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Tips for Reducing Allergic Reaction to Pets

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Pet Allergies Tip 1: Change Your Environment

  • Keep Your Bedroom Pet-Free. Something as simple as making your bedroom a pet-free sanctuary “can significantly decrease levels of allergens” in that space, says Alan Goldsobel, MD, a spokesman for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Goldsobel also suggest switching to special bedding designed to be less permeable to allergens.
  •  Consider a HEPA Filter. HEPA filters remove tiny airborne pollutants, like dust mites, pollen, and pet dander, from the air you breathe. “Dander is so airy and light that HEPA filters can filter it out of the air,” reducing your exposure, Chiu tells WebMD. Within a given area stand-alone filters are typically more effective than a whole-house HEPA system, Chiu adds. As for those air de-ionizers/purifiers often hawked on late-night infomercials, they may make allergies worse by releasing harmful ozone gas.
  • Learn to Love Housework. “I try to vacuum the bedroom frequently and change furnace filters to reduce the dander in the air,” says Herrig. Other allergy sufferers tackle pet allergies by shampooing rugs regularly, changing people and pet bedding frequently, wiping down walls where pets rub, and dusting often. And to reduce the number of places where allergens can build up, Goldsobel suggests converting to hard-surface floor and minimizing the amount of upholstered furniture in your home

Pet Allergies Tip 2: Change Yourself

  • Wash Your Hands. Some people bathe their companion animals in an effort to reduce pet dander, but this approach is “very transient” Goldsobel tells WebMD. While washing does decrease the amount of shed allergens, the effect lasts mere days — while the cat’s bad mood may last far longer! More effective is giving yourself a scrub by washing hands and face frequently.
  • Mediate With Medication. Over-the-counter allergy medications, such as antihistamines, can relieve mild allergy symptoms like nasal congestion and itchy eyes, but they won’t help asthma-type symptoms, such as wheezing and chest tightness. Talk to your primary care physician or an allergist if you think you’ll benefit from prescription allergy medication.
  • Consider Allergy Shots. If you know you’ll be around pets long-term — for example, your young kids have a new puppy — you might want to consider allergy shots. These shots are also called allergy vaccines. Allergy shots help you develop protective antibodies so that you won’t have an allergic reaction when exposed to an allergen. Allergy shots require patience, however. It can take almost a year of weekly injections before you convert to monthly maintenance doses, then another 3-5 years of monthly shots before you no longer have allergy symptoms — and need no more medication.
  •  Understand Your Environment. No matter how religiously you clean, you’ll still be exposed to dander. Pet allergens are “sticky,” making it easy for people to carry them on their clothes. This explains why you’ll find them in places that have no pets, such as schools, workplaces, and pet-free homes.
  • Expand Your Definition of “Pet.” If, after Fido or Fifi have passed on, you still crave a pet’s companionship, think creatures without feathers or fur. Allergy experts recommend turtles, geckos, lizards, snakes, fish — even tarantulas.

Finally, “don’t give up hope,” says Anthony Herrig. With a few lifestyle changes and a little help, you can enjoy pets all your life!

Source: Web MD

Living with Cat Allergies

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DSC_4748Does interacting with your feline companion bring tears of agony instead of tears of joy? In addition to itchy, watery eyes, do you exhibit other symptoms such as runny nose, rash, hives, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, asthma or other breathing problems?

Contrary to popular belief, cat hair itself is not allergenic. The cause of allergy to cats is a protein called Fel d 1 emanating from sebum found in the sebaceous glands of cats. The protein attaches itself to dried skin, called dander, that flakes off and floats through the air when cats wash themselves. Although you may never be able to eliminate all your allergy symptoms, following these suggestions can help make living with your cat a more enjoyable experience.Like an estimated 2 percent of the U.S. population, you suffer from an allergy to cats and, like about one-third of those people, you’ve chosen to keep your cat companion. But at what cost?

