British Medical Bulletin 56:1071-1086 (2000)
© 2000 The British Council
research-article |
Allergen avoidance: does it work?
North West Lung Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital Manchester, UK
Correspondence to:Prof. Ashley Woodcock, Lung function Unit, North West Lung Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Southmoor Road, Manchester M23 9LT, UK
Abstract
The first recorded example of allergen avoidenace in the treatment of allergic desoreders dates from the 16th century. The italian physician Gerolamoo Cardano (150-1576) was invited to Scotland by John Hamilton, Archbishop of St Andrews (and brother of the Regent), to give advice on the treament of his asthma. Cardono recommentded that the Archbishop should get rid of feather bedding, which was followed by a ‘miraculous’ remission of otherwise troublesome sytmptoms. The first controlled attempts to treat asthma by environmental mainpulation date to the beiginning of 20th century. In 1925, the Leopold brothers treated patients with asthma and other allergic disorders by moving them into a dust free room1. Storm van Leeuwen created a ‘climate’ chamber in The Netherlands in 1927 amd demonstrated that asthmatic patients improved when moved from their homes into the chamber2. One year later, Dekker observed that measures aimed at reducing the amount of dust in bedrooms had a beneficial effect on asthma symptoms in patients allergic to house dust3. Van Leeuwen wrote2. In our endeavours to find the cause of the attack... we utilised the known fact that the environment of the asthmatic patients is, as a rule, of primary importance in determining the intensity and frequency of his attacks'. Nowadays, more than ever, it is essential to address the enviornmental influences on the increasing prevalence of asthma and allergic disorders.