How To Prevent Pet Allergy
There are many animal-loving people who would love to have a dog or cat in their home. However, they cannot because they are allergic to some animals. These people will be happy to know that there are methods to prevent allergies to pets, in addition to the sad and well-known saying… “don’t have an animal that gives you allergies at home”.
Almost all animals with fur or feathers can produce allergies in humans, but in order for a person to know whether or not they are allergic to a particular animal, they must share common spaces with that animal for extended periods of time.
These allergies can have a genetic origin, however, for the allergic reaction to happen it is necessary to live with the animal. That’s why the most frequent allergies are those of animals that live with the person, in this case, pets.
What causes animal allergy?
Although many people believe that people are allergic to animal hair, the truth is that the element that produces this reaction is certain proteins present in the animal’s saliva, dandruff or urine.
These proteins are released from the skin or dry and pulverized, being transmitted through the air in the form of very small dust particles, which gradually pollute the interior of homes.
Therefore, the longer the stay in the animal’s home, the greater the proportion of these allergens and the greater the probability that they will come into contact with the eyes or airways of the owners, thus causing an allergic reaction.
What allergy symptoms are there?
Allergy symptoms are: rhinitis (sneezing, itchy nose, runny mucus), which may or may not be associated with conjunctivitis (redness, watery eyes, itchy eyes, etc.).
In addition, the allergic reaction can cause asthma (bronchial spasm and difficulty breathing, with coughing fits, chest phlegm, etc.), cause urticaria (itches and spots), angioedema (swelling of different parts of the body), contact dermatitis generalized or anaphylaxis (severe reactions with attacks on various organs or parts of the body, with blood pressure or shock).
What can be done to prevent allergy?
If a person must live with an animal to which they are allergic, the best way to prevent that allergy is to keep the animal out of the room.
Just keeping it out of the place where we sleep significantly helps reduce exposure to allergens and thus avoids the possibility that our furry friend will leave those allergens lying around.
Furthermore, it is preferable to bathe our little friends with soap or shampoo at least once a week to reduce the amount of allergens that are distributed throughout the house.
Another prevention is to brush the cat or dog outside the house so they don’t get loose hairs.
You should also wash your pet’s sleeping spot and clean your litter box, or your favorite corners, as these are often the most common places for allergen accumulation.
The use of a vacuum cleaner does not help much with allergies to household particles, such as dust, mites, fungus and animal dandruff, as it does not extract the dust from under the rug.
In fact, the vacuum can end up suspending these particles in the air if it doesn’t have an efficient filter. To avoid this, it is best to steam clean sofas and rugs, although this favors the growth of mushrooms. The best solution is to have a wooden or tiled floor, with rugs that can be washed.
A suitable preventive option for reducing allergens in the environment is air filters, as they reduce allergen particles suspended inside homes.
This helps to get rid of some of the cat’s dandruff, although other preventative measures should be used, such as changing the bedding frequently.
You will have to take into account that animal particles can persist for up to a year after the animal has left the place, so as long as the animal lives at home, the allergen risk is very high.
