In recent years, with the declining birthrate and the continuous shrinking of family size, in order to accompany and other needs, more and more families have cats, dogs and other pets, these pets bring happiness to people at the same time, but also continue to bring a lot of pain to allergy patients, people can really love and hate pets, or pain and happiness...
Although there is some controversy about the relationship between pet ownership and allergic diseases, most studies believe that keeping pets such as cats and dogs can cause allergies, especially in people with allergies.
Today we are mainly talking about the knowledge of cat allergies.
Why do some people have allergies to cats?
Studies have found that cats' dander, saliva, body hair, urine, and other tissues or body fluids contain a variety of allergenic proteins, which are generally tolerated by the average personHowever, for people with allergies, their immune defense system regards these proteins as foreign threats, resulting in an excessive response, which is called allergic reaction (known as ** reaction in academic circles).
These allergenic proteins that can induce different degrees of allergic reactions in the human body are called allergens.
The allergens of cats and their properties are as follows:
1. Dandruff
Cat cells continue to fall off to form dander, dander with allergenic proteins, these fine dander float in the air, easy to inhale the respiratory tract or adhere to the **, mucous membranes and cause allergies.
2. Body fluids such as saliva and urine
When a cat eats or licks its body, the allergenic proteins in its saliva are excreted from the body;
When body fluids such as saliva and urine are dried, the allergenic proteins in them float in the air.
3. Hair
Hair contains allergenic proteins, so direct contact or touch of hair can directly cause an allergic reaction.
In addition, hairs may also be cohesive with mites, pollen, fungal spores, etc., which are also common allergens that can synergistically induce or aggravate allergic reactions.
What are the common cat allergy symptoms?
The symptoms of feline allergies vary from one population to another, with some having only mild symptoms and others presenting with more severe allergic reactions.
1. Respiratory symptoms
These include upper respiratory tract symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy nose, itchy throat, etc.
In severe cases, lower respiratory tract symptoms such as repeated cough, and even chest tightness, shortness of breath, dyspnea, etc., may occur, and some patients will develop allergic asthma.
If allergic inflammation affects the paranasal sinuses, it can also cause headache, dizziness, decreased concentration, maxillofacial pain and discomfort.
2. Systemic symptoms
The most common symptoms are**redness, itching, wheals, rashes, etc., and even evolve into chronic urticaria.
3. Ocular symptoms
Some patients with allergies may have symptoms such as redness, itching, tearing, swelling, and dryness of the eyes, especially itching.
If you suspect that you are allergic to cats, how do you know for sure?
If you want to confirm whether you are allergic to cats, you can go to the allergy department of the hospital (** reaction department) for relevant allergen testing.
It is relatively easy for doctors to confirm the diagnosis based on symptoms and test results.
If it is confirmed that it is allergic to cats, how to prevent it?
The most effective way to do this is to give it to someone else and avoid re-contact with the cat.
However, if you are really reluctant or have to live with them for some reason, you should also pay attention to the following points:
1. Limit the range of activity of the cat:
If they are kept in the yard or on the balcony, ask other family members to take care of their daily activities, and at least do not let them into their bedrooms.
2. Don't touch, hug and kiss。Wash your hands and face with soapy water as soon as possible after contact.
3. Open more windows for ventilation. It is best to use a high-efficiency air purifier indoors after closing doors and windows, and frequently use a vacuum cleaner for indoor cleaning to reduce the concentration of allergens in the air.
Do not use carpets, fabric sofas, plush toys and other items with strong adsorption at home.
4. Bathe your cat at least 1-2 times a week.
5. Those who have conditions can do cat allergen-specific immunity** (i.e., desensitization**) to increase the tolerance of the human body.
6. Use symptomatic drugs for symptom control, or use some new biological agents for **.
7. You can choose to raise low-allergenic varietiesor feed with hypoallergenic feeds.
In short, effective prevention and control can allow you to live a normal and happy life!