15% of people with allergies are allergic to animal dander—for individuals with asthma, the rate is almost doubled, leaving 20-30% of people affected by animal allergens.

An allergen protein is found in the dead skin cells, saliva and urine of animals. Once these tiny, sticky particles become airborne, they land on the sensitive linings of the eyes and nose, triggering an allergic reaction. Typically, it takes minutes for the allergens to begin irritating allergies, but sometimes hours pass before the trigger has a full effect on a sensitized individual.

For some individuals, animal allergies have a cumulative effect—so after several hours of exposure, the body begins to react hours later. In this case, the worst reactions occur 12 hours after contact with the animal has stopped. During damp or rainy weather, this allergy can become even more unbearable.

Most often the eyes, nose and lungs are affected, though it is possible to develop rashes and hives if the animals were in contact with skin. Most of the time, it is advisable to remove pets from the home completely– but many people would rather suffer with allergies than give up their companions.

Without giving up your animals, here are some allergen solutions:  Some Tips for Your Pet—

1.   It may be time to start a weekly pet bathing regimen. By washing away excess dander and saliva build-up, you can minimize the amount of allergens shed by your pet. There are several products that are formulated for allergies in particular:

Simple Solution’s Allergy Relief from Cats—can be applied with a damp cloth or sponge

Simple Solution’s Allergy Relief Wipes—for dogs and cats

 2.  Have a non-allergic family member brush pet outside. This removes loose hair and allergens without having them spread through your home.

 3.  Try to avoid cleaning up accidents or scoping litter pans if you have animal allergies, because in urine the allergen is present in high concentrations.

  Some Tips for your Home—

1.    Keep pets out of your room and don’t allow them to sleep in your bed with you. This means that you will have to shut the door and ignore the whimpers and clawing of protest from your pet. Set up a comfortable bed for your pets in another part of the house. It may take some time until your pets get used to the idea that your bed isn’t theirs . . . but be patient and persistent so that you and your pets can both be healthy and comfortable.

2.   Stick to hard wood or laminate flooring. If you have wall-to-wall carpeting, keep in mind that vacuuming tends to stir up dander, and instead of capturing these tiny particles in the vacuum bag, most of them pass right through and are blown back out into the air.

• If you have wall-to-wall carpeting, periodic steam cleanings are can be beneficial

• If you have rugs on your hard wood floor, make sure that they are durable enough for regular washing

5.    It may take weeks or months for the amount of animal dander on fabrics and bedding to decrease. A way to cut down on the amount of allergens on your mattress is to use a plastic or allergy proof casing. If your mattress or pillows have animal dander in them, every time you settle into bed, you are stirring up a cloud of allergens.

6.    You might occasionally want to air out your house—if you aren’t also affected by pollen allergies. Though there is the chance of pollen coming in the house, for the most part, airing out the house can remove concentrated allergens. If your house is a newer, energy-efficient model, what you are saving on your energy bills might be irritating your allergies. One study showed that super-insulated homes had up to 200% more allergens than older homes.

7.    Try using a HEPA quality filter, such as those made by Dynamic Air Cleaners in your home– most all allergists and asthma specialists advise that a HEPA filter can make a difference

Try Allergy or Asthma Treatments—

1. Medications can help suppress symptoms and are best used if you are only have minimal contact with animals. Many prescription antihistamines do not leave you feeling drowsy.
2. Immunotherapy (allergy shots) treatment can improve symptoms over time. This treatment is most effective if you do not live with animals, but have unavoidable situations where you visit friends or family with pets, etc.

Try out these tips and see if it makes a difference for your allergies or asthma! Leave a comment and tell us what worked for you.