People love to have different kinds of pets from fluffy to feathery and even certain creepy crawlies such as snakes, lizards, etc. Pets may be your best friends. At the same time, they can be your enemies too. They are thought to produce certain allergens that may aggravate your symptoms if you are suffering from some health conditions like asthma.
Most of the feathered and fluffy animals produce dander that increases the risk of worsening the disease. If you love pets and want to live with them, you cannot get rid of the dander they produce. But there are certain measures to reduce the exposure to dander.
Animal dander
Most of the people believe that the hair from the animals trigger allergic reactions and asthma symptoms. This, however, is not true. It is actually the dander, the protein found in skin flakes, feces, urine, hair and saliva that trigger the symptoms. The protein is very tiny and is carried through the air. It can easily come in contact with any person and get inhaled directly into the lungs. The symptoms may develop immediately or after 8-12 hours. Most of the pets shed some amount of dander every week. Some are more allergic than others. So you have to look for those that produce very little dander if you want to live with pets.
Reduce exposure to dander
If you are allergic to dander, the most effective way to stay away from it is to remove the pets from your home. Once you remove the pet you have to thoroughly clean your home including the floors, furnishings, bedding, furniture and all other areas where you could possibly find dander. In case you cannot remove your pet you can think of other ways like keeping your pets outside of your home. But this may not help you to reduce the exposure to dander. Here a few more suggestions that can help you.
1. Avoid bringing your pets to your bedrooms. This can prevent the dander from spreading in the rooms where you and your family spend more time.
2. Give a bath to your pets every week to reduce the dander. However, the person suffering from asthma should avoid giving the bath.
3. Avoid cleaning the animal’s cage and it should be done by someone else.
4. Consider tile, hardwood and linoleum flooring for your home as these will not retain the allergens just like the carpets do.
5. Keep the air filters clean to reduce the exposure to dander.
6. If you have stuffed toys, fabric covered furniture and carpets, try to avoid exposing these to your pets. These items can accumulate the dander easily and cause serious allergy problems.
7. Vacuuming often is not very helpful. But use the HEPA vacuum filter or the double bag to reduce the exposure.
8. If your child is suffering from asthma, prevent him from touching or playing with the pet.
9. Avoid taking your pets in your car while traveling. The dander can easily get accumulated on the materials inside and trigger the symptoms.
10. Wash all materials like carpets and other furnishings regularly to prevent contact with the dander.
11. Dusting regularly is also a good way to keep the dander to minimum.
12. If you have forced-air air conditioning or heating, close the air registers to reduce the amount of dander. If you are not able to close them then try closing the rooms where the person with asthma spends time.
Are pets necessary?
Some people who are suffering from asthma may not have pets at home. They may wish to have some kind of pets at home for various reasons. During such instances, you need to look for types that do not cause dander problems or allergens. Some of the pets to consider are hermit crabs, turtles, aquarium fish and snakes.
Most of the homes have pets and some of the owners are allergic to pets. Apart from dander there are various other triggers such as outdoor allergens, mold spores, pollen and chemicals in the air that can aggravate the asthma symptoms. These allergens cause the person suffering from asthma to overreact and have conditions like sneezing, sniffling, watery eyes, itching, etc.
If you have decided to give up your pet for getting rid of the dander, it is better to first consult an immunologist and diagnose the symptoms to get proper treatment. As already mentioned, the symptoms can also be triggered by other things. So do the necessary tests on your pets also to know about their skin condition. All these can help you to control your symptoms and keep your pets.
