How does cat allergy proceed? Characteristic signs and symptoms of cat allergy in adults: treatment methods and rules for living with a pet

Allergy is a serious disease that deprives humans of the joy of being with cats. Tears, unrestrained sneezing, rash and itching are the most harmless manifestations of the disease. Can an allergy sufferer enjoy the presence of a cat in the house without harming their health?

Allergy is a disease that is often inherited. A person suffering from allergies, at some point, had a "failure of the defense system": the immune system mistakenly takes a harmless substance for an enemy. Scientists are completely unclear about the mechanism of the excessive immune response, although research in this area continues around the world.

Why do cats cause allergies?

Saliva, urine and other fluids produced by cats contain proteins that cause allergies. Licking, the pet carries the allergen through its fur coat, so some people have the misconception that it is the wool that causes the allergy symptoms. In fact, the provocateur is a foreign protein that has entered the body, and not the wool itself. Often, a reaction occurs to industrial food or litter for the toilet, therefore, before looking for a new home for a pet, blood tests should be taken to determine the allergen.

How does allergy manifest itself?

Depending on the severity of the disease, individual characteristics and the amount of allergen that has entered the body, the following reactions are possible:

• mucosal inflammation, sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose;
• photosensitivity, lacrimation, conjunctivitis, eye redness;
• skin rash, often itchy, appearing in the area of \u200b\u200bcontact with the allergen or all over the body mirrored;
• shortness of breath, wheezing, wheezing.

Signs of pet allergy are nonspecific. Similar symptoms appear with allergies to rodents, pollen, food, dyes, and more. There are cases when the disease recedes after a few years of life next to the cat, but at the same time, communication with other people's cats causes unpleasant symptoms. Apparently, the immune system "gets used" to the allergen of a particular cat, and ceases to fight it. However, if the patient has difficulty breathing, such experiments can be performed only under the constant supervision of a doctor.

Can allergies be cured?

Unfortunately, allergies are a chronic disease that does not respond to treatment. However, by following the recommendations of a competent doctor, you can reduce the intensity and frequency of attacks. Sometimes in children, allergies disappear without a trace in adolescence. People suffering from this ailment must necessarily control the course of the disease.

To stop an attack, doctors use complex treatment:

• symptomatic drugs remove external signs (sneezing, itching, etc.);
• antihistamines block the action of substances that provoke allergies;
• decongestants relieve swelling of the nasopharynx.

In most cases, the disease manifests symptoms less often if a person monitors the general condition of his body. Quitting smoking and alcohol, a contrast shower, playing sports, proper nutrition and regular walks, especially in the coniferous forest, helps.

Your doctor will write you a referral for medical tests for cat allergies. Such an allergy is easily diagnosed using skin tests or a blood test for specific immunoglobulin E. In some allergy centers, you can even test your compatibility with a particular cat - for this you need to bring pieces of its wool (with a high probability it contains an allergenic protein).

Such diagnostics give accurate results, but self-diagnostics can fail. Cat allergy symptoms in children and adults are easily confused with other conditions.

Here are the most common misdiagnosed cat allergies:

• Cats that walk on their own can carry particles of pollen and mold from the street on their fur, which, in turn, can cause allergies in the cat owner
• An undesirable reaction can be caused not by a cat, but by its accessories: food, litter for the toilet, shampoo, toys.
• The cat can infect the owner with any disease. For example, the manifestations of chlamydia, scabies mites and lichen in humans are similar to allergic reactions. That is why you need to carefully monitor your pet's health and regularly show it to your veterinarian.

If a medical analysis for a cat allergy revealed an incompatibility in you, but you cannot imagine your life without a meowing tailed beast, then you have to make several important decisions. Most likely, in the name of prevention, it will also be necessary to adjust the lifestyle.

How to check for cat allergies? This is the first question families ask before buying a pet, especially if they have a small child in the house.

Allergo test

To determine the presence of immunoglobulins, two tests are performed:

• blood test - gives accurate results with the ability to identify all types of allergens that cause a response from the immune system;
• skin test - This test is less common and does not provide accurate extended results.

When symptoms of cat allergy appear (sneezing, watery eyes, red eyes, itchy skin, the appearance of small rashes on the skin), it is necessary to take a blood test for allergy tests in any laboratory.

