Cat allergen can cause swelling of the nasal mucosa, redness and pain in the eyes, which usually leads to tears and stuffy nose. Any contact with a cat in sensitive people can cause a rash on the face, neck or upper chest.
Often Allergy accompanied by fatigue, tiredness, people are constantly coughing because postnatalnogo syndrome – when due to an inflammatory process in the nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses or nasopharyngeal mucus flow in the respiratory tract. However, if the person has a fever, chills, nausea or vomiting is a sign of illness, not allergies.
Having animal, human, and suggests that minute particles of cat saliva and skin can be recognized by the immune system as enemies. The body, being protected, will start to secrete antibodies, which will cause him to experience the full bouquet of allergic symptoms.
Cats is the second most common cause of allergies in humans; the number of people allergic to cats is twice Allergy to dogs.
What are the symptoms of allergies to cats
Symptoms of allergies to cats are not always directly associated with the presence of the animal in the house allergens can be transported on the clothing of people who were in contact with a fluffy pet. As a rule, Allergy is manifested after a short time after people come into contact with the particles of the epidermis cats, cat urine or saliva (more than 90% of allergic people react on them).
If the level of sensitivity to an allergen is low or the number of stimuli is small, Allergy symptoms can develop in just a few days after exposure to the allergen. Saliva gets on cat fur when the animal licks itself; the greatest number of allergens contained in the saliva of males.
When allergens enter the lungs, they bind with antibodies and cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, hoarse cough, wheezing noisy breathing. Cat Allergy can cause severe asthma attack or is a cause of asthma chronic. If a person suffering from chronic asthma, has allergies to cats and approximately one third of cases, contact with animals can cause an asthma attack.
I should add that to determine the cause of the Allergy can be difficult if the animal is always at home. Sometimes allergies cause other reasons – for example, dust mites (allergic to them has similar with the cat’s symptoms). Before you take action, it is important to consult with a doctor and make sure that allergies caused by pet.
Symptoms
If you are allergic to cats can a person coughing, sneezing, itches his face, especially the nose and eyes, eyelids red, swollen, tears running down her cheeks. Places that a cat might scratch, bite or lick the red and inflamed. Sometimes, in particularly severe cases, the person is covered by a rash. If the patient already suffered from asthma, a meeting with a cat can trigger shortness of breath and asthmatic attack.
How is the diagnosis of Allergy to cats
As a rule, the presence of allergies is determined by using two methods – skin test and/or blood test. Skin test can be as surface (coating) and intradermal (injection). Processing of results in skin tests, takes little time and usually costs less than a blood test.
Skin tests are done by a doctor-allergist in a special Cabinet, to reduce the likelihood of complications during testing. Cursory testing doctor shallow prick or scratch the special tool (scarifier) the surface of the patient’s skin (usually the forearm or back) and put in the place of injections or a substance containing the presumed allergen, or completely harmless (for control test). Most often the person tested for several allergens at once.
The presence of Allergy is determined by the following criteria: area of the skin where you applied the allergen, becomes red, itches, swells up. Usually, these unpleasant effects disappear after about thirty minutes after the start of the test. I should add that some taken by the patient medication can interfere with the test, so it is recommended to clarify this with your doctor.
A blood test is usually used if the patient’s condition or his age hinder the carrying out skin tests. In such cases, in the doctor’s office or lab man takes a blood test that checks for antibodies to common allergens, including cat saliva. Of course, getting results takes more time than in skin texts, but unlike the latter the blood is more secure – no risk of allergic reaction.
How to cure Allergy to cats
Unfortunately, completely to get rid of allergies not. It is only possible to relieve the intensity and frequency of symptoms using the following methods:
- safety precautions
- taking antihistamine medications
- undergoing allergen-specific immunotherapy
- using home remedies
Allergy pills cats
Allergy symptoms can be reduced or prevented by taking the following tools:
- Antihistamines, the content of diphenhydramine (Diphenhydramine, Benadryl), chloropyramine (Suprastin), loratadine (claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec). Relieving the symptoms of allergies and prevent allergic attacks.
- Nasal sprays containing corticosteroids such as fluticasone (Nasarel, Flixotide) or mometasone (Nasonex, Elokom). Apply these drugs in the treatment of allergies and prevention of asthma and allergic rhinitis.
- Aerosol for inhalation active substance which is a cromolyn sodium (Cromolyn, Intal, Chromosphere). Apply in the case of bronchial spasms, prevent their appearance.
- Inhibitors of leukotriene, such as montelukast (Almont, Mantelar, Single). These drugs have bronchodilator properties that help to arrest the persistent allergic rhinitis.
Immunotherapy
Allergen-specific immunotherapy (also known as desensitization or hyposensitization) can help a person get rid of those seasonal allergies, allergies to insect bites and even Allergy-induced asthma. However, this method of treatment is useless for food allergies. Works allergen-specific immunotherapy: the human body is exposed to increasing doses of the allergen in an attempt to change the response of the immune system.
