Are there “hypoallergenic” animals, and which food items cause undesirable reactions?

Pediatrician Anna Maximova, a specialist in allergy and immunology at the Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in Moscow, told Radio “Sputnik” that watery eyes, nasal congestion, sore throat and rashes are typical symptoms of allergies.

She adds, these symptoms usually appear when eating certain foodstuffs containing irritants, due to plant pollen, exposure to house dust, dust ticks and pets.

The specialist points out that food allergies usually appear on those foods that we eat constantly.

“There are no foods that cause more or less allergens,” she says. “Many people think that the brighter the color of the product, the more allergenic it is, but in fact this is not the case. There are foods we eat more than others. These include milk, eggs, poultry, And fish, etc. And because we frequently use these foodstuffs, they are often the cause of the development of food allergies.”

The specialist points out that house dust and house dust ticks are among the most common household allergens.

“The main allergens around us are household dust and house dust ticks, which live in carpets, mattresses, furniture and toys,” she says. “To reduce their presence, wet cleaning should be carried out daily. There are special sprays to treat surfaces in order to eliminate ticks. We also need to use air purifiers. Mold that lives in the soil of houseplants and in places with high humidity like the bathroom, is often a trigger for allergy symptoms all year round.”

She adds, pets can also cause allergies. Noting that there are no animals that cause allergies to a greater or lesser degree.

And she adds, to determine the causes of allergies, you must first consult an allergist, who, based on the history of the disease and the results of special examinations and tests, can determine its cause and develop an integrated treatment plan.