By Judith Allison
Being allergic to cats can be very distressing to a lover of cats. Wheezing, tearing eyes, nose running, sinus headache, hives, and other symptoms can be very mild and annoying or extreme and life threatening. In actuality, if the symptoms are very severe and the reason is tested and found to be cats, finding the cat a new place to live just might turn out to be the only solution. However if the symptoms are mild, there is cause for hope. There are processes to at least minimize the discomforts of cat allergies and live with a cat, and immunotherapy offers desensitization from an allergen.
Various symptoms of allergies can take on a number of forms. There are many widespread nasal symptoms which can include itching, sneezing and congestion. Eye symptoms can include redness, itching, swelling and watering. Throat symptoms include post-nasal drip, itching or hoarseness and the need to clear the throat often. Skin symptoms can involve an itchy rash or hives. Ear symptoms can include itching, plugging or popping in the ear. There can be more serious symptoms which involve the lungs. Symptoms with the lungs can include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, frequent bronchitis and shortness of breath.
Cat allergen, the allergy causing material from cats, is not cat hair, but rather a protein present in the cat dander and saliva. These allergens get to be airborne as microscopic particles, which when inhaled into the nose or lungs can produce allergic reactions.
The main reason why folks can get a new pet and not develop any of these allergies until much later is because of the amount of time required to produce these antibodies. It can take from three weeks to three years for a person's body to build up sufficient amounts of the specific antibody so that an allergen can cross-link two identical antigens. This cross-linkage is the signal to mast cells to spill their contents, which results in the typical allergy symptoms.
An allergy desensitization regimen is the obvious and very effective method to work around a cat allergy. Immunotherapy gradually makes a person more and more resistant to the allergens. The goal of immunotherapy is to increase a person's tolerance by at least ten times. This is one of the most effective remedies as it treats the root cause and doesn't just mask the symptoms.
It is dangerous and unfair for any indoor cat to be put out. As well as the diseases and illnesses that can be caught out of doors, the indoor cat has no experience with outdoor life and so many times it is unable to protect against cars, animals, and other hazards or to effectively search for food.
Judith Brandy writes a number of articles and blog posts for different websites including Just Cute Cats.
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