Is Your Best Friend Making You Sick?

One out of every ten Americans are affected by allergies. If you are one of the millions suffereing from an allergic condition, you might find that your pets are causing most of your symptoms. Animal allergies can make the time you spend with your pet uncomfortable, or even unbearable.

It is true that there are significant health benefits to owning a pet.  For instance, petting an animal is proven to lower blood pressure and reducing stress, not to mention the enjoyment of a furry companion. But, if you have allergies, your pet's dander, saliva and urine could have your health taking a turn for the worst.

Do you think you might be allergic to your pets? This beginner's guide to animal allergies might help you determine if your furry friends are the cause of all those symtpoms. Also, you will learn the #1 myth about "hypoallergenic pets" - not to mention a few tips for immediate and long-lasting relief from pet allergies.

What Exactly Are Pet Allergies?

Pet allergens (or elements that cause allergic reactions) are tiny bits of protein that trip the alarm for our immune system.  A person with allergies may have one or several allergens that have been indentified by his or her immune system as a dangerous intruder.  Whenever the allergens enter the body by coming in contact with the nose, eyes, lungs, bronchial tubes or skin of an allergic (also called "atopic") individual, the immune system throws everything it can at the invaders to prevent any harm that they may cause.  Most allergens are actually harmless, and your body's own process of protecting itself is what causes the true damage and discomfort.  Runny noses, watering eyes, coughing, sneezing and inflammation are all part of your body's defense system.

Symptoms of Pet Allergies:

• Sneezing
• Runny Nose
• Itchy, Watery Eyes
• Nasal Congestion
• Itchy Nose, Roof of Mouth or Throat
• Postnasal Drip
• Rashes - getting rashes on your hands and arms are often caused by licks or scratches from a pet. Rashes on the face, neck or upper body are associated with the other non-contact respiratory symptoms listed above.

For those with asthma, symptoms will be more severe and also include:

• Lung Congestion
• Wheezing
• Shortness of Breath
• Cough

 There are two types of reactions to pet allergens:

1.  Immediate Reaction: this occurs within 15 minutes or so of exposure and is more likely to quickly respond to allergy medication.
2. Delayed Reaction: this reaction occurs hours after exposure, and tends to be more severe than an immediate reaction. The worst reactions begin 12 hours after contact with the animal has stopped.

Note: If you are severely sensitive to animal allergen, you might experience both immediate and delayed symptoms every time you are exposed to pets.

This one question targets the truth about pet allergies. For the most part, people have heard that their pet's fur is the cause of their allergies - but the culprit actually is bits of animal dander (or the dead skin cells shed by pets).

What makes the dander so awful?  A specific protein is found in your pet's dander is what makes your nose run, your eyes puffy and your energy levels sag.  The allergy-causing protein produced by pets is not only found in dander, but it is also found in saliva and urine.  This is why a friendly lick can cause allergy havoc for some people - and also why cleaning up an accident or a litter pan can create a reaction as well.

Who is Allergic to Animals?

About 15% of the population is allergic to cats or dogs. More people tend to be allergic to cats than to dogs, partially because of the cat's fastidious cleaning, which causes more saliva to be put on the fur, which in turn dries out and becomes airborne. There are a few factors that play into whether a person will be prone to developing animal allergies:

1. Hereditary: If you have family members who have or had problems with allergies, you are more likely to have allergies as well. If both of your parents were allergic to animals (or anything else for that matter), you have a 75% chance of developing allergies as well. If only one parent or relatives on only one side of your family have allergies, your chances of being allergic to pets drops to 50%. Individuals with asthma are more likely to be allergic to animals, especially if they are also allergic to a similar allergen: dustmites.
2. Exposure: People who own animals or work with animals on a daily basis (like farmers, veterinarians and animal lab scientists) are more likely to develop allergies. Unwelcome animals like mice and rats living in your home can be the hidden source of allergic reactions. On another note, research has shown that for some children, exposure to dogs in the first years of life can actually help prevent developing allergies as an adult. 
3. Age: Young children with a family history of allergies are more likely to develop animal allergies as a child. If a child has not developed allergies by 12-14, their likelihood of becoming allergic is slight. Many older individuals who seem to develop animal allergies during adulthood often were allergic to other substances (though they may not have seen symptoms), and have become sensitized to animals.

 

 Top 3 Ways to Avoid Animal Allergies

Avoid direct contact with animals as often as possible: If you own pets, you may need to make some decisions about how to limit your contact with them. This might mean anything from washing hands immediately after playing with them or having your pets live outside. Often it is best to immediately create some pet-free zones in places like bedrooms. It may take several months for all the allergens to disappear from this room after removing your dog or cat, but be patient. Because you spend the majority of your time at home in your bedroom, this should offer quite a bit of relief in the end. In the most severe cases, you might have to give up your pet to a friend or SPCA.

Weekly pet bathing cuts down on dander: Some people find that bathing pets once a week or once every other week greatly reduces the amount of allergens that collect inside the house. Many pet shops carry anti-allergy shampoos for pets. Ask a non allergic person to bath and brush your pets weekly-or schedule a bath with your groomer every week. Giving your pet a regular bath can cut down on their allergen production by 85%!

 

HEPA filters remove airborne animal allergens: HEPA filters are recommended by allergists and doctors as the most effective method of removing airborne allergens before they reach your nose and lungs. Air Filters like those made by Dynamic use a combination of HEPA filters and activated carbon to remove even the smallest allergens. Both HEPA and carbon filters are completely same for asthma sufferers, so often find electrostatic and o-zone creating filters cause their lungs more harm than good.

Common Questions About Animal Allergies:

 

When I first got my puppy, I wasn't allergic to him, but now I am. What changed?    Most people find that a baby pet will not aggravate their allergies, but as the pet grows up, they experience more and more symptoms. This is because the young skin of puppies and kittens has not begun to produce much dander. The sebaceous glands that are responsible for making dander such a potent allergen are only getting started. As the pet matures from a baby into a young animal, the causes of allergies (dander and sebaceous glands in the skin) will have fully developed.

Why was I never allergic to the pets I had while growing up, but I am now?    Often new allergies develop later in life, so that a child who had pollen allergies might find that they are also allergic to dust mites or animals as an adult. If you have allergies, your immune system is already gunning for a fight with any new allergen. After enough exposure, your body begins to recognize a particular allergy-triggering substance and begins to react to it every time your cells encounter it.

Are there pets that don't cause allergies?    Yes, any pet that is not fur or feather bearing (so this is limited to reptiles, amphibians and fish) will not cause animal allergies.

Are there certain breeds of dogs that don't cause allergies?    There has been a widespread misconception that certain dogs or cats do not create dander. Many called them "hypoallergenic pets" and hail them as a break through for allergy prone animal lovers. Unfortunately, there are no pets that are truly allergy-free - not even the ones with human like hair (poodles and Bichon Frises) or no hair at all (Mexican hairless dog, Chinese crested dogs or sphinx cats).

Though fur often acts as a vehicle to spread allergy-triggering dander from your pet, the truth is that pets with little or no hair still produce dander. Less hair may mean less aggravation-but there is no eliminating the problem by eliminating fur. For more information on Hypoallergenic pets and what breeds are best for allergy and asthma sufferers, read my article Hypo-Allergenic Pets.