Symptoms of animal allergy
In people with animal allergy, when breathing in allergy-provoking particles, they show symptoms related to rhinoconjunctivitis and even asthma. Also, continued exposure to the animal can increase the severity of asthma in the cold or exercise. Likewise, contact with hair, dander or saliva causes itching, wheals on the skin contact area or on the eyelids from scratching the eyes.
Severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis, can also occur as a result of rodent bites, or through wounds or punctures with syringes contaminated with animal products.
Treatment of animal allergy
In Allergology, the treatment of choice for a patient allergic to animals is to avoid direct contact. However, in many cases there are emotional ties that make it impossible to avoid the animal. There are also work obligations, such as those mentioned above, which also prevent this.
Also, a thorough cleaning of the home or places where animals are present, as well as of upholstered furniture, carpets or other fabrics, should be carried out, since dander allergens can remain in the home in high concentrations for a long time afterwards.
On the other hand, sustained exposure is worse than intermittent exposure. Relatives and friends with animals should be aware of the patient’s symptoms and allergy and avoid bringing the animal into the patient’s home.
Indirect exposure to animals should be avoided as far as possible. Likewise, in schools, if there are students with animal allergy, the presence of animals in the classrooms should be suppressed and the rest of the students with pets at home could be recommended to wear clothes that have not been in contact with them. If people living with the patient work with animals or have been in contact with them, they should shower and change clothes before returning home, since, as mentioned above, the particles fly and adhere to clothing and hair.
What to do if direct contact with the animal cannot be avoided
If the patient decides not to remove the pet from the home, due to the great attachment he/she feels towards it, a series of measures can be advised to reduce the amount of allergens produced by the animal:
- Avoid touching the animal too much and wash your hands after doing so.
- Do not allow the animal to enter the bedroom.
- Regularly clean animal beds and cushions and place them in areas where the allergic patient is less likely to go.
- Prevent animals from sitting on sofas and areas where the patient usually stays.
- Ventilate the home often. Air purification systems can also be used.
- Thoroughly clean the home with HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaners, especially mattresses, pillows, upholstered furniture and curtains, fabrics where animal allergens are most commonly deposited.
- Clean cats and dogs more frequently than usual, to reduce the amount of allergen accumulated in the dander, and apply substances that drag the loose scales. It is preferable that this process is carried out by a non-allergic person.
- Wash the clothes that have been in contact with the animal.
- Pass a wet towel over the animal two to four times a week.
Such measures reduce the amount of allergens, but do not eliminate all symptoms. In cases where symptoms persist and the patient is regularly exposed to the allergic animal, immunotherapy should be considered.