If I Have Pets Now, Will I Get Asthma In The Future?

— -- Question:If have pets, does it mean that I will get asthma in the future?

Answer: The question of pets and asthma are two-fold. First of all, pets themselves do not increase your risk for having asthma. But pets can increase your problems with asthma. And that's particularly for those patients who have allergies. Now people often have allergies to pets and are willing to tolerate that, but when you have asthma that makes it a little more difficult. It raises the question about what kind of pet may be best if you insist on having a pet when you have asthma. The shorter hair pets tend to be easier to manage because it's easier to keep them clean; they shed less. And the problem is the shedding of the skin and the dander that pets may have that causes the asthma allergy reaction. So long as that can be well-controlled, then it's okay to have a pet. But you have to recognize that it can make your asthma more difficult to control.

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