When interpreting the results, the doctor will determine whether a particular patient is allergic to a cat, what exactly causes the immune system to react and how to get rid of unpleasant symptoms.

In addition to a blood test, a skin test is used to determine cat allergy. It is less widespread, since it does not give such accurate and detailed results.

It is better to check for an allergy to a cat in advance, and for this it is necessary to take biological material from a specific animal. For example, before buying a kitten, take his saliva on a clean bathroom stick and take it to the laboratory.

In this case, the results will be as accurate as possible, since the blood test will be checked for a specific antigen in the kitten's saliva.

Very often, families give a pet away when a child has an allergic reaction, without understanding its causes. When conducting an allergo test, it may turn out that the immune response does not occur to the animal, but, for example, to the components of its litter for the toilet or industrial food.

Also, in childhood, seasonal cat allergies often occur. For example, a reaction to a pet will occur in the spring, and in the autumn-winter period, there will be no unpleasant symptoms.

Most often, in this case, an allergy to pollen is diagnosed and, due to a weakened immune system, the body reacts sensitively to a pet.

How to minimize the manifestation of allergies

To prevent symptoms from appearing too brightly, the following guidelines for allergy sufferers must be followed:

• when choosing a pet, you should give preference to short-haired or hairless breeds - they are less likely to spread the allergen around the apartment, and it is also easier to bathe them;
• the cat must be immediately castrated, which will also reduce the spread of specific protein around the house;
• it is important to maintain order in the house - to ventilate and wet clean every day;
• it is recommended to remove carpets, blackout curtains, bedspreads and small figurines from the apartment, which are dust collectors;
• litter boxes, toys, and other supplies must also be washed daily.

If, when caring for a pet and its things, the reaction is greatly aggravated, then, if possible, you need to entrust this matter to someone from the family (provided that he is not allergic to a cat).

Before making a conclusion to give the pet away, it is necessary to find out if there is an allergy to the cat, to consult with an allergist about methods of suppressing the immune response. The best option would be to take antihistamines and decongestants and regularly monitor the pet's hygiene and cleanliness of the apartment.

VETERINARIAN CONSULTATION REQUIRED. INFORMATION FOR REFERENCE ONLY.

Allergies to pets are a very common problem and cats are the leaders among other pets in this indicator. Many people mistakenly believe that the reaction is provoked exclusively by the animal's fur, so they choose cat breeds with a minimum amount of hair. Breeders of breeds such as the Canadian Sphynx or Ukrainian Levkoy often use this myth as a marketing ploy.

In fact, the unpleasant symptoms are caused by the Fel D1 protein, which is found in:

• saliva;
• bowel movements;
• dead horny particles;
• dandruff;
• discharge of sweat glands;
• the secret of the sebaceous glands.

Allergy patients noted the following patterns:

1. Cats are considered more allergenic than cats, while after castration of the animal, the reaction is not so pronounced.
2. Kittens are the least allergenic, so symptoms often start to appear as the animal grows older.

Manifestations

Allergies can appear immediately after contact with an animal, but sometimes symptoms gradually increase over more than one year. Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and rhinovirus infection, as well as contact dermatitis and food allergy, have similar symptoms. In some cases, cats can provoke an attack in people with bronchial asthma or pulmonary bronchospasm if the person is already suffering from any respiratory disease at that moment. In these cases, an emergency hospitalization may even be required.

The first symptoms of allergy include:

• Sneezing is one of the most common symptoms that can appear within a few minutes after being in the same room with the animal.
• Nasal congestion and runny nose, redness of the wings of the nose.
• Increased lacrimation, redness of the eyes.
• Sore throat, shortness of breath and wheezing.
• Dry cough and shortness of breath.
• Swelling of the mucous membranes.
• Itching in the ear canals.
• , especially where there are scratches from the cat. A small blistering rash may remain on the skin, or a strong reaction in the form of hives may develop.

Less common are the following vegetative manifestations: tachycardia, rapid breathing, nausea, loss of consciousness and balance, dizziness.

An especially severe case of allergy can be (angioedema) - a dangerous condition that requires immediate hospitalization due to the threat to human life.

