|
Ragweed is a common allergen. |
Rural residents are less sensitive to allergens than people in metropolitan areas, according to a study by the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The study found that in metro areas, "50 percent of the population was sensitized
to at least one allergen, but only 40 percent in rural areas," Nicholas Bakalar reports for
The New York Times. "Outdoor
allergens like grass and ragweed affected 37.8 percent of the urban
population, but less than a quarter of people in non-metropolitan areas,
possibly because respiratory allergies are associated with air
pollution."
"Researchers gave blood tests to 8,124 people, 856 of them children under
6, to detect immunoglobulin E antibodies, or IgEs," Bakalar writes. "The presence of an
IgE antibody that reacts to a specific substance increases the risk of
having an allergy-related illness ike allergic asthma, hay fever or
rash." (
Read more)
No comments:
Post a Comment