Debunking: Can Pet Ownership Prevent Asthma?
According to research by renowned respiratory medicine expert Chen Dongshan, the prevalence of asthma in Chinese children is currently about 1.5%, while it is 1% in adults.
Relevant departments estimate that there are approximately 15 million asthma patients in China. In Guangzhou, due to the high level of industrialization and superior living conditions, the prevalence of asthma in children is higher than the national average, reaching 3.8%
With the improvement of living standards, the incidence of asthma in Chinese children is getting higher and higher!Therefore, such a saying appeared on the internet: 'Keeping pets can prevent asthma!'
But do pets really have such a magical ability?
In fact, the current concept of pets preventing asthma originated from a health hypothesis: the less exposure to allergens in early childhood, the greater the probability of developing allergies, and allergies are the main cause of asthma.
Because pets carry allergens and dogs who like to go out will also bring back some allergens to the home, soSome people believe that pets can expose children to allergens early on, thus reducing the probability of developing allergies and asthma.
A study in Sweden found that children who frequently play with pet dogs from birth had a 13% lower risk of developing asthma during childhood compared to their peers. This study confirms the above hypothesis!
However, the opposite side argues that the existence of allergens is a stimulus, and repeated exposure can easily trigger allergic reactions and lead to asthma.A study pointed out that contact with cats in infancy is a risk factor for children developing asthma symptoms at 6-7 years old, while current exposure to pet dogs is a risk factor for adolescent asthma.
Even more
Overall research points out: keeping pets has a protective effect on preschool children (<6 years old) with asthma-like symptoms, but for children over 6 years old, keeping pets increases the risk of developing asthma.Therefore, whether keeping pets can prevent asthma is a highly controversial topic, and the medical community currently has no clear conclusion!
Image from the Internet.