To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe a skin test and a blood test. You can also remove the animal from the apartment for several days and observe the general state of human health. However, a sharp improvement may not occur, since the specific protein Fel D1 is volatile and intact, that is, it can be stored for a long time indoors without being destroyed.

Classic tactics of drug treatment

If you are allergic to cats, you should consult your doctor for a detailed treatment regimen. With this disease, several groups of drugs are traditionally used, depending on the severity of the patient's condition:

• Antihistamines (AGPs) that block the production of histamine. As a rule, they are dispensed without a prescription and can be purchased at all pharmacies. AGPs are available in different forms (tablets, sprays, ointments and creams). They reduce itching, redness of the skin, but at the same time do not depress the central nervous system.
• Decongestants that reduce swelling and prevent mucus stagnation.
• In case of manifestations of allergies, in some cases it is advisable to start taking enterosorbents.
• Corticosteroids - relieve the allergic inflammatory process at the cellular level. In case of bronchospasm, in addition to inhalations with corticosteroids, antispasmodic drugs are needed to alleviate the patient's condition.

It is important to remember that the continuous use of these drugs negatively affects the liver and has a number of side effects.

There is another option for the treatment of allergies - immunospecific therapy (ASIT), in which purified allergens are injected subcutaneously for a long time (at least six months). As a result of this therapy, antibodies are produced in the body that block the immune response. Such a correction through the impact on the failed link of the immune system allows to achieve long-term remission in the future.

Preventive measures

In addition to taking antihistamines, you should try to minimize contact with the source of the allergy and reduce the concentration of the allergen in the air. Despite the fact that you will not have to resort to radical measures, namely, giving the cat away, the number of contacts with it will have to be reduced to a minimum. To do this, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

1. It is necessary to limit the free movement of the cat around the apartment, categorically not letting her into the bedroom.
2. A general cleaning of the apartment should be done several times a week, preferably using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter for this purpose.
3. For the first time after detecting allergies, it is necessary to clean not only carpets, but also upholstery of upholstered furniture, and thoroughly rinse all surfaces in the rooms.
4. It is recommended to remove from the room furniture with fluffy or fluffy upholstery, or change it to pieces of furniture with a smooth surface. You will also have to remove blackout curtains from the rooms, which are the accumulator of the greatest amount of household dust.
5. It is important to maintain clean and humid air in the apartment by regularly ventilating the premises, and, if possible, replace the filters in the air conditioner.
6. It is recommended to store dry food and litter in containers that are hermetically sealed. Thorough washing of the cat's dishes is a must so that the remains of the food do not dry out in it.
7. Caring for the cat must be entrusted to a person who does not suffer from allergies: it is important to wash the animal at least twice a week with a special anti-allergic shampoo and daily comb the coat with a brush pre-moistened with water.
8. For cat allergy sufferers, it is recommended to increase the amount of physical activity, switch to a healthy diet and abandon existing bad habits. Strengthening the immune system can significantly alleviate the course of allergies.

Allergy is one of the most unpleasant ailments that accompanies many people, while an allergic reaction occurs through direct contact with an allergen (dust, plants, chemicals). The most common is considered to be an allergy to animal hair, in particular to cats. Contact with animals is an integral part of every person's life, but what if an allergic reaction haunts.

In order for the allergic reaction of the body to manifest itself, pathogens are needed. Most often, an allergic person reacts to animal hair. Therefore, many people who are at high risk of allergies choose smooth-haired cats or sphinxes.

Reference! Cases of allergic manifestations after contact with cats are recorded several times more often than after contact with dogs.

However, the absence of hair in an animal does not guarantee the absence of body reactions. Several factors explain this:

1. Cats have proteins in their urine or saliva. Each allergic person has a correspondingly lowered immune function, the body reacts very sensitively to an irritant. To the appearance of an allergen, the body enhances the protective reaction, in the case of weakened immunity, pronounced signs of allergy appear (there is a side reaction to the active confrontation of the body with the irritant).
2. If the animal has access to the street, then after walking on wool, more aggressive allergens (dust particles, remains of mold, plants, fluff) are brought.

Therefore, allergy sufferers can suffer not only from cat hair, but also from dirt that accumulates on it.

