Do you have complaints such as long-lasting cough attacks, sneezing, nasal congestion and itchy eyes? You have been diagnosed with asthma, but your complaints are not relieved with treatment? Remember that approximately one-third of asthmatic patients have a pet allergy. Once the cause that triggers your asthma is determined, its treatment will be much more effective.
If complaints such as sneezing, coughing fits, runny nose, itchy and watery eyes occur after petting a cat or dog or being around them, you may have an animal allergy. It is not necessary to have a pet in your home for this allergic disease. For example, if a friend or neighbor you visit frequently has a pet, or if your child's deskmate at school has a pet, you may encounter this problem again. People who have had the complaints listed above for a long time may be determined not to have pets at home because they know their own situation. However, if people who were healthy and had no complaints before started to have problems after getting a new pet, it should be considered an alarming sign and should be taken seriously. Due to its prevalence and frequent coexistence with humans, cat allergy is one of the most common pet allergies. Although it is most common in children, it can also occur in adults.
All cats produce more than one allergen. These allergens are usually found in the cat's saliva, which they lick and infect their skin and fur. They dry and fall off their skin and feathers or fly into the air and settle on textile surfaces and clothes. Sometimes, the cause of allergy is not the cat's antigens, but the cat's food, water, feces and fungi in the fecal container may also be the source of allergy. To detect cat allergy, skin tests as well as history can also help in diagnosis. However, a negative test does not mean that the animal will not cause problems. Denying the connection between this pet and respiratory complaints may also cause the problem to grow and remain unresolved.
What to do
With the cat (or other pet). A related allergy is considered Even if it is very difficult, the cat and all cat materials should be removed from that house. The walls of the house and all areas where the cat lives should be cleaned several times; Carpet surfaces, clothes, bed covers and curtains should be washed meticulously. Sometimes cat allergens can still be detected in the environment even months after this cleaning.
In addition to removing the pet, it may be useful to ventilate the house, keep the bedroom door closed, and use a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner or HEPA filter air conditioner at home. In cases where it is not possible to get away from the pet or in patients whose symptoms persist, nasal sprays or steroid inhalers can be used for treatment, depending on the type of complaint. One third or nearly half of asthmatic patients are allergic to pets. Therefore, care should be taken about pet allergies in asthmatics whose complaints cannot be controlled with treatment. If the complaints do not improve with the measures taken and medical treatment, immunotherapy (vaccine treatment) may also be considered.
Although cats are considered clean in our society, these pet friends may cause problems for some people. It is beneficial for pets to be cleaned frequently, to restrict their entry into bedrooms, not to leave their waste in the living environment for too long, and for sensitive people to consult an expert regarding treatment.
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