  1. Designate your bedroom as a cat-free zone. Begin your program of allergen reduction by washing bedding, drapes and pillows. Better yet, replace them. Use plastic covers that are designed to prevent allergens from penetrating on your mattress and pillows. Allergen-proof covers are available from medical supply outlets. Don’t expect results overnight. Cat allergens are one-sixth the size of pollens, and it may take months to reduce them significantly.
  2. Restrict your cat’s access to designated areas inside your home. If you have a safe outdoor enclosure, allow your cat some time outside where dander will waft away in the wind. Brush your cat in the fresh-air enclosure to prevent loose, allergen-carrying hair from dispersing through your home.
  3. Eliminate allergen traps such as upholstered furniture and rugs. Carpet can accumulate up to 100 times the amount of cat allergens as hardwood flooring, so replacing the wall-to-wall with wood will keep allergens from accumulating as much. If ripping up the carpet is not an option, have it steam cleaned as often as needed.
  4. Vacuuming blows as many allergens through the air as it removes, so when you vacuum, use an allergen-proof vacuum cleaner bag or a vacuum cleaner with a high efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filter.
  5. Get some fresh air. Highly insulated homes trap allergens as well as heat, so open the windows to increase the ventilation in your home, and run window fans on exhaust. (But remember to always screen windows so kitty stays safely indoors.) Also, clean the air inside your home. Although nothing will remove all of the allergens present, running an air cleaner with a HEPA filter will help.
  6. Wipe the dander away. Bathing a cat often is suggested as a way to reduce the dander, but experts disagree on its effectiveness. “Bathing a cat was once believed to be helpful,” say Dr. Robert Zuckerman, an allergy and asthma specialist in Harrisburg, PA, “but the cat would have to be washed almost daily.” Instead, daily use of products such as Pal’s Quick Cleansing Wipes™ will remove saliva and dander from your cat’s hair and are less stressful for felines who prefer not to be rubbed in the tub.
  7. Spray allergens away. Anti-allergen sprays are a convenient way to deactivate allergens, including those produced by pets. Allersearch ADS, made from plant-based, non-toxic substances, can be sprayed throughout the house to take the sting out of household dust by rendering allergens harmless.
  8. Clean the cat box. Cat allergen is found in urine and is left in the litter box when your cat makes a deposit. To help prevent allergic reactions to the litter box, use a brand of litter that is less dusty and have someone in the household who is not allergenic clean the box.
  9. Take your medicine. Over-the-counter or prescription antihistamines, decongestants, eye drops and aerosol inhalers will help reduce the symptoms, although they do not eliminate the allergy. If you prefer to take a holistic approach, try Nettle tea, a bioflavinoid called quercetin or acupuncture. In recent studies antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E have demonstrated significant anti-allergen effects.
  10. Get tested. An allergy specialist can determine the exact source of your allergic reactions by a simple prick of the skin on your arm or back.
  11. Look at the whole picture. Because allergies rarely come individually wrapped, other culprits, such as dust mites and pollen, may be causing reactions, too. “An individual rarely has a single allergy,” says Zuckerman. “A cat owner may be able to tolerate contact with the cat in winter, but when spring arrives, all the allergies together may prove unbearable.”
  12. Build up resistance. There is no cure for allergy to cats, but immunotherapy may help increase your tolerance. Immunotherapy involves getting allergy shots once or twice weekly for up to six months, then monthly boosters for three to five years. Some individuals develop complete immunity, while others continue to need shots, and still others find no relief at all.

Coping with an allergy to cats is nothing to sneeze at. It’s a commitment. After all, shelters receive cats for this reason every day. Hopefully, following these tips will make a world of difference.

Karen Commings is the author of “Manx Cats” (Barron’s, 1999), “The Shorthaired Cat” and “Shelter Cats” (Howell Book House, 1996 and 1998, respectively).

Source: https://www.petfinder.com/cats/living-with-your-cat/cat-allergies/