Can Having a Pet Reduce the Likelihood of Developing Asthma?
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Asthma is a common condition for many people all over the world. It often causes coughing, wheezing and a feeling of breathlessness. It tends to be triggered at a young age, affecting 1 in every 11 children. However, extensive studies in Sweden suggest that living with a dog can reduce a child’s chance of developing asthma by 15%, or even as much as half if you have regular contact with farm animals.
This seems to support the ‘hygiene hypothesis’, which suggests that being in an environment that is too clean can increase the chance of becoming allergic to certain things, and the triggering of asthma.
This was a huge study, in which over 1 million children born between 2001 and 2010, with a dog and farm animal registered by law, were taken into consideration. This makes it a particularly valid investigation, having also considered “confounding factors such as asthma in parents, area of residence and socio-economic status” (according to scientist Dr Tove Fall).
While it is vital for added research to take place, this study undoubtedly gives us greater knowledge into the ways of preventing asthma and the triggers that often cause it.