There are many people who love pets and would like to have a dog or cat in the house. Yet it often happens that they cannot keep them due to allergies to these animals. All these people will be happy to know that there are methods to prevent allergy to our pets (in addition to the obvious rule “do not keep the animal that causes you allergy at home”).
Almost all animals with fur or feathers can trigger allergic reactions in humans, but to know whether or not you have an allergy to a particular animal, you will have to live with the animal for an extended period of time. This type of allergy can have genetic origins, but coexistence with the animal is necessary for the allergic reaction to occur. For this reason, the most frequent allergies are those to pets such as cats and dogs.
What produces the allergy to animals?
Although many believe that allergy is related to animal hair , the truth is that the element that determines these allergies are some proteins present in the saliva, dandruff or urine of the animal. These substances are released through the skin, or they dry up and pulverize, in this case they will be transmitted by air in the form of tiny particles of dust that will gradually contaminate the whole house . For this reason, the longer you stay in a shared space with the animal, the greater the chance that the particles will come into contact with the eyes or respiratory tract of the owners, thus causing an allergic reaction.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of animal allergy are usually: rhinitis (with sneezing, itchy nose, liquid mucus), sometimes accompanied by conjunctivitis (red eye, excessive tearing, itchy eyes, etc.). The allergic reaction can also cause asthma (bronchial spasms and breathing difficulties, cough, phlegm …), urticaria (with itching and eschymosis), angioedema (swelling in different parts of the body), dermatitis resulting from generalized contact or anaphylaxis (severe reactions that attack various organs or parts of the body, with blood pressure).
What can be done to prevent allergy?
If a person is allergic to an animal but has to live with it, the best thing to do to prevent the allergy is to keep it out of your room . Only by removing it from the place where you sleep will we significantly reduce exposure to allergens, avoiding the possibility that our little friend will deposit them there.
It is also advisable to bathe our four-legged friends with soap or shampoo, at least once a week , to reduce the amount of allergens distributed around the house. Another method of prevention is to brush the cat or dog outside the house so that no hair is left lying around. The place where the animal sleeps should also be thoroughly washed, as well as its sandbox and favorite corners, as these tend to be the most common places where allergens accumulate.
The use of the vacuum cleaner does not help much in the problems of allergies to particles such as dust , mites , fungi and animal dandruff, as this tool cannot eliminate the dust that settles under the carpet. In fact, substances could be further scattered in the air if a highly effective filter is not found. To avoid this, it is best to steam-clean carpets and sofas, although in this case it favors the occurrence of fungi. The best solution is to get a wooden or tiled floor, with rugs that can be washed.
An adequate preventive option to reduce allergens in the environment are air filters, as they reduce the allergenic particles that flutter around the house. These help to partially eliminate cat dandruff, although other preventive measures such as frequent bed linen changes will also be needed. It should be borne in mind that animal particles can resist even a year after the animal has left a place, so as long as the animal lives in the house, the risk of allergies will be very high.
