If you recently got a new cat and are now suffering from allergy symptoms, there is a good chance you might be allergic to your new pet. Cat allergies are extremely common with people of all ages, and there are a lot more people that are allergic to cats compared to those allergic to dogs. Here are a few things you should understand about cat allergies.
What triggers the allergic reaction?
When a person is allergic to cats, it is the cat's urine, dander, and saliva the person is allergic to. Most people think it is the cat's fur that causes the reaction, but this is not the case. This allergic reaction happens when the person's body mistakes these things as a threat. This causes the body to react, and the common reactions are allergy symptoms. This can include itchy eyes, coughing, runny nose, and rashes.
How can you find out if you are allergic to cats?
If you suspect that it is your new cat that is causing your allergy symptoms, you can visit a doctor for allergy testing to find out for sure. Doctors use several different types of tests to find out what people are allergic to, and two of these tests include blood tests and skin prick tests.
A skin prick test is usually the first test completed, and it involves pricking the skin enough to place a small amount of allergens in your skin. After that, the doctor will examine your skin to see if there is a reaction. If nothing happens, you are most likely not allergic to cats. If you are allergic to cats, your skin should appear red and swollen. This happens because your body reacts as soon as it senses something it does not think it can tolerate.
If this test is not available or does not show a positive result to a cat allergy, the doctor might want to perform a blood test. This is done as a way of examining the antibodies in your blood, and this test can also determine if you are allergic to cats.
What can you do about this?
If you absolutely love your cat and do not want to get rid of it, you can try taking antihistamines to help with the symptoms. The doctor might also recommend allergy shots to help your body handle cat allergens in a way that is not harmful for you. If these do not work, you may want to consider getting rid of your cat. If you really love animals, you might be able to get a dog instead. There are a lot of people who are allergic to cats and not dogs, but your doctor could perform tests ahead of time to see if you are allergic to dogs before you decide to get one.
If you believe you may have allergies, get tested. To learn more, visit an allergy doctor today.
Share18 November 2016
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