By Samuel Murray
Pets definitely help us live longer and healthier lives. This isespecially true of the elderly and those of us who live alone.Pets make wonderful and faithful companions. They are alwaysthere for us. However, this relationship can become strained,and sometimes even be broken when someone in the householddevelops an allergy to a beloved pet.
Studies show that approximately 15% of the population suffersfrom an allergy to a dog or cat, and about one third of thosewith an allergy to cats choose to live in a household with a catdespite the allergy. Some allergy suffers live happily with apet for a year or two before an allergy starts.
There are sometimes long term health ramifications of repeatedallergy flair up's, especially for children. Repeated flair-up'scan cause permanent lung damage in children. This should becarefully and thoroughly discussed with your physician. One ofthe ways to live happily with an animal you are allergic to isto decrease your exposure to the animal. Keep the animal outsideif possible.
If the allergy sufferer only has a mild reaction to the animalthere are ways for the two of them to live together in harmony,but it takes work. The animal should not be allowed in theallergy sufferers bedroom or on the bed. Keep the animal off ofany upholstered furniture in the house as dander can betransferred to upholstered furniture. Use a room purifier toremove airborne animal dander. Remove carpets from the home ifpossible and replace with wood floors. Wash area rugs on aregular basis with warm water. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filterin order to trap dander. The allergy sufferer should wash his orher face and hands after handling the animal. The animal can bebathed weekly in specially formulated shampoo that removesdander.
In some cases where the above methods and the use of over thecounter antihistamines and decongestants do not help, theallergy sufferer may need to seek the help of an allergist.Immunotherapy can be thought of like a vaccination against yourallergies. Given