Allergy is a disease that is often inherited. In a person suffering from allergies, at some point there was a "failure of the defense system": immunity mistakenly takes an innocuous substance for the enemy.
Scientists are unclear about the mechanism of excessive immune response, although research in this area does not stop around the world.
Allergies to cats of various kinds are found in quite a large number of people. Unfortunately, with such a reaction of the body it becomes impossible to start fluffy pets, despite the huge love for them.
Reasons for
Allergic to pets can affect almost any person at any age. But most allergies to the fur of cats are affected by people with allergies to pollen and mold. It should also be noted that the cause of allergies to cats in children is heredity, i.e.if your parents suffer from allergies to cat hair then, most likely and you will have the same problem.
According to confirmed data, the following factors cause allergy to cats:
- Allergens that are stored on of cat fur after street .A cat who has the opportunity to walk outside the house can bring on the wool pollen of flowers, fluff, dust or mold, which cause severe allergies.
- Proteins, which are contained in saliva, urine, dead skin cells of cats. These allergens affect the weakened immunity of a person suffering from allergies, causing a protective reaction of the body to irritants. Outwardly this is manifested by symptoms typical of allergies.
Sufficiently reliable test, which allows to identify the pathogens of an allergy in a particular person, are the so-called skin tests. Testing with skin tests consists of intradermal administration of a small amount of a potential allergen.
In practice, it usually looks like this: a needle specialist from a syringe applies several shallow scratches on the forearm of the test and places on each of the scratches a drop of a liquid containing a potential allergen - extract, infusion, etc. When a substance that is an allergen gets into the skin, the mechanisms of the immune response are triggered - a noticeable inflammation forms at the site of contact.
Are there hypoallergenic cats?
Unfortunately, all cats can cause allergic reactions in sensitive people, regardless of their sex, age, breed, and the presence and length of the coat.
However, it is established that cats secrete and spread significantly fewer allergens than cats. Kittens are also less common than adults. As studies have shown, regardless of the breed and sex of the cat, allergic reactions occur more often on dark-haired animals.
Symptoms of allergy to cats
In children and adults, the allergy to cats can be manifested in different ways. Some people show symptoms immediately after contact with the animal, others develop after a couple of hours. Among the most common signs of allergies are the following:
- watery and / or itchy eyes;
- sneezing;
- skin rash, reminiscent of "hives";
- nasal congestion or runny nose;
- hyperemia in places of contact with the animal - i.e.where the cat scratched, bit or licked;
- Symptoms of asthma: wheezing, cough, shortness of breath.
The defeat of the respiratory system during an allergic reaction occurs if the allergen settles on the mucosa of the respiratory tract. Depending on where the contact occurred, how much of the allergen has reacted and what the level of sensitivity of the body to this substance distinguishes several symptoms of respiratory tract damage and degrees of their severity.
Symptoms of of the respiratory system are :
- nasal congestion;
- cough;
- hoarseness of voice;
- stuffiness of the ears;
- shortness of breath;
- cyanosis.
Skin manifestations of allergy to cats also occur quite often. Their appearance is caused by the ingestion of an allergen on poorly protected skin( dryness, peeling, irritation).In this case, the first symptoms will appear exactly at the point of contact with the allergen.
Symptoms of skin lesions are :
- rash;
- itching;
- angioedema.
Vegetative disorders develop when the allergen penetrates the bloodstream. Upon contact with the cells of the immune system and specific antibodies, the formation of heavy allergen-antibody complexes and allergen-lymphocyte occurs.
The main vegetative disorders are :
- heartbeat;
- rapid breathing;
- dizziness, nausea and loss of balance;Syndrome
- ( loss of consciousness).
The defeat of the gastrointestinal tract develops when the allergen is ingested with food. According to statistics, intestinal manifestations of allergy to pets in most cases are observed in children under three years old.
Symptoms of lesions of the digestive system are :
- abdominal pain;
- vomiting;
- diarrhea.
Angioedema is known to many as the author's name - Quincke's edema. This is the most dangerous symptom that can arise from an allergic reaction.
How the allergy to cats shows up: photo
In the photo you can see how the symptoms of allergy on pets can be manifested as a characteristic rash.
Treatment of allergy to cats
It should be understood that, without eliminating contact with the allergen, even the most competent medication does not guarantee complete elimination of symptoms of the disease and absence of exacerbations in the future.
In the treatment of allergies to cats, the following medicines are commonly used:
- Decongestants .Used to reduce swelling and prevent mucus stagnation.
- Antihistamines. They have the property of blocking the chemical reactions of the body that cause symptoms. Some of them are sold without a prescription, but a more active medication will require a doctor's permission.
- General anti-allergenic medicines , which reduce the effects of allergens and help to cope with the symptoms of allergies. These may include steroids, which are released only on the prescription of your doctor.
It is impossible to underestimate the danger of the presence of a cat next to an allergic person, possibly a sharp deterioration in the state of a hypersensitive person, the risk of a sudden transition to bronchial asthma, the development of Quincke edema and even death.
What should I do if I'm allergic to cats?
If you do not want to part with the animal, you must carefully maintain the purity and try to reduce all contact with allergens.
To do this:
- Do not touch the cat, avoid the temptation to stroke it and even more so to take it in your arms.
- Carefully clean the cat's fur and dandruff( dead cells).
- Disinfect your pet's favorite place with a light chlorine solution. So you have the opportunity to eliminate the proteins( proteins) that the animal's body produces.
- To the area of the toilet you are not recommended to go even for a meter. Because in the pet's excrement there is a large content of allergens.
- Do not let the cat into the rooms where you spend a lot of time, especially in the bedroom, and even more so in any case not allow her to climb onto the bed;
- A good measure, allowing for a long time to do without treatment of allergies to cats, can be installation in the house of a ventilation system, air conditioning and air purifiers. If this is not possible, ventilate the room as often as possible, clean with quartz.
With a mild allergy, this approach may have some effectiveness, but even if all the measures taken do not alleviate your condition and the symptoms of allergy to cats occur with a certain frequency, it is better to get rid of the cat. Otherwise, your health or the health of your relatives may be at risk.
ASIT
In medical centers it is possible to undergo a course of allergen-specific immunotherapy( ASIT).Microscopic doses of allergen are injected subcutaneously with a syringe with a very thin needle. As a result, the body produces antibodies that block the immune response and prevent an allergic reaction in the future.
The course of ASIT lasts at least three months, the dose of the drug and the number of injections the doctor calculates. Frequency of injections gradually decreases: first prick once a day, at the end of the course - every five to ten days. ASIT can be passed at almost any age. Therapy is effective in the most common types of allergies - dust, pollen, animals. The only thing - it is necessary to appear on a regular basis to see a doctor.
To summarize the article I want the following - even before starting a pet, you should make sure that any of the family members have any allergies to cats, as in other and any other kind of allergy. This in the future will help get rid of many problems that have a negative impact on health.