How to Prevent Cat Allergies
Consult your doctor., Take antihistamines., Use decongestants., Ask your doctor about steroids., Discuss allergy-reducing injections.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consult your doctor.
When you suffer from cat allergies, talk to your doctor about the severity of your symptoms.
If the allergy is severe, your doctor may recommend moving your pet to a new home.
If the symptoms are mild, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes or medications.
The type of drug and the dosage for you by your doctor will vary depending on your particular case, so always follow your doctor’s and the manufacturer’s instructions for each medication. -
Step 2: Take antihistamines.
Your allergic reaction causes your body to create excess histamine.
An antihistamine works by blocking the receptors that the excess histamine would normally bind to, thereby negating the cellular effect of higher histamine in your blood.
This means is will help alleviate your allergy symptoms, such as sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny nose.
Generally, first generation antihistamines, like Benadryl, cause more drowsiness, so you may choose to avoid those.
Other side effects of these medications include dizziness, dry mouth, headache, and GI upset.
You may need to experiment with different ones to find the one that works best for you.
Some common brands of antihistamines include Allegra, Astelin, Benadryl, and Claritin.Long term use of antihistamines generally is safe.
However, it can cause side effects and liver issues, especially for people who are at risk of these. , Decongestants can be used to treat the symptoms of congestion caused by allergies.
This includes nasal and throat congestion.
It also helps with other common allergy symptoms, so it may be a better option if you suffer from other cat allergy symptoms along with your congestion.
The most popular brand of decongestant is Sudafed.
However, decongestants are sometimes combined with antihistamine, which can be found in Allegra-D and Dimetapp Decongestant., Steroids work by suppressing your immune system, thereby reducing inflammation.
These medications work best when used on a regular basis instead of an as needed basis and are only available by prescription.
They can take longer to start working, so give at least two weeks before deciding if it works for you.Steroids for allergies usually include nasal sprays such as Flonase and Nasonex.
Although long term oral steroid usage is not recommended, intranasal steroids do not show the same long-term side effects.
Because of this, long-term usage is generally acceptable of intranasal steroids as long as you use a low dose and use it only during allergy season., If your symptoms are hard to control, having a series of anti-allergy injections, also known as immunotherapy, can help reduce your allergic reactions to cats.
These shots introduce a small amount of the cat allergen into your system.
Every one to two weeks, you will get another shot that increases the dose of the cat allergen, which goes on typically for three to six months.
It works to help train your immune system to tolerate the cat allergen.
These injections can take years to achieve their full effect.
Maintenance shots are needed every four weeks for five years.
This option may be desirable if you really want to have or love cats but can't fight your allergy any other way.
It doesn't always work.
It also should not be undertaken if the patient is elderly, under five years old, or is immunocompromised.Be aware that allergy shots can be very expensive and may not be covered by insurance. -
Step 3: Use decongestants.
-
Step 4: Ask your doctor about steroids.
-
Step 5: Discuss allergy-reducing injections.
Detailed Guide
When you suffer from cat allergies, talk to your doctor about the severity of your symptoms.
If the allergy is severe, your doctor may recommend moving your pet to a new home.
If the symptoms are mild, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes or medications.
The type of drug and the dosage for you by your doctor will vary depending on your particular case, so always follow your doctor’s and the manufacturer’s instructions for each medication.
Your allergic reaction causes your body to create excess histamine.
An antihistamine works by blocking the receptors that the excess histamine would normally bind to, thereby negating the cellular effect of higher histamine in your blood.
This means is will help alleviate your allergy symptoms, such as sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny nose.
Generally, first generation antihistamines, like Benadryl, cause more drowsiness, so you may choose to avoid those.
Other side effects of these medications include dizziness, dry mouth, headache, and GI upset.
You may need to experiment with different ones to find the one that works best for you.
Some common brands of antihistamines include Allegra, Astelin, Benadryl, and Claritin.Long term use of antihistamines generally is safe.
However, it can cause side effects and liver issues, especially for people who are at risk of these. , Decongestants can be used to treat the symptoms of congestion caused by allergies.
This includes nasal and throat congestion.
It also helps with other common allergy symptoms, so it may be a better option if you suffer from other cat allergy symptoms along with your congestion.
The most popular brand of decongestant is Sudafed.
However, decongestants are sometimes combined with antihistamine, which can be found in Allegra-D and Dimetapp Decongestant., Steroids work by suppressing your immune system, thereby reducing inflammation.
These medications work best when used on a regular basis instead of an as needed basis and are only available by prescription.
They can take longer to start working, so give at least two weeks before deciding if it works for you.Steroids for allergies usually include nasal sprays such as Flonase and Nasonex.
Although long term oral steroid usage is not recommended, intranasal steroids do not show the same long-term side effects.
Because of this, long-term usage is generally acceptable of intranasal steroids as long as you use a low dose and use it only during allergy season., If your symptoms are hard to control, having a series of anti-allergy injections, also known as immunotherapy, can help reduce your allergic reactions to cats.
These shots introduce a small amount of the cat allergen into your system.
Every one to two weeks, you will get another shot that increases the dose of the cat allergen, which goes on typically for three to six months.
It works to help train your immune system to tolerate the cat allergen.
These injections can take years to achieve their full effect.
Maintenance shots are needed every four weeks for five years.
This option may be desirable if you really want to have or love cats but can't fight your allergy any other way.
It doesn't always work.
It also should not be undertaken if the patient is elderly, under five years old, or is immunocompromised.Be aware that allergy shots can be very expensive and may not be covered by insurance.
About the Author
Danielle Simmons
Specializes in breaking down complex home improvement topics into simple steps.
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