Dog Bacteria Reduces Risk of Asthma in Humans, Says Science
19 replies, posted
[img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dRj9DN75euI/RhZtb4BH7rI/AAAAAAAAAHc/kXMOUtdk58I/s400/science+dog.gif[/img]
[quote]
Studies suggest that infants who grow up with dogs in their home are less likely to develop asthma. Researchers may now have found one reason why. Pets, dogs in particular, may protect infants from the effects of a common virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Infants with severe RSV infections have an increased likelihood of developing childhood asthma.
The researchers think that exposure to certain microbes in early infancy changes the early composition of an infant's intestinal flora and this sets the tone for how the developing immune system will respond later in childhood.
The researchers fed mice house dust from homes with dogs. They then exposed these mice to RSV and found that the mice did not show symptoms of infection -- airway inflammation and increased mucus production. They also compared the intestinal bacteria of dust-fed mice to mice that hadn't been fed dust and found differences in the types of bacteria living in the GI tract. These differences were seen whether or not the non-dust fed mice had been exposed to RSV.
Previous studies by these researchers had shown that the microbial composition of house dust from homes with a dog or cat living in them was different from that of the dust from a pet-free home.
The researchers think that exposure to certain microbes in early infancy changes the early composition of an infant's intestinal flora and this sets the tone for how the developing immune system will respond later in childhood. Asthma is an inappropriately strong immune response to substances in the environment (allergens). Early exposure to and colonization by beneficial bacteria may lead to a generally calmer immune response to the many potential allergens commonly present in the environment.
Evidence that this hypothesis is true comes from the observation that people who grow up on farms are less likely to develop allergies or asthma than their urban counterparts are. This has been thought to come from exposure to livestock and their associated microorganisms.
Future studies will try to determine if the protective effect of dog ownership does come from one or more specific species of bacteria and if so, will seek to identify these species.
The research was presented at the 2012 (112th) General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) on June 19 in San Francisco. It has not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed journal.[/quote]
[url]http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/07/the-dog-bacteria-that-can-protect-you-from-asthma/259292/#[/url]
That photo is adorable.
Damn straight, they're man's best friend.
Wait, so cats will make you kill yourself while dogs will help you breathe better?
What the hell!?
[QUOTE=Kabstrac;36608065][url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylerbarrett/7178714445/][img]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5036/7178714445_5b0dc20d62_z.jpg[/img][/url]
I like dogs; I think they are good companions for youngsters.[/QUOTE]
Although it's painful as hell when they eventually die [img]http://fi.somethingawful.com/images/smilies/frown.gif[/img]
I wish there was a cure already. I hate having asthma. Its crippled me all my life.
I have asthma and I'm scared by/allergic to dogs.
Fuck. :(
[QUOTE=MadDog986;36608098]I wish there was a cure already. I hate having asthma. Its crippled me all my life.[/QUOTE]
I was born with asthma because my mom smoked during pregnancy, but it eventually went away. It affected me until my mid-teens, now I'm 20 and I haven't felt a symptom in years. How old are you if you don't mind me asking?
[QUOTE=FalseLogic;36611107]I was born with asthma because my mom smoked during pregnancy, but it eventually went away. It affected me until my mid-teens, now I'm 20 and I haven't felt a symptom in years. How old are you if you don't mind me asking?[/QUOTE]
I'm 16 and my asthma is as alive as ever.
When i was a kid i had it bad with ashtma, couldn't get by without an inhaler, went to the hospital multiple times and almost died when i was like 2 months old
After puberty it was gone and ive been smoking for like 7 years and even though my lung capacity is crippled by both the smokes and my history of asthma i don't have it like when i was a kid, lucky me i guess
I was great with breathing but I slowly deteriorated. Years later it turns out my school had asbestos and it gave me asthma.
[QUOTE=FalseLogic;36611107]I was born with asthma because my mom smoked during pregnancy, but it eventually went away. It affected me until my mid-teens, now I'm 20 and I haven't felt a symptom in years. How old are you if you don't mind me asking?[/QUOTE]
When i was finally diagnosed i was around 6, spend a week in the hospital (took that long to get it under control; also was during Christmas that year). I'm 27 now at 215lbs and still suffer doing anything physical. Normally a puff or two I'm good for a couple of hours.
Next month I'm restarting working out and getting my lung strength back up.
[QUOTE=TheSaladMan;36611742]I'm 16 and my asthma is as alive as ever.[/QUOTE]
My parents smoked in the house until I was 17 and I had severe asthma symptoms while out and about the entire time. If you haven't, I'd recommend you you to read up and perhaps you can figure out what you're inhaling that could be causing the symptoms. Sometimes mold, allergens, and really basic things can cause a low level of irritation that keeps you close to the threshold for an asthma attack. Getting on a good allergy medication helped me reduce my symptoms, as well as using a preventative daily inhaler.
Having a caffeinated drink available can be really helpful for some people because caffeine is known to widen the air passages in the lungs, which can help reduce the symptoms somewhat when having an attack and make breathing easier in conjunction with an inhaler.
[QUOTE=MadDog986;36612177]When i was finally diagnosed i was around 6, spend a week in the hospital (took that long to get it under control; also was during Christmas that year). I'm 27 now at 215lbs and still suffer doing anything physical. Normally a puff or two I'm good for a couple of hours.
Next month I'm restarting working out and getting my lung strength back up.[/QUOTE]
Try swimming. I swam for 10 years, maybe that had something to do with it. Swimming also really helps with lung capacity.
Thanks alot dad, not letting me have a dog.
[QUOTE=TheSaladMan;36611742]I'm 16 and my asthma is as alive as ever.[/QUOTE]
23 here, my asthma is still a massive pain in my ass.
I always wanted a dog, cats just kind of do their own thing
Knowing that they could help with preventing asthma is even cooler
[QUOTE=ThePinkPanzer;36611894]I was great with breathing but I slowly deteriorated. Years later it turns out my school had asbestos and it gave me asthma.[/QUOTE]
Asbestos can give you more than just asthma, unfortunately
[QUOTE=Cypher_09;36608084]Although it's painful as hell when they eventually die [IMG]http://fi.somethingawful.com/images/smilies/frown.gif[/IMG][/QUOTE]
I know this first hand. My 12 year old dog died after a life long battle with heart disease.
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