Often people avoid cats not because they don't like this animal. It is known that allergy to cats brings inconvenience to every fifth person in the world, according to estet-portal.com. This is a fairly common occurrence that makes us refuse to associate with any furry animal. Why does an allergic reaction occur to this animal, what causes it and how to deal with it? Is it possible to defeat an allergy to cats and how to minimize its effect on the human body? Let's figure out that it is I who is the allergen from which a person suffers.
How does cat allergy manifest itself?
About 10% of the population suffers from allergies to various pets. A reaction to cats is twice as common as, for example, an allergy to dogs. It is generally accepted that this phenomenon causes the animal's hair. However, this is fundamentally not the correct view. It turns out that the allergic reaction causes:
- urine and feces,
- saliva,
- dead cells,
- sebum secretion,
- animal blood.
A special type of protein (protein) in their composition is a source of an allergic reaction and intolerance of the body.
So, even if the cat has a minimum of hair, i.e. being hairless does not mean that you will save yourself from allergies.
Cat Allergy Symptoms
As it turns out, regardless of breed, if you are allergic to animal products, it will naturally show up. Symptoms of this disease include:
- difficulty breathing, cough with wheezing,
- rashes on the skin (urticaria),
- an eye disorder characterized by lacrimation or redness of the eyes,
- severe itching of the skin, especially after contact with a cat,
- allergic rhinitis,
- nasal congestion without runny nose,
- sneezing and itching in the nasal cavity.
These symptoms can appear sharply only when approaching the animal or its habitat, agrees estet-portal.com. A can develop within a short amount of time upon contact with a cat. Also, people suffering from asthmatic syndrome in 20-30% of cases noticed a deterioration in their condition and the occurrence of asthma attacks during contact with this furry animal.
See also: Dangerous House: Allergic Reactions to Household Chemicals
How is cat allergy diagnosed?
To determine if a cat is the cause of your illness, an allergist will usually prescribe:
- skin tests,
- blood test.
He may also suggest living separately from the furry pet to determine for sure if the animal's waste products are for you allergens.
How to minimize cat allergies?
If you are already sure that it is the cat that causes your allergy, then you can minimize its effects on your body if you follow our advice:
- try not to touch the animal under any circumstances,
- Long-term contacts with the owners of these pussies are also not for you,
- If contact with an animal is unavoidable, take an antihistamine beforehand,
- moisten the room as often as possible,
- Remove everything that can collect animal hair: carpets, plush items, blankets,
- Maintain animal hygiene,
- arrange constant ventilation of the room,
- restrict the animal's indoors, do not let it into the bedroom,
- Change filters in air conditioning and cleaning systems more often
Cat Allergy Treatment
As determined by doctors, allergies to cats cannot be cured. All that can be done in such cases is to reduce the animal's exposure with some drugs:
- antihistamines, they block the action of allergens,
- decongestants, help reduce swelling and fight mucus congestion,
- Symptomatic topical preparations that fight the manifestation of a runny nose, redness of the eyes or skin.
Modern developments in the treatment of cat allergy
Recently, scientists have invented a new drug that can effectively deal with allergies to cat hair. German scientists have carried out painstaking work, the main goal of which was to identify a drug that can effectively stop the symptoms of allergic asthma. The specialists presented the results of their research work at the congress of the World Allergist Organization in Rio de Janeiro.
According to scientists, the best option for dealing with allergy symptoms is the therapy with modified allergens (allergoids) in sublingual tablets.
The researchers came to these conclusions based on a number of clinical trials they conducted, which indicated that the use of such tablets is a very effective method of dealing with allergies. Patients who were allergic to cats were asked to take sublingual tablets of monomeric allergoids while tapering maintenance medication. The group of people who participated in the study consisted of 70 people.
The results of the experiment were very positive. At the end of treatment, among all participants, local adverse reactions occurred in only seven people out of 70. Serious manifestations of allergies and systemic reactions were not observed at all, and the general condition of the subjects improved significantly.
And how do you deal with allergies to pets, share on estet-portal.com.
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