Healthy Tips For Better Live

Are you allergic to your pet? Studies show that approximately 15% of us are allergic to dogs or cats. In fact, there’s an estimated 1/3 of Americans who live with a pet that we are allergic to. So strong is the bond to our furry family members that we’d rather suffer than be without them.

So what can we do to ease our suffering and keep our pet’s companionship? There are several steps we can take to reduce these allergy symptoms if you’re willing to do them. One is to use a HEPA air filtration system in your home. This can run into some money but worth it if you truly suffer from allergies.

Cleaning your home frequently to remove dust and dander helps reduce the allergens. Having tile or wood floors helps in not holding onto dust and dander like carpet does. Cleaning goes for our pets’ things as well including their pet beds, dog carriers, cat carriers, any bolsters in dog crates, their toys if they are washable, etc.

Using a “microfilter” bag in your vacuum cleaner so you actually catch the dust and dander when you vacuum helps.

So now the house, pet items and fixtures are clean, but what about bathing your pet weekly. Not as easy if you have a cat but even cats can get used to being bathed if you start early. Bathing your pet weekly can reduce the level of allergens in their fur by as much as 84%. Allergens are present in their fur because the glands in their skin secrete tiny allergy-triggering proteins, called allergens. These are present in their fur, saliva, urine and also float in the air. People vary in their level of reaction to these allergens.

Creating a place in your home where your pets aren’t allowed entry is another thing you can do to help reduce your pet allergy symptoms. Your bedroom is a good choice as there are impermeable mattress covers available to reduce allergies even further.

For the true sufferers of animal allergies who are unwilling to give up their pet, you can go to an allergist and get shots. These immunotherapy shots work by desensitizing your immune system to the pet allergens. This is a gradual process.

If you don’t have a pet and are considering getting one, be sure you know if you’re allergic first. If you are and are willing to do what it takes to keep your pet, more power to you. However, if you are allergic and unsure about living with the difficulties that may bring, it’s best not to get one.

The degree of allergies varies from person to person. It can especially be disheartening to see a young child with allergies to the extent that they cannot even have a pet. Could you imagine having a pet for years, and all of a sudden finding out you are no longer able to keep it? Is there a means to deal with pet allergies that may lessen or even eliminate altogether the suffering for adults and children?

What Are You Allergic To? **

By establishing whether your pet is really the origin of an allergy is certainly the best starting point. Regardless, that can be a difficult task if you already have a pet since the allergens are very difficult to eliminate entirely.

If an existing pet can be removed and the home thoroughly cleaned (carpets, walls, furniture etc.) you MAY be able to verify the allergy in several months. Obviously that is not the easiest solution.

Having the child stay with a friend or relative for a week or two (as long as there are no pets in the house) may show an improvement that might point to an allergy to the family pet.

A visit to your physician can authenticate an allergy with a simple exam. The tests vary, but some can be mildly uneasy and would likely not be considered if the symptoms were mild.

Some symptoms are compounded by exposure to several allergens. By identifying different sources and removing them you may find the reaction to pets is lessened and not a barrier to enjoying their company.

Establishing an Allergy Friendly Home **

There are several steps you can take to reduce the build up of allergens and bring relief to allergy sufferers.

The initial suggestion is to have hardwood or other smooth surface for your flooring. Carpets hold far more of the particles that cause allergies and hard flooring makes it easy to disinfect.

Leather furnishings is also ideal for homes with pet allergies. For the exact reason as hard flooring is more suitable than carpet, leather holds far less allergens than fabric.

Keep a chair for the allergy sufferer that pets are not allowed to sit on. Also be certain that animals do not sleep on the beds or enter the bedrooms of allergy sufferers. Think about keeping the sleeping area of the home as a pet-free zone.

Making Your Pet as Hypo-Allerggenic as Possible **

There are even things you can do with your pet to lessen the allergic effects of having them in your home.

Frequent grooming and bathing with a mild soap to prohibit over drying will reduce the dander that is one of the leading causes of pet allergies. It would be recommended that someone without allergies take on this task.

Washing hands after playing with a pet and avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands will also help. Since some individuals are also allergic to the saliva of pets it would be sensible to not allow your pet to lick you.

In the instance of more serious allergies or asthma it may be necessary that no pet share the home. For older children or adults it may be feasible to find a medication or treatment which makes the situation tolerable if they prefer to keep the pet in spite of the allergy.