Recently, more and more people are turning to an allergist for advice on allergies. Most often there is an allergy to plants and animals, in particular, to cats. How to be, if at one point you have discovered an allergy to your pet at home, as well as your children.
Causes of allergies
Allergy to cats is very common. Many even joke, they say, to get a cat that does not cause allergies, for example, a naked cat - the Sphinx. But this is absolutely not an option. The fact is that the allergy is caused not by cat's hair, but by the protein that is part of urine, saliva, epithelial cells. The question immediately arises: why does this reaction take place? The fact is that the human immune system simply considers wool, cat's saliva as a virus or bacterium, which is important to eliminate. This "rejection" causes allergy symptoms.
Symptoms
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to cat hair may be:
- Irritation and redness of the eyes.
- Sneezing, stuffy nose and runny nose.
- Coughing and wheezing.
- Redness on the skin at the bite or cat saliva.
- Appearance of urticaria on the face and in the chest area.
- Conjunctivitis.
- The onset of symptoms of asthma, such as choking, dyspnea.
- Lachrymation.
The time of onset of symptoms after contact with a cat can vary from a few minutes to several hours, when no one even remembers a cat.
Allergies in children
Quite often there is an allergy in children, as direct and constant contactees with a cat: how can you not stroke a furry creature? Unlike food allergy, which is acquired, an allergy to cats and other animals is a hereditary disease. That is, if there is someone in the family who is slightly allergic to the cat, then with a probability of 70-80%, the allergy will be in the child. This must be taken into account already during pregnancy, in order to attach the pet in other hands. After all, we are able to understand, trace ourselves and identify allergies, and children can not do it. A sudden onset of shortness of breath, choking, etc., as well as untimely help can lead to sad consequences.
The likelihood of an allergy in a child on animals depends on the age of the child. If the child is old enough and he did not have any symptoms of allergy, then we can say that the danger has passed and the probability of occurrence of an allergy is minimal. I would like to note that children who suffer from asthma are most often allergic to wool.
Consequences of an allergy
Allergies to cat hair, as well as other types of allergies, may not have very pleasant consequences. This may cause asthma, rhinitis, eczema. In addition, a person begins to get very tired, becomes irritable and falls immune. The most powerful, but rare consequence of allergy to a cat can be an anaphylactic shock. Therefore, if you notice cramps, difficult breathing, a sharp drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, then you do not need to delay and urgently call an ambulance.
Identify the allergy is quite simple. If you notice a few symptoms that correspond to the allergy to the coat, then you need to contact an allergist who will test the hair for you. If the result is positive, then you will need to take the medication.
Treatment
Cure allergy is impossible, but you can alleviate the fate. For this, you can take such drugs:
- Antipyretic drugs that help reduce mucosal edema, thereby contributing to stopping stagnation of mucus.
- Antihistamines, or so-called anti-allergic, which at the chemical level suppress the allergic reaction to the hair and the symptoms.
- Any other drugs that help with asthma and allergies.
- Another option to get rid of allergies are injections, but this is very long, and the result is not always positive, especially since it is forbidden for children to use it.
If your home is allergic to wool, then children should be strictly taught to cleanliness: always wash their hands. And you need to clean the apartment well, especially in places where there is a clump of wool: it's on the couch, the bed, the carpet and the place where the cat likes to sleep.