Can Early Exposure to Cats and Dogs Decrease the Risk of Developing Allergies

Abstract

It’s commonly known that sensitization to cats and dogs is an important risk factor for developing allergic diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. Interestingly, latest researches have proved that they can also decrease the risk of developing allergic disease if you were exposed to them early in your life. For the past couple of decades’ researchers have been looking at the role that pets, especially dogs, have to play in rates of allergies in children. Many have found that, what is being termed the hygiene hypothesis, is indeed correct, meaning that a little dirt early in life helps to stave allergic diseases. Even though researchers have agreed that dogs surely decrease the risk of developing allergies, there is a controversy about whether cats decrease them, or in fact heighten them. The objective of this review was to compare between 3 different studies that showed different findings on the topic.