How Can You Know If You Have Pet Allergies?

There are so many triggers for allergies, and allergens are all around us. Some are related to dust and pollen, and other triggers can be from pets. Do you know what you're actually allergic to? Here are some of the allergy symptoms caused by animals.

Normally for pet allergy sufferers, they start sneezing badly once they're nearby any cats or dogs, or when exposed to pet hairs left around the house - this is the first sign. Other common symptoms to look out for are also blocked noses or runny ones, not too much different from a cold really. It is easy to tell the difference between the two though as once you get away from the allergen, the symptoms will subside just as quickly as it came.

Just like people who are hyper-sensitive to pollen or dust mites, itchy or red eyes can also be attributed to allergies caused by pets. You might also experience tearing of the eyes as well and they can come about if you rub your eyes after touching a dog or a cat. To be more accurate, the pet hairs are not the culprit, but the pet dander.

If you've never heard of the word "dander" before, I'll explain it. Dander's similar to dandruff on human scalps and but they're much smaller flakes of skin, so small that it isn't obvious to the naked eye.

Pets normally shed these microscopic flakes of skin throughout the day and are easily spread throughout a home. They attach themselves to carpets, furniture and clothing and have an extremely long life span. This is why when people who have pet allergies enter a house with pets, they start sneezing uncontrollably regardless of whether or not the pet is at home.

Does this mean that allergy sufferers cannot own a dog or a cat? No, in fact, they can. If you decide that you really want to have a pet at home, you will need to select specific breeds of dogs or cats that are hypoallergenic - yes there is really such a thing. The Maltese and Australian Terrier are just 2 examples of hypoallergenic dogs.

Another thing you can do to ensure you can coexist with your pet without suffering is to get yourself an air purifier for your home.

The best types are ones that get installed into an existing cooling or heating system and they efficiently clear the air of your entire house so it will continue to remain free of dander.