People who suffer from pet allergies will experience symptoms that are indicative of inflammation of the nasal passages. This includes a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, and shortness of breath. Physical contact with pet dander can cause contact dermatitis, skin rash, hives, or even asthma in a person. Pet allergy is an allergic reaction to proteins found in an animal's skin cells, saliva, or urine.
The signs of pet allergy are similar to those of hay fever, such as sneezing and a runny nose. Some people may also have signs of asthma, such as wheezing and difficulty breathing. It can be difficult to tell if you have a cold or an allergy since the symptoms are so similar. If your symptoms persist for more than two weeks, it is likely that you have an allergy.
Unfortunately, pet allergies cannot be cured. However, you can control the symptoms by preventing pets from having known allergens and taking medications. If you experience a runny nose, watery eyes, or start to sneeze and wheeze after petting or playing with a dog or cat, it is likely that you have a pet allergy. In fact, pet dander allergy is becoming increasingly common in the United States and is now considered the most common trigger for allergies and asthma.
Pet allergies are caused by certain proteins called allergens found in pets that cause the allergic immune system to overreact. Pet dander is made up of small scales of skin shed by cats, dogs, and other animals with fur or feathers. It is often invisible to the human eye but can float in the air for long periods of time and settle on surfaces in the house where it can remain for months. Pet allergy can cause constant allergic symptoms since exposure can occur at work, school, daycare, or other indoor environments even if a pet isn't present.
If you don't have a pet but are thinking about adopting or buying one, make sure you don't have pet allergies before you get engaged. If you have mild pet allergies, symptoms may appear a few hours or a few days after you encounter a pet. Any animal with fur can be a source of pet allergy but pet allergies are often associated with cats and dogs. The goal of an allergy test is to detect the specific IgE (immunoglobulin E) for each allergen to determine if you have an allergy to pet dander.
Allergies occur when the immune system reacts to a foreign substance such as pollen, mold, or pet dander. Pet allergy symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, wheezing, itchy throat and watery eyes are the result of the body's reaction to a protein found in pets' saliva, skin glands and urine.