NIAID supports a network of Asthma, Allergic and Immunologic Diseases Cooperative Research Centers throughout the United States. The centers encourage close coordination among scientists studying basic and clinical immunology, genetics, biochemistry, pharmacology, and environmental science. This interdisciplinary approach helps move research knowledge as quickly as possible from the lab into the hands of doctors and their allergy patients.

Educating patients and health care providers is an important tool in controlling allergic diseases. All of these research centers conduct and evaluate education programs focused on methods to control allergic diseases.

Since 1991, researchers participating in NIAID’s Inner-City Asthma Study have been examining ways to treat asthma in minority children living in inner-city environments. Asthma, a major cause of illness and hospitalizations among these children, is provoked by a number of possible factors, including allergies to airborne substances.

The success of NIAID’s model asthma program led the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants to help community-based health organizations throughout the United States implement the program.

Based on the success of the first National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study, NIAID and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, also part of NIH, started a second cooperative multicenter study in 1996. This study recruited children with asthma, aged 4 to 11, to test the effectiveness of two interventions. One intervention uses a novel communication and doctor education system. Information about the children’s asthma severity is provided to their primary care physicians, with the intent that this information will help the doctors give the children the best care possible.

The other intervention involves educating families about reducing exposure to passive cigarette smoke and to indoor allergens, including cockroach, house dust mite, and mold. Researchers are assessing the effectiveness of both interventions by evaluating their capacity to reduce the severity of asthma in these children.

Early data show that by reducing allergen levels in children’s beds by one-third, investigators reduced by nearly one-quarter (22 percent) both the number of days the children wheezed and the number of days the children missed school.

Although several factors provoke allergic responses, scientists know that heredity plays a major role in determining who will develop an allergy. Therefore, scientists are trying to identify and describe the genes that make a person susceptible to allergic diseases.

Because researchers are becoming increasingly aware of the role of environmental factors in allergies, they are evaluating ways to control environmental exposures to allergens and pollutants to prevent allergic disease.

These studies offer the promise of improving the treatment and control of allergic diseases and the hope that one day allergic diseases will be preventable.

Scientists supported by NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) found that, during the first years of their lives, children raised in a house with two or more dogs or cats may be less likely to develop allergic diseases as compared with children raised without pets. The striking finding here is that high pet exposure early in life appears to protect some children from not only pet allergy but also other types of common allergies, such as allergy to house dust mites, ragweed, and grass. This new finding is changing the way scientists think about pet exposure. Scientists must now figure out how pet exposure causes a general shift of the immune system away from an allergic response.

The results of this and a number of other studies suggest that bacteria carried by pets may be responsible for holding back the immune system’s allergic response. These bacteria release molecules called endotoxin. Some researchers think endotoxin is the molecule responsible for shifting the developing immune system away from responding to allergens through a class of lymphocytes called Th-2 cells. (These cells are associated with allergic reactions.) Instead, endotoxin may stimulate the immune system to block allergic reactions.

If scientists can find out exactly what it is about pets or the bacteria they carry that prevents the allergic response, they might be able to develop a new allergy treatment.

An allergist can suggest which kind of filter is best for your home. Before buying a filtering device, rent one and use it in a closed room (the bedroom, for instance) for a month or two to see whether your allergy symptoms diminish. The airflow should be sufficient to exchange the air in the room five or six times per hour. Therefore, the size and efficiency of the filtering device should be determined in part by the size of the room.

You should be wary of exaggerated claims for appliances that cannot really clean the air. Very small air cleaners cannot remove dust and pollen. No air purifier can prevent viral or bacterial diseases such as the flu, pneumonia, or tuberculosis.

Before buying an electrostatic precipitator, you should compare the machine’s ozone output with Federal standards. Ozone can irritate the noses and airways of people with allergies, especially those with asthma, and can increase their allergy symptoms. Other kinds of air filters, such as HEPA filters, do not release ozone into the air. HEPA filters, however, require adequate air flow to force air through them.

Actually, these are tips for controlling allergies to all the furry creatures you can’t help but cuddle.

If you or your child is allergic to furry pets, especially cats, the best way to avoid allergic reactions is to find them another home. If you are like most people who are attached to their pets, that is usually not a desirable option. There are ways, however, to help lower the levels of animal allergens in the air, which may reduce allergic reactions.

• Bathe your cat weekly and brush it more frequently (ideally, a non-allergic person should do this).
• Keep cats out of your bedroom.
• Remove carpets and soft furnishings, which collect animal allergens.
• Use a vacuum cleaner and room air cleaners with HEPA filters.
• Wear a face mask while house and cat cleaning.

House Dust Tips

If you have dust mite allergy, pay careful attention to dust-proofing your bedroom. The worst things to have in the bedroom are:

• Wall-to-wall carpet
• Blinds
• Down-filled blankets
• Feather pillows
• Stuffed animals
• Heating vents with forced hot air
• Dogs and cats
• Closets full of clothing

Carpets trap dust and make dust control impossible.

• Shag carpets are the worst type of carpet for people who are sensitive to dust mites.
• Vacuuming doesn’t get rid of dust mite proteins in furniture and carpeting, but redistributes them back into the room, unless the vacuum has a special HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.
• Rugs on concrete floors encourage dust mite growth.

If possible, replace wall-to-wall carpets with washable throw rugs over hardwood, tile, or linoleum floors, and wash the rugs frequently.

Reducing the amount of dust mites in your home may mean new cleaning techniques as well as some changes in furnishings to eliminate dust collectors. Water is often the secret to effective dust removal.

• Clean washable items, including throw rugs, often, using water hotter than 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures will not kill dust mites.
• Clean washable items at a commercial establishment that uses high water temperature, if you cannot or do not want to set water temperature in your home at 130 degrees. (There is a danger of getting scalded if the water is more than 120 degrees.)
• Dust frequently with a damp cloth or oiled mop.

