Prim Care Respir J. 2006 Jun;15(3):152-8. Epub 2006 Mar 29.

Allergen avoidance in the secondary and tertiary prevention of allergic diseases: does it work?

Marinho S, Simpson A, Custovic A. North West Lung Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester M23 9LT, UK.

Although allergen avoidance is widely recommended as part of a secondary and tertiary prevention strategy for allergic diseases, a clear-cut demonstration of its effectiveness is still lacking. Ongoing observational secondary prevention cohorts show that sensitisation to mite can be prevented in the short term by allergen avoidance measures, but further follow-up of these children is needed to show if this effect can be sustained, as well as to ascertain its impact on allergic disease. More well-designed trials are still required before we can give any conclusive advice to our patients. Considering the management of allergy, current evidence suggests that interventions in children (either single or multifaceted) may be associated with some beneficial effect on asthma control, but no conclusive evidence exists regarding rhinitis or eczema. Conversely, there is little evidence to support the recommendation of allergen avoidance methods in adults with asthma and rhinitis. There is a need for an adequately designed trial assessing the effects of a multifaceted intervention in this age group.

PMID: 16757395 [PubMed - in process]

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