• 20 February 2020

WHEN PUSSY AND HASSOCK BECOME AN ALLERGEN...

WHEN PUSSY AND HASSOCK BECOME AN ALLERGEN...

Pet owners naturally want to live together with their four-legged friend. But sometimes an allergy can come on suddenly. Help is offered by naturopathy. 

Many people know this: You decide to give an animal a new home, but after a short time you are surprised to find out that sneezing attacks, blocked airways and watery eyes have also moved in with the dog or cat. If one suffers from an allergy to animal hair, even a visit to animal owners becomes a test of endurance. The term animal hair allergy is actually not quite correct. This is because those affected do not react directly to animal hair, but to certain proteins found in skin scales, sebum, saliva, faeces or urine, which ultimately stick to the animals' hair. These smallest particles are in the air. In a person who is sensitized to these substances, they can cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms can include sneezing, reddened or swollen eyes, a cold, conjunctivitis or even serious complaints such as asthma. 

The animals that most frequently cause animal hair allergies are cats, guinea pigs, rats, mice, hamsters, rabbits and dogs. But allergies to horses, cows and birds are also possible. The cat allergen is the most potent. This can persist in apartments for a long time, even if the cat has not lived there for a long time. Also, the allergen of the cat is transported into rooms without a cat ever having been there. The cat allergy is not an allergy to the hair itself, but to proteins in saliva and tear fluid. By licking the animals, these allergens stick to the fur. 

The animal allergy to cats, is an allergy of the immediate type. Contact with cat hair can cause an allergic reaction within seconds and minutes. A breed-specific sensitization, such as a pure allergy to Persian cats, is possible.

In most cases, immediate separation from the animal is recommended as an absolutely necessary measure in the case of an allergy. For many pet owners, however, it is hardly conceivable to part with their beloved pet. If the symptoms are not yet far advanced, other measures can first be taken to try to get the allergy under control. Thorough hygiene in the household is a priority.

In naturopathy, the treatment of the causes is in the foreground. Thus, attempts are made to act on the trigger or triggers of the animal hair allergy by suitable means. A predisposition to allergy can be inherited and may rest in the body without showing any symptoms. In addition, the cause can be found in the intestine and can be significantly improved with an individual intestinal rehabilitation, with which the intestinal flora is built up. 


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