Cat Allergy Symptoms and Treatments

There are different types of cat allergy treatment available, but before addressing any treatment, we must first discuss what causes a cat allergy and what the symptoms are.

An allergic reaction to a cat is caused by the human body's immune system mistaking cat hair & dander as a "dangerous substance". The immune system is attempting to ward off these "dangerous substances". This causes symptoms like that of hay fever.

Symptoms

There are many different allergy symptoms, but they mostly depend on what type of cat allergy you are diagnosed with: cat hair, cat dander, cat flea, or cat skin allergy. Also, there are many different types of cat allergy treatment, so different symptoms require different treatments.

Swollen and Watery Eyes

This is usually caused by tiny pieces of cat dust and dander traveling from the cat's skin through the air and into your eyes. You will usually have itchy eyes and they will be red at times. You can get rid of the swelling and watery eyes by either removing the cat or by taking eye drops.

Wheezing and Coughing

Just as in the cause of the itchy, watery, swollen eyes, cat dust and dander can travel through the air and be breathed in through the mouth. The muscles in the airways will contract in a reaction to the dander coming in contact with your airways, resulting in difficulty breathing, coughing, and wheezing.

Excema

Sometimes cat dander will come in contact with the skin and cause itchy, red, dry sections. To remedy this, minimize scratching and moisturize the area.

Other symptoms include sneezing and running/stuffy nose.

Treatments

A cat allergy treatment is available in pill form, so your doctor may be able to subscribe something if you have symptoms of cat allergy. Another cat allergy treatment is available in the form of antihistamine nasal sprays. However, these methods provide only temporary relief. Here are some tips to minimize your cat allergies:

Keep the cat out of certain rooms.

Keep the house well-ventilated.

Vacuum often.

By knowing what the symptoms and causes for you cat allergies are, it is much easier to identify treatments. By using the information in this article, you should be able to ease your allergies quite well.