When you have a perpetually stuffy nose, itchy and watery eyes, and sinus discomfort that just doesn't subside, chances are that you are suffering from allergies. However, to know for sure whether or not you have allergies and/or what you are allergic to, you need to head to the allergy doctor. And once you do so, you find out that you are allergic to pet dander. The problem is, of course, that you have and love your pets and are unwilling to ever part with them. Luckily, there are steps that you can take to deal with your allergies without having to rid yourself of your precious pets. So, learn what you need to do to deal with animal dander allergies as a pet owner.
Wash Your Hands Often And Thoroughly
The first step you will need to take to deal with a pet dander allergy is to spend a lot of time and effort washing your hands. Specifically, whenever you pet your dog or cat, you will want to wash your hands before you touch your face or eyes.
This will be a difficult rule to follow at first as people tend to touch their faces frequently and without thinking about it. So, you will have to be very aware of your hands and make sure to keep them away from your face until you wash. Otherwise, you are placing the pet dander that you are allergic to in direct contact with your eyes, nose and mouth which will worsen your allergy symptoms.
Get Your Pet Groomed Regularly
Similar to humans, if your pet does not get brushed and/or bathed regularly, their dead skin cells begin to accumulate and they develop flaky skin (dandruff). These skin cells are precisely what you are allergic to, and therefore you should do what you can to prevent this problem.
If you are careful and keep your face covered, you can groom your pet yourself. However, the safest bet for your allergies is to take your dog or cat to get groomed once a month. This process will remove any accumulated dead skin cells from your pet and will help to keep their skin and fur clean and healthy. Thus, regular grooming helps both you and your pet.
Clean Floors and Furniture Regularly
Finally, your pets spend a great deal of time laying on your floors and possibly on your furniture. Now, most allergy doctors will tell you that if you keep your pets when you have pet allergies, you need to keep them off of your furniture (especially your bed). However, you well know that this is not always possible.
To keep pet dander from lingering and causing you allergy attacks and discomfort, you will need to sweep or vacuum your floors every day. With your furniture, you will need to change covers and linens regularly (at least once a week) and vacuum your furniture as well.
These simple steps will help you to deal with your pet dander allergy symptoms without having to give up your precious pets. While this will not guarantee total relief from your allergies, it will minimize the effects and keep you feeling as good as possible. Talk to your local allergy experts, such as Allergy Partners of the Midlands, for more information.
Share27 January 2015
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