Cat allergy is the allergic reaction of a person’s body when he inhales allergens borne in the cat’s dander (shed skin cells), saliva or urine. Contrary to popular belief, cat allergy is not caused due to cat hair and even people who suffer from cat allergies can keep cats as pets.
Cat allergens are minute particles that spread around the area the animal generally lives in. These are also suspended in air and are really difficult to remove. The allergic reaction caused by cat allergens leads to nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, skin rashes, headaches, fatigue, and serious asthma attacks.
For immediate allergy relief from cat allergies, you can create an allergy free zone in the house where you spend most of your time. Most doctors advise that people who suffer from cat allergies follow a three step process that ensures thorough cleansing of the home area and provides consistent allergy relief. The three steps involved are:
Use a powerful vacuum cleaner: For any kind of pet allergy, you need to cleanse the entire living area of pet hair, dander, saliva and urine particles, and a regular vacuum cleaner will fall short in this case. For pet allergy relief use HEPA vacuum cleaners. The special HEPA filter in these will reduce the cat allergens in the air, trapping it permanently. Cleaning the rooms and sofas thoroughly, with a micro filter bag in this vacuum cleaner to remove hidden dander and other cat or pet allergens can help to achieve an allergy free house.
You need air purifiers to help filter your air with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Absolute) filter. HEPA air cleaners help eliminate cat allergens. In additional to the vacuuming, these will make sure that any contamination by air is also avoided. Some new popular brands are IQAir HealthPro & Plus Hepa Air Purifiers.
Use a Vapor Steam Cleaner to clean, disinfect, deodorize, and remove cat dander. They are the perfect tool for allergy sufferers and those with multiple chemical sensitivities. These will open up your system offering instant allergy relief and allow you to breathe easy again.
In addition, one can also use liquids like Alerpet D to cleanse the cat hair of dander, saliva, and sebaceous gland secretions. This liquid is sponged on the cat or other pets to control the dispersal of pet allergens into the environment and condition the hair and skin to reduce future accumulations. It is a non-oily, non-fragrant and non-toxic product, completely safe to use on cats. At the same time it is safe for people who are allergic to cats or other pets.
People, who have pet cats and are allergic to them, suffer from cat allergic reactions throughout the year. Such people need long lasting remedies against cat allergies and medicines to cure the symptoms in acute allergic attacks. Here are a few treatment options for cat allergies –
Traditional medicines – Traditional cures like antihistamine nasal sprays and tablets help to reduce the nasal congestion, watery eyes and sneezing. These medicines should be used only in case of cat allergy attacks and their prolonged use is not recommended. Asthmatic patients can use special sprays prescribed by physicians in case of breathing difficulties.
Long lasting remedies for treating cat allergy are those, which are administered slowly to the patient and are progressively stopped as the allergic symptoms die out.
Immunotherapy – This mode of cat allergy treatment is based on administering the allergic person shots of immune complexes that improve symptoms but cannot eliminate them entirely. The allergy-causing proteins (immune complexes) are injected under the person's skin to gradually desensitize the immune system to the pet allergens. Patients are usually given one dose per week for a few weeks to months and then can often manage with one injection per month, till the cat allergy symptoms no longer appear.
Homeopathic treatments for cat allergy – Homeopathic medicines are the usual remedies for curing symptoms of cat allergy. They are useful in calming runny eyes with a burning or gritty feeling, facial flushing, watery nose, and short, hard, tickling cough. If used immediately during onset of allergic symptoms, homeopathic preparations keep the body free of allergic reactions for a longer period. Following are the commonly prescribed homeopathic treatments for cat allergies –
Herbal treatments for cat allergy – Herbs are naturally occurring remedies that not only protect your body from cat allergens, but also boost your immunity. You can strengthen your immune system with the following herbal preparations and prevent cat allergy.