Living near a farm cuts allergy risk

LIVING in the countryside could reduce your risk of allergies if your home is near a farm.

The closer someone lives to pigs and cattle, the less likely they are to suffer from allergies, a study has found. A home within 500 yards of a pig farm, or 00 yards of a cattle farm, cuts the risk of allergy by more than a third.

Researchers led by the University of Utrecht took blood samples and surveys from nearly 2,500 people aged between 20 and 72.

Nearly a third had allergies – mainly to grass and dust mites – but also to dogs and cats, or a high levels of antibodies indicating an allergic condition.

The authors wrote in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine: ‘Despite concerns about the influence of air pollution from livestock farms on public health, our study found results that are indicative of potentially beneficial health effects of living in close proximity to farms.’

Living on a farm was known to reduce allergies, probably by exposing people to bacteria from livestock, which prevents their immune system from overreacting.

But the latest study suggests living near a farm also helps, with those living 330 yards from any type of livestock farm are 27 per cent less likely to have an allergy than those living further away.