In case of Allergy to cat immunotherapy does not always work. It is a long process that can take adults a few years. Side effects are usually not very pronounced, they are easy to get rid of by adjusting the dose. In some cases, may develop anaphylactic shock, so procedures should be carried out in a clinical environment and under the supervision of a physician.
Immunotherapy do not expose children under the age of five.
Treatment of Allergy symptoms in the home
Nasal lavage is one of the ways to facilitate the course of Allergy attack. Using salt water or a special solution cleans your nasal passages and reduces the accumulation of mucus (which can drain into the lower respiratory tract, causing inflammation). Solution as you can buy and make at home by mixing half a teaspoon of salt with a glass of boiled warm water (if rinsing is going to cause discomfort, the amount of salt should be reduced).
To reduce the intensity of allergic manifestations may also herb Butterbur; there are medical studies proving that the drugs based on it can facilitate the course of seasonal hay fever (although it is unclear how their use will be effective in case of Allergy to cat). Should choose medicines on the basis of Butterbur, who received special treatment; contained in raw Butterbur pyrrolizidine alkaloids can cause liver damage. You also should not use Butterbur if the person is allergic to a relative of his mother and stepmother.
The people usually use as a hypoallergenic means of dietary supplements and acupuncture sessions, however, the effectiveness of both has not been confirmed by medical studies.
Precautions if you are allergic to cats
These funds can help to reduce the intensity of Allergy symptoms, but to completely get rid of them only when the following safety measures:
- Never touch, do not squeeze or kiss cats. It’s amazing how many Allergy sufferers do not follow this simple rule.
- To the reception should to see if one of them pet. They can bring on themselves minute particles of cat saliva or skin flakes. In this case, it should meet on neutral territory – for example, in a cafe.
- What to do if the need for forcing to spend some time people, contain a pet? The first thing to be done in advance (couple of weeks) to ask them not to let the animal into the room where he would sleep with Allergy. Also advised to start taking Allergy medication and will help prevent allergic reactions.
Allergy to cat in a child
Scientists are still waging a fierce debate on the topic, contribute to the emergence of cat allergies in children or not. Different studies have shown different results. In General, so far agreed on the following: cats do not cause allergies in children, if you lived in the house before the baby is born. Children, from the very beginning lived together with Pets are less susceptible to the occurrence of allergies than their peers neomejeno. However, the appearance of a cat in a child’s life has already been exposed to other allergies, can only worsen the situation.
What to do if allergic to cats have, and give the animal want?
Of course, the easiest way to get rid of the symptoms of allergies by removing irritant – causing her pet. However, some owners of Pets are ready for them. Fortunately, there are methods that, if not promise that the Allergy to a cat can be cured, but it can help reduce symptoms even in the presence of a cat in the house.
- It is recommended not to let the animal into the room where sleeping with Allergy. If the owners of the cats live in a country house, it is desirable to produce a furry pet to walk as often as possible (of course, pre-convinced of the safety of the animal).
- Patting a cat, preferably to wash your hands every time. To care for an animal (to fill and wash bowls for water and food, carry a tray, comb out, trim nails) should not allergic to cats.
- It is also recommended to bathe the cat often. If the animal is not very afraid of water, and less suffers from allergies should take washing the cat on a regular basis.
- Should get rid of carpets and upholstered furniture. Hardwood floors, laminate, linoleum, tile, and the absence of wall textile coverings – all this will help to reduce the number of allergens in the house.
- It is preferable to use floor mats made of dense materials that can be washed in hot water, and regularly subjected to wet cleaning.
- It is advisable to install an air purifier and frequently change the filters in the air conditioner and/or heater.
- The humidity level in the house should be about 40%.
- Also suffer from allergies to cats may be able to use the apartment or the working room of the filter type HEPA air filters high efficiency. They are able to put a barrier in the way of allergens – cat dander, saliva and fur, as well as pollen, dust mites and so on.
- While cleaning or dusting gloves are recommended to be worn on the face sheet mask. But the easiest way (if you have the necessary funds) to involve in cleaning the face, not stradajosie allergic to cats.
- But if an Allergy to a pet is so strong that all the above measures do not help, you should think about immunotherapy.
Cats with no allergies
Approximately 10% of the population with allergies to cats, symptoms caused by a special protein produced by the body of the animal, Fel d 1. Some breeds of cats produce it in smaller quantities than others.
The key word here is “less.” Completely, 100% hypoallergenic cat breeds are there. Even hairless cats wash their own saliva and, like people, get rid of the dead skin flakes. However, for people with mild allergies, it’s possible to have a pet, if you choose one animal from the following breeds:
- Sphynx (canadian, don, etc.)
- Siberian
- Balinese (Bali)
- Bengal
- Burmese
- Colorpoint color
- Cornish Rex
- The Devon Rex
- Javanese
- Oriental Shorthair/Oriental longhair
- Russian blue
- Siamese
