Cat Allergy in Humans

Do you love cats, but do you always have to sneeze around your four-legged friend? Then you may have a cat allergy. Here you can find out how you can get rid of the annoying allergy symptoms and cuddle with your cat undisturbed again.

Symptoms: What are the Signs of a Cat Allergy in Humans?

Cat allergy sufferers react differently to the allergens that occur on the animal and in the immediate vicinity. If the cat allergy is mild, you will experience symptoms that are similar to hay fever:

• You have watery and itchy eyes.
• You have to sneeze (urge to sneeze).
• Your nose is running and feels blocked (runny nose).
• You feel a scratchy throat.

If the allergy worsens, more severe symptoms may appear:

• Fatigue and trouble sleeping
• strong coughing fits up to difficulty breathing
• Reddened and itchy patches of skin (wheals)

If you suffer an allergic shock (anaphylactic shock), you can die within a short time without countermeasures from the associated consequences (e.g. drop in blood pressure and shortness of breath).

Diagnosis: How is a Cat Allergy Detected?

If you have allergic reactions in the presence of cats, it is important that you have these checked out by a doctor. This is important because this is the only way to prevent long-term and serious complications (e.g. bronchial asthma).

Usually, however, your doctor can quickly identify a cat allergy. To do this, he can carry out the following tests on you:

1. Skin tests
   There are several ways to do a skin test. The prick test or the intracutaneous test are used particularly frequently in medical practices. During the prick test, your doctor drips several liquids with different allergens onto your forearm marked with squares. By carefully scratching the skin, the allergens can enter the skin. If red wheals form in one of the squares at the puncture site, this indicates the main allergen. The intracutaneous test is similar, except that the doctor injects the substances directly under the hair
2. Blood test (laboratory test). If the doctor takes blood from you, he can have it examined for the presence of specific antibodies in a laboratory. If the concentration of IgE antibodies is increased, this is an indication of an allergy. This test is mostly used to confirm the result of a skin test or when skin tests cannot be performed due to skin conditions.

Therapy: How is a Cat Allergy Treated in Humans?

The easiest way to relieve the symptoms of a cat allergy is to avoid allergens. This means that you should avoid contact with cats whenever possible. However, if you have a cat yourself, if there are cats in your neighborhood, or if you have work to do with the cuddlers, this is not always possible. In these cases the following alternatives are available:

Medication

Antihistamines in the form of eye drops, ointments, or tablets will help you relieve the allergic symptoms of a cat allergy. However, if you react difficultly, you should always have an inhalation spray with so-called beta-2 sympathomimetics (e.g. salbutamol) close at hand. These will help you when you can no longer breathe.

Cat food that reduces allergens on cat hair

Special cat food has recently been available that can help deal with cat allergens. This novel food contains a specific protein from eggs that have been shown to neutralize allergens in cat saliva. As the cat grooms, the less active allergen is distributed in its fur, which reduces the amount of allergen in the area.

A study has shown that allergens on cat hair are reduced by an average of 47 percent if the cats have eaten the food daily for three weeks. Although the food does not replace any other methods of handling allergens, it does help to reduce the number of allergens in the environment and thus make everyday life easier for a cat allergy sufferer.

If you would like to try this food too, you should ensure that you switch the food gently.

Desensitization (desensitization)

However, if the medication for the symptoms of cat allergy does not help you, you can be desensitized. Your doctor will administer the causative allergens to you over several months with increasing doses. The goal is to get your immune system used to the allergens and to permanently reduce the overreaction.

What is the prognosis?

Most allergy sufferers only react weakly. However, if your immune system overreacts, you can suffer life-threatening shock or develop allergic asthma.

Causes: What are the Triggers?

Surveys show that around one in five cat owners or someone living in the household is sensitive to cats. This not only increases the daily cleaning effort – but the cat-human relationship also suffers.

The cat allergy is due to special proteins that cats release through their saliva and sometimes through the urine and sebum glands. Strictly speaking, it is not a cat hair allergy as many suspects.

If you come into contact with these allergens, your immune system will overreact. Your body then releases histamine, which not only causes itching and reddening of the skin, but also a drop in blood pressure.

Prevention: Can You Prevent a Cat Allergy?

You can develop an animal allergy at any point in time. So you cannot prevent it. But with the various forms of therapy, you can get the allergic symptoms under control.