Asthma Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Asthma, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, medications.

Allergen avoidance in asthma: what do we do now?

O'Connor GT

Pulmonary Center, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. goconnor@bu.edu

Although allergen exposure can clearly aggravate the condition of sensitized patients with asthma, there is uncertainty and controversy about exactly which allergen avoidance interventions should be recommended to patients with asthma. Interventions that appear logical may fail to be clinically efficacious for several reasons. Although narrow interventions, such as allergen-impermeable mattress covers to reduce exposure to dust mite allergens, may offer little benefit if used alone, recent evidence suggests that a multifaceted, home-based environmental intervention focusing on multiple exposures may provide clinical benefits to patients with asthma. The role of allergen avoidance in infancy in the primary prevention of asthma is a subject of active investigation, but data remain too preliminary to make public health recommendations in this regard.

Published 1 July 2005 in J Allergy Clin Immunol, 116(1): 26-30.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Asthma Research Today. All Rights Reserved.