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| By Britton L. Georges, MD Overlake-affiliated physician Pets bring their owners tremendous comfort, joy and companionship, but for some, they also bring itchy, watery eyes and sniffles. In the United States, pet ownership is extremely common—more than 50 percent of homes include a cat, a dog or both. Sensitivity to pets is also common. A recent study showed 17 percent of people had a positive skin allergy test to cats. Pet owners, however, are no more likely to be allergic than non-owners because cat and dog allergens can be detected in almost all American homes and public places such as school classrooms. If you have pet allergies, you should be relieved to know there are several ways to manage your symptoms so you can continue to enjoy your cat, dog or other pet.
People allergic to pets can develop allergic rhinitis or asthma, or both. Symptoms of allergic rhinitis include runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy/watery eyes and postnasal drip. Asthma symptoms include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and exercise-induced asthma. If you have symptoms suggesting you may be allergic, you should see your doctor who may recommend skin or blood tests to confirm an allergy. Your physician will then correlate the results of the skin test with your symptoms to determine the cause and recommend treatment. Most allergic people won’t consider parting ways with their beloved pets, but usually need treatment to alleviate their symptoms. Allergy treatment includes avoidance, medications and immunotherapy (allergy shots). Avoidance is always the best treatment for allergies. The following are recommended to help reduce exposure to pet allergens:
Immunotherapy can work very well and involves injections of pet allergen to alter the immune system and reduce allergen sensitivity. Injections are given for years to patients for whom medications are not helpful or desired. A new oral form of immunotherapy may also be available in the future. People often feel their pets are “hypoallergenic.” All pets are probably allergenic, but studies have shown that some pets may produce 20 times more allergenic protein than others, which probably explains why some pets may be less bothersome than others. In cats, testosterone enhances the production of this protein, so male cats may cause more symptoms than females. If you are considering getting a pet, but concerned you may be allergic, consider getting tested or at least spending some time with a friend’s pet. If you already own a pet and are allergic to it, be sure to manage your allergy so you don’t develop anything more serious, like severe asthma, and so you can continue to enjoy your pet. |
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