How to Deal With Cat Allergies

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How to Deal With Cat Allergies

There is no question about the fact that cats are one of the most adored pets in the world. In the United States more than 50% of households own cats and dogs. However, even though they are much loved animals, statistics have shown that over ten million people in the United States alone have experienced allergic reactions to cats and in particular, their fur.

The major cause of cat allergies is dander. Dander is a kind of dust which is produced by the cat s body. It is essentially the skin which is shed from cats and is usually seen in the form of small flakes. As well as irritating your skin, dander can enter your immune system as well, and this can result in a display of numerous indications along with an almost instant allergic reaction. Once present in the immune system, the dander is considered to be a threat to your health. It is not officially classified as a disease, more along the lines of a spontaneous effect by your body and your immune system. Cat allergies often occur when allergens are spread throughout their bloodstream, within their urine and saliva. Of course, cat dander, urine, and saliva, are all present within the cats home. With cats continually grooming themselves, and rubbing saliva into their fur as they do so, they spread the dander and allergens around even more. There is really nothing you can do about this as it is their natural instinct to clean themselves and no matter how many times you bath them, they will still carry on grooming When a person experiences an allergic reaction to a cat, they will begin to cough, wheeze, sneeze, have difficulty in breathing and their eyes will stream.

Obviously different people don t always react in the same way and not all of the above mentioned symptoms will happen at the same time. In fact some may not occur at all. However, if someone who suffers with cat allergies should become feverish or feel extremely chilly, the advice of a doctor should be sought immediately. It may not be the cat allergy affecting the person and a quick and correct diagnosis by the doctor will determine exactly what the problem is. Antihistamines and decongestants are usually used to treat cat allergies and people who already suffer with asthma attacks or other allergies normally take antihistamines anyway. On the other hand decongestants help to get rid of coughs and swollen nasal passages. Doctors may recommend the patient to have allergy shots as well and these will help to prevent an attack from occurring. A visit to your doctor is always recommended if you think you have a cat allergy. He will confirm your suspicions following a check up and be able to suggest the necessary treatment Of course, the very best way to free yourself of cat allergies is to get rid of your cat. This can be extremely hard to do but the shots from the doctor can only do so much and if your cat s fur is causing a bad reaction, this may be the only option. As much as we all love our cats, the allergies we can experience because of them is something we could all live without.

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