Cat Allergies: Triggers and Preventatives
Allergies are a difficult thing to contain. They are an abnormal physical response of your immune system to a typically innocuous entity. This entity is known as an allergen. In most cases, the advised course of action for decreasing the frequency of allergic reactions is to eliminate the allergen. This means that you find out what you are allergic to and remove it from your environment to the most thorough level that you can. However, what do you do when you know that you are allergic to something and you don't want to remove it from your environment? What do you do when you discover that you have cat allergies? Does this mean that you have to get rid of your cat? Of course not! There are ways to control allergens in your environment. Let us look at what some common cat allergy symptoms are and how you can best alleviate those symptoms and promote allergy relief.
Cat Allergy Symptoms
Symptoms that arise from a cat allergy are easy to identify. If you are having an allergic reaction to a cat, you will most likely experience itchy skin, nasal congestion, sneezing, red and dry or itchy eyes, difficulty breathing or any combination thereof. While these side effects from cat allergies are a pain and can be uncomfortable to bear, there is a way to increase your comfort level and decrease the amount of cat allergens in the air.
Preventatives
Although you can never get rid of your cat allergies altogether, you can take steps to minimize your exposure to them, even if you keep your cat. Pet allergy triggers are airborne. This means that you have an allergic reaction because you breathe them in. The likelihood of this occurring with a cat in your home is great because cats are so independent and are prone to exploring every corner of your home. Allergens like cat dander and cat odor will accumulate in areas like your bedding, on your curtains, on rugs and carpets and on your furniture. Additionally, cat allergens are very small so they are capable of remaining suspended in the air longer. All of this means that you need to be thorough and persistent in your determination to limit the amount of harmful cat allergy triggers in your home. Following some of the suggestions below will help control your cat allergy symptoms, promote natural allergy relief, and make life with your cat more enjoyable.
A great place to start is your bed. We spend all night long in bed and if there is cat dander and cat odor in your bedding, you are exposing your body to an allergen for an extended period of time while you sleep. Do not allow your cat to sleep on your bed. Making this an off limits zone for your cat will greatly improve your cat allergies.
It would behoove you to take it one step further and make your entire bedroom a cat-free zone. While this may seem like an unrealistic option for cat lovers, it will work wonders towards decreasing the frequency of your allergic reactions. Close your bedroom door to keep your cat from wandering in during the day. Make them feel at home and welcome in other areas of your house. This will allow you to have a retreat from cat allergy triggers. When your symptoms from these bothersome cat allergies start to flare up, you can retire to a place of comfort and sanctuary to help you recover.
Wash all your bedding in hot water and change your bedding weekly or at the very least twice a month. We know that while you may do your best to keep your cat out of your room, occasionally he/she will sneak in for a quick visit. If you wash your bedding in hot water frequently, you will reduce the amount of allergens in it, such as cat dander and dust mites. This will help make the room in your home where you spend the most time a clean and healthy environment. As an added suggestion to further your level of comfort while you sleep, it has been suggested that you shower before getting into bed. This will eliminate any allergens that you have accumulated walking around the house before bed.
Keep your home clean. You should wash your curtains at least once a month. You should also vacuum your carpets daily if you can or at least twice a week. It is recommended that you use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. The cat allergy triggers that you are attempting to target are small and cat dander and cat odor can be embedded in carpet and curtains. These allergens can prove difficult to remove so use a quality vacuum with powerful hand tools to ensure a clean home. You may also consider a vapor steam cleaning of your home. Vapor steam cleaners have been proven successful in ridding the home of cat dander, cat odor, dust mites, bacteria and mold. It is also a chemical-free cleaning solution so it will not contribute to irritants in the air like other cleaning materials do.
Wash your hands and your cat. You should always wash your hands with soap after handling your cat to prevent an allergic reaction in your eyes. You should also wash your cat to eliminate loose dander. Since cats do tend to despise baths, another solution is a micro fiber cloth. You can purchase one of these cloths to rub your cat down with in order to get rid of excess cat dander. It is less stress for you and your cat.
The last and most effective cat allergy prevention is the IQAir HealthPro Plus. This amazing air purifier is designed to eliminate pet allergens and odors from the home. The HealthPro Plus features a medical grade HEPA filter in addition to a specially blended activated carbon filter. The activated carbon filter and the HEPA filter target cat dander and cat odor. It delivers reliable relief to cat owners who are looking to decrease allergens in their home environment. With the IQAir HealthPro Plus air purifier, you will sleep soundly and better sleep translates into more energy for you throughout the day. If you are a cat owner who wants to spend more time enjoying the pleasure of your pet and less time dealing with troublesome cat allergies, this is the air purifier that you have been waiting for!