Newsgroup: it.discussioni.animali.cani
Titolo: OT. Allergie (in Inglese)Fwd: Black Cats: A Curse to the Allergic?]]


Newsgroups: alt.med.allergy
 Black Cats: A Curse to the Allergic?
The darker the cat, the more sneezing & wheezing
By Nicolle Charbonneau
HealthScout Reporter
MONDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthScout) -- Black cats may bring more than bad
luck.
Dark-colored cats also may trigger more severe reactions if you have
allergies or asthma, claims a new study. They seem to cause more
sneezing,
runny eyes and wheezing than white or light-colored cats, the study
says.
But not every allergist is convinced that black cats are such bad luck
for
asthmatics and people with allergies.
More than 70 percent of American households have a dog or cat. At the
same
time, an estimated 10 percent of Americans may be allergic to animals,
and
roughly 20 percent to 30 percent of people with asthma have pet
allergies.
The black-cat theory stems from a survey of 321 people who visited the
allergy clinic at Long Island College Hospital and other nearby clinics
in
New York City, says lead researcher Dr. Shahzad Hussain, a fellow at the
Brooklyn hospital.
Each allergy sufferer was asked whether he or she had a cat and, if so,
whether the cat had light- or dark-colored hair. People with cats also
were
asked how long they'd owned their cat and whether it was allowed in the
bedroom. They also were asked to describe their symptoms when exposed to
their pet.
People who had moderate to severe symptoms were up to four times more
likely
to have darker-colored cats than light-colored or white cats or no cats
at
all, the study says.
"We did not expect this kind of result," Hussain says. "It was really
surprising to see this much of a difference."
People who let their cats into their bedrooms seemed to suffer the most.
These cat-owners were more than 19 times more likely to have moderate or
severe allergic symptoms, the study says. Results are slated to appear
in
the January issue of the Annals of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology.
Just why coal-colored kitties bring on worse allergy or asthma symptoms
remains a mystery, Hussain says.
It's possible these cats have a higher concentration of a substance on
their
fur called "fel d1," the main allergen found on cat hair that triggers
allergic reactions, he says. But the researchers don't know whether fel
d1
is to blame, whether the cats may have another antigen in their coat
that
plays a role, and whether the antigens are under hormonal control. Their
next study, he says, will examine the concentration of fel d1 on cat fur
from variously colored felines.
But Mary Bollinger, the director of the pediatric allergy and immunology
at
the University of Maryland Hospital for Children, says it remains
unclear
whether one type of cat characteristic is worse than another.
"People have looked at male vs. female [cats], longhaired vs.
shorthaired
and this breed vs. that breed," Bollinger says. "There are a lot of
conflicting studies out there."
What To Do
If you have allergies or asthma, Hussain says, getting a cat -- even a
white
one -- may not be in your best interests medically. If you already have
a
cat and are suffering from pet-related allergies, some doctors recommend
finding a new home for the animal. According to the American Veterinary
Medical Association, nearly 4 percent of owners give up their pets to
shelters because of allergies.
But if that's not an option, Hussain says you can take steps to ease
your
symptoms.
For instance, wood floors are easier to keep clean than carpeting, which
is
an ideal hiding place for hair and antigens. If you do have carpeting,
it
should be vacuumed twice a week. And, although you may not win any
popularity contests with your pet, Hussain recommends that you wash your
cat
about once a week. Many products claim to be better at removing
allergens,
but Hussain says a regular cat shampoo recommended by your veterinarian
should be sufficient.
"These simple measures can be very effective," Hussain says. Still,
Bollinger points out that cat allergens can be found in virtually any
home -- whether a cat lives there or not.
To learn more about pet allergies, visit the American College of
Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology online. For information on a vaccine against cat
allergies, check out information provided by the American Veterinary
Medical
Association.
Or, you may want to read previous HealthScout articles on allergens or
on
pets.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
People who had moderate to severe allergic reactions were up to four
times
more likely to have darker-colored cats than light-colored or white cats
or
no cats at all.
-- Dr. Shahzad Hussain, Long Island College Hospital
-
-- 
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Mi sembra però che non abbiano dimostrato niente scientificamente. E' solo
un'ipotesi, giusto?? Boh, io sono allergica a tutti i gatti, bianchi, neri,
azzurri (certosini, mia sorella ne aveva uno). Non ti so dire. Hai visto da
qualche altra parte se hanno scoperto se é vera o no questa notizia? Sarebbe
interessante scoprire il perché, se fosse vero. La Jeannie, che é quasi
tutta bianca mi fa starnutire e la Charlie che é più nera, no. Boh!!!
Interesting!
Bianca

 Bianca
sě.. č un'ipotesi, cosě pare... io non avevo mai sentito nulla del genere č
pensavo.. toh, la solita "bufala"! Poi muffola ha "intercettato" il mex dicendo
che aveva avuto un esperienza simile con i bracchi it: la roano marrone dava
problemi la bianco arancio no... Boh!!!
Non so che dirti... fortunatamente (speriamo che duri!!!) non sono allergica
alle "bestie" :-)))
Ciao
Rossella