How People With Cat Allergies Can Get Relief
Cats are curious lovable creatures that many pet owners call their own. However, it isn’t uncommon for these animal lovers to discover that they’re actually allergic to their four-legged friends. If you’ve ever wheezed or sneezed after playing with a cat, it’s likely that you’re allergic to them.
Thankfully, there are many effective ways to treat this type of allergy. Read on for the best ways to find relief with pet allergies.
1. Speak with an Allergist
One of the most effective ways to get relief for a cat allergy is to work with an allergist. Allergists are able to pinpoint the triggers of your allergies and can determine the next best steps to take. Using a skin prick test, intradermal skin testing, or blood test, the allergist will observe your reactions to allergens. This will allow them to identify your cat allergy and figure out what medication or treatment will be best.
Typically, antihistamines, corticosteroid nasal sprays, decongestant sprays, and allergy shots are all options for relief from cat allergies. Similarly, cromolyn sodium and leukotriene inhibitors are also popular treatments.
2. Make the Bedroom a Kitty-Free Zone
When it comes to allergens in the home, having pet dander in every room of the house will make it hard to find relief. This is why experts from Premier Allergy recommend that pet owners with allergies make their bedroom a cat-free zone. Keeping your cat out of your bedroom is an important way to reduce allergens where you sleep.
Avoid bringing dander into your bedroom or bed by changing clothes after interacting with your cat. Similarly, regularly wash your pillows, drapes, and bedding to reduce allergens. Additionally, it’s a good idea to invest in plastic covers to prevent any allergens from infiltrating your pillows and mattresses.
3. Keep Your Cat in Specific Areas in Your Home and Outside
Just as you should keep your cat outside of your bedroom, it’s important to limit your cat to specific areas inside and outside the home. This designated indoor area will make it easier to keep track of cleaning furniture, rugs, and other dander-trapping fixtures in the home. Likewise, giving your cat the chance to go outside during the day will help get rid of some of the dander as it blows away in the wind.
As your cat is still outside, take the time to brush them. This will prevent any loose hair from falling out in your home.
4. Get Rid of Allergen Traps
Allergen traps are any materials that easily trap allergens. Rugs, carpets, and upholstered furniture are common traps for allergens that can make living with a cat incredibly unbearable. Make sure your home isn’t trapping allergens by regularly washing rugs and cleaning the furniture.
If you have carpeting throughout the home, consider replacing this with wood. As carpeting traps 100 times more cat allergens than wood flooring, this replacement is an investment many cat lovers consider worth making.
5. Get Fresh Air
Never underestimate the power of fresh air when it comes to fighting allergies. Though your cat allergies are to blame for your current condition, a lack of fresh air only intensifies this problem. If your home is well insulated with minimal ventilation, allergens and heat can easily be trapped.
Increase the ventilation in the home by opening your windows and turning the fans on. This way, you’ll be able to get fresh air. Another important tip to keep in mind is the air quality. Use a HEPA filter to remove most allergens in the air. Additionally, a HEPA filter vacuum is another good purchase to make as it will help to keep allergens from spreading.
6. Use Cleaning Products to Eliminate Dander
As pet dander is the culprit for your allergies, experts from Premier Allergy recommend wiping away the dander and saliva from your cat. Using cleansing wipes and similar products will help remove these allergy triggers from your cat’s body.
Similarly, anti-allergen sprays may make it easy to deactivate allergens in the home. These sprays use non-toxic substances to eliminate the potency of allergens. Use this type of spray all around the house to make dander and dust less harmful.
Don’t give up on your love of cats because of your allergies. Keep this information in mind and speak to an allergist about the best form of treatment for you
Category: Pets