If cockroaches are a problem in your home, the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests some ways to get rid of them.

• Do not leave food or garbage out.
• Store food in airtight containers.
• Clean all food crumbs or spilled liquids right away.

Try using poison baits, boric acid (for cockroaches), or traps first, before using pesticide sprays.

If you use sprays:

• Do not spray in food preparation or storage areas.
• Do not spray in areas where children play or sleep.
• Limit the spray to the infested area.
• Follow instructions on the label carefully.
• Make sure there is plenty of fresh air when you spray.
• Keep the person with allergies or asthma out of the room while spraying.

• Pay close attention to the circumstances surrounding your allergic reactions and/or your asthma attacks. Understanding and knowing what triggers these attacks is the first step to prevent and avoid future attacks.

• Once you know what your allergy triggers are, avoid them! Also avoid common triggers such as smoke if you have asthma.

• Check your local weather forecasts! They can provide you important, daily air quality and pollution reports as well as allergy and pollen count reports. Be prepared on days when these advisories are high by remembering to take your allergy and asthma medications and by staying indoors.

• Choose the right environment for you. Use air quality and pollution reports as well as allergy and pollen count reports as a tool everywhere you go. For example, during high pollen season in the spring, spend time at low pollen areas such as the beach or ocean. Avoid areas that are generally known for having high pollen counts such as woodlands. If you are traveling, check general statistics for the area and chose a time of the year when allergy and pollen reports are at their lowest.

• Clean your home!

• Temperature and Humidity: hot, humid houses are breeding grounds for dust mites and mold. Try and keep your home below 75 degrees and humidity levels between 30-50%. Don’t forget to replace or clean filters in cleaning or cooling systems and in air conditioners and air purifiers.
• Use an air purifier in your home, and don’t forget to change the filter.
• Get rid of the dust in your home. Clean it with water as much as possible since that traps the dust so it can’t fly, keeping it out of your nose. To protect your mattress and pillows from dust mites, purchase dust mite-zippered encasings from your local department or bedding store.
• Wash your laundry, especially bed linens in hot water with a temperature of 130 degrees or greater to reduce dust mites.
• Don’t dry your laundry outside since pollen can easily deposit or accumulate in your belongings.
• Don’t allow mold to grow in your home. Mold loves to grow in damp places, like your bathroom, so make sure these rooms are dry with plenty of ventilation. Or use a dehumidifier in these areas. Close doors or windows during hot weather and use air conditioning instead.
• Avoid harsh, chemical cleaners, as these may trigger allergies and asthma. Many common surface sprays contain toxic and dangerous chemicals! Try and use natural or naturally derived non toxic cleaning products.
• Vacuuming with a regular vacuum may make allergies and asthma worse by disturbing and blowing the dust particles in the air. Make sure your vacuum has a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter.
• Control infestations. Insect and mouse residue is allergy triggering, so make cockroaches as unwelcome as possible – seal any cracks or entryways. Thoroughly vacuum carpeting and steam clean carpets regularly if possible, as wet wash hard surfaces.

• If you are allergic to animal dander, you should keep your pets outdoors if possible, as much as possible. Or at least keep them out of your bedroom. Bathing your pet weekly, especially with a dander reducing or eliminating shampoo, will reduce dander accumulation and can reduce your exposure to allergens.

• Keep pollen outside! Change your clothing after spending a lot of time outdoors.

• Turn off the fan! Limit the use of window fans that can draw pollen rich into your home.

• Take a bath or shower before bedtime! Bathe or shower before bedtime to wash off pollen and outdoor mold spores that build up on your hair and/or skin.

• If you wear eye contacts, it’s not a good idea to wear them while you have red, swollen or itchy eyes (allergic conjunctivitis) because the contacts may irritate and cause the conjunctivitis to become worse. Instead, wear your glasses until your eyes feel better.

• Read your food labels! The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list common food allergens on food labels in simple terms that adults and older children can understand. If you are allergic to any foods, avoid them! While all possible food allergens may not be listed, the top 8 are listed:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews and walnuts)
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Soy
• Wheat

• If you eat our at restaurants often and have any food allergies make sure to double check that your allergens are not hidden in foods where you wouldn’t expect them. Inform your server of your known allergies.

• Avoid insect stings and potential reactions to bug bites and bee stings. When you’re in a buggy area, wear long sleeves, pants, and shoes with socks. Use bug repellant and do not wear perfumes or sweet scented products that would invite over insects.

Other alternatives for allergy prevention may even start when a baby is still in the womb! There is evidence that mothers who avoid foods such as nuts during their pregnancy may prevent allergy related conditions in their children. Further, mothers should avoid foods such as cow’s milk, eggs, and nuts (especially peanuts) while breastfeeding. This, too, can prevent allergy related conditions, such as eczema, in some children. Some studies have shown that children who have been breastfed are less likely to have allergies.

To prevent future allergy related problems in your children, you should discuss your child’s family history of allergies, eczema, etc. Discuss the implications of your child’s current diet on the development of future allergic conditions. Sometimes, even timing the introduction of solid foods in general, and of several specific foods, can help prevent some allergies.

There is a medical theory called the hygiene hypothesis, which states that a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents, symbiotic microorganisms, symbiotic bacteria and parasites increases susceptibility to allergic diseases by affecting immune system development. This means that, if the theory is correct, that children exposed to certain airborne allergens such as animal dander and/or dust mites may be less likely to develop related allergies in the future.

Once allergies have developed, however, treating the allergies in accordance with your personalized treatment developed by you and your doctor, as well as carefully avoiding the allergens that cause allergic reactions in your body is the best way you can prevent allergic reactions in the future.