Pets allergy is fairly common. About 15 percent of the general population have pet allergy. And 3 out of 10 people with allergies develp allergic reaction to pets. Pets allergy can be a serious condition for you and or your family. In rare cases it can lead to asthma attack.
People with pets and allergy usual experience stuffy noses , irritated and inflammed eyes after contacts with thier pets. Dogs and Cats allergies are the most common pets allergies. Cats allergy is twice as common as dogs allergy. And all dogs and cats have allergens on them. There’s nothing like an allergen free dog or cat.
An allergen is a Particle that triggers an allergic reaction in the human body. The urine , Saliver and dander of pets are all allergens. They produce an undesirable reactions in the human body. Many people think the hair of pets are also allergens. Actually they are not. But they can collect the urine, Saliver and dander of the pet there by acting as allergens transmitters. They can equally carry other allergens such as pollen.
Pets allergens are so small. And you can inhale them without knowing. When inhaled in to the lungs , They cause shortness of breath , wheezing and coughing. In some individuals, these allergens can lead to rashes on the face , chest and neck.
And in Asthmatic patients especially, pet allergens can trigger an asthma attack. Quite scary! And that is why you have to take pets allergies seriously!
Pet allergy can lead to a serious social problem. It can make it hard for you to visit friends and Family who keep dogs and cats as pets. Children with allergies will also find hard to play around in houses where cats and dogs are kept.
TREATMENT FOR PET ALLERGIES:
The best treatment for pet allergies is to cut contact with with the pets. You can’t effectively deal with this allergy if you don’t avoid contact with them.
Yeah. It’s hard to cut contact with our pets. Especially if you love them…
SO HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR PETS AND STILL AVOID PET ALLERGIES?
Below are some of the simple precautions you can take to avoid allergens from your pet:
1. we spend about one third or more of our time in our bedrooms. So the most reasonable thing to do is to keep the pets out of your bedrooms. Doing this will drastically reduce your exposure to pet allergens.
And at best , you can keep your pets outside your house. Confine it to a particular room or place. It will be hard confining a cat to particular room though. We all know how cats like to roam about in the house. But, remember that no matter what, your bed room must be OFF-LIMITS to your cats and dogs.
Use can aslo use bedding that are less permeable to allergens to greatly limit your exposure to pet allergens. Don’t forget to aggressively clean your bedroom regularly
2. Wear dust mask before vacuuming. As you already know, vacuuming usually throws up allergens on carpets , walls and furniture into the air. And as I stated above, these allergens are so small. You end up inhale them without knowing.
Vacuums with HEPA filters are effective at removing airborne particles. These filters can capture particles that are as small as o.3 micron. You would want to get this kind of vacuums for your home.
3. Remove wall to wall carpets and upholstered furniture from your home. Pet allergens stick to them easily. And if you can’t do away with carpets, purchase carpets with low piles.
Hard surface floors are the best. They trap less allergens and it’s easier to clean allergens on them. All surfaces in the house should be kept cleaned.
4. Brush and clean your pets regularly. This will reduce the allergen burden on them. And after a prolong contact with your pets, clean your hands thoroughly and change your clothes.
If your allergy is quite serious, it is better to let persons without pet allergies brush your pets for you. You really have to limit your exposure to cats and dogs.
5 Another way to minimise your exposure to pet allergens is to prevent your pets from getting in to your car. The seats of cars trap pet allergens so easily. And if you must allow them in your car, use washable seat covers and make sure you thoroughly wash them regularly.
These allergens are very sticky. And once they get on to a suitable surface they stay there for long. It’s important you understand this fact.
6. You can consider getting pets with little to no allergens such as fishes.
In conclusion…….
But fortunately we can keep our pets and still avoid pet allergy. The above measures are the best ways to avoid allergens from your pet. They work. If you do them, you will live a healthy life.
I hope this piece was productive. Leave a comment below if you have a suggestion or question.
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