. The team found that people who'd had a cat in childhood had a much smaller risk of becoming sensitized to it than those who were new cat owners.
If you are an adult with asthma or other allergies and you want to acquire a pet cat, you should think twice. And if you do so, make sure to keep it out of your bedroom.
While having a cat as a kid may protect against future allergies, getting one in adulthood nearly doubles the chances of developing an immune reaction to it such as wheezing, sneezing and itchy eyes according to European studies.
Researchers surveyed more than 6,000 adult Europeans twice over nine years and took blood samples. None of participants had antibodies against cat in their blood to begin with, meaning they weren't sensitized to the animal's dander. Sensitization can also be measured in a skin prick test. It doesn't necessarily lead to symptoms, but in many cases it is the harbinger of full-blown allergies. About three percent of people who didn't have a cat at either survey became sensitized over the study, compared to five percent of those who acquired a cat during those nine years. Four in 10 of the newly sensitized also said they experienced allergy symptoms around animals -- four times the rate seen among people without antibodies against cats. The team found that people who'd had a cat in childhood had a much smaller risk of becoming sensitized to it than those who were new cat owners.
If you are an adult with asthma or other allergies and you want to acquire a pet cat, you should think twice. And if you do so, make sure to keep it out of your bedroom.