Symptoms

It is not so difficult to identify the first symptoms of an allergy. It is worth noting that each person's allergic reaction manifests itself in different ways - there may be only one symptom, or symptoms may appear in the complex.

The main signs of an allergic condition:

• nasal congestion may initially occur, then a runny nose may appear;
• frequent sneezing (no dry or wet cough);
• the eyes suffer from tearing, there is constant irritation of the mucous membrane;
• asthmatic symptoms (shortness of breath, hoarseness) may occur;
• skin manifestations (redness), where there was direct contact with the animal, are not excluded.

Frequent sneezing is one of the most common signs of a cat allergy.

Symptoms can occur immediately after contact or appear after a few hours. According to medical statistics, almost 30% of people with asthma, after communicating with a cat, feel a pronounced exacerbation of asthmatic symptoms.

Note! Children are advised to communicate with cats, since when in contact with an allergen, the child's body develops a protective reaction and the allergy does not manifest itself in adulthood. But, it is worth considering the fact that if a child has a predisposition to allergies, then it is necessary to protect him from animals.

How does allergy develop?

In allergology, there are four main reactions of the human body to an allergen:

1. Immediate type of reaction.
2. Cytotoxic reaction.
3. Damage to the tissue structures of the body due to the effects of the immune complex.
4. Slow reaction of the body to an allergen.

Feline allergens provoke an extremely immediate type of reaction, since symptoms begin to manifest themselves twenty minutes after contact with a pet. The reaction of the body is provoked as follows - the allergenic molecule enters the respiratory tract, is fixed on the cells, which guarantees immune protection, the latter begin to produce inflammatory mediators, which cause reactions of the tissue structures of the body.

Attention! At the first contact with a cat, an allergic reaction does not always occur in an allergic person.

Gradual development of allergies

1. Stage I. Antibodies are produced in the body that are responsible for blocking an antigen, in this case, feline allergens. The body gets acquainted with antigens for further action on it.
2. Stage II. There is a direct interaction of the allergen and the antibodies produced. An immunological reaction develops. At this stage, inflammation mediators are produced, which provoke a reaction on the skin and mucous membranes.
3. Stage ІІІ. The stage of the consequences of the action of inflammatory mediators (dysfunction of hematopoiesis, the occurrence of bronchospasm).

Note! If after the appearance of a pet in the house there are indirect signs of a cold that last more than one week, you need to go for a consultation with an allergist.

How to identify an allergic reaction to a cat?

When symptoms first appear, do not blame the animal. To begin with, you should go for a consultation with an allergist and, if necessary, make allergy tests, so you can accurately determine the allergen. When an allergic reaction in a person occurs when a pet appears in the house, then for a start, the doctor may recommend temporarily resettling the cat to relatives in order to trace the pattern of the body's reaction. If the condition of the allergic person immediately improves in the absence of the animal, then the next stage is the delivery of tests (blood tests and skin tests). After confirming the allergy and identifying the exact allergen, the specialist will select the necessary therapy.

Treatment methods

The therapy is based on the standard method of treating allergy sufferers. The main problem is that it will not be possible to get rid of the disease forever (only blocking seasonal exacerbations). First of all, an allergy sufferer will have to say goodbye to the animal, since they cannot get along in the same area without harm. Then the patient needs to normalize his morale, since any stressful shocks only aggravate the course of the allergy.

Approximate drug treatment regimen

In especially severe cases of the course of allergies, the doctor may insist on a course of antiallergic injections.

Unconventional ways to eliminate cat allergies

As an auxiliary therapy, you can use treatment with medicinal herbs, as well as bee products and a variety of products.

Advice! You can bathe your pet with a motherwort broth to minimize exposure to allergens. During the period of exacerbation of allergies, bathing is carried out regularly - once a day.

Video - How to treat allergies with folk remedies

How to properly contact a cat to avoid allergies?

If there is no way to refuse an animal, then you should adhere to certain rules of communication:

• minimize contact with the animal, do not stroke it;
• exclude the possibility of the cat's access to the place of sleep of the allergic person (do not let the person into the room);
• carry out daily cleaning of the premises (housing), preferably wet;
• change the long-haired flooring to a smoother one (so that the pile from the carpet does not collect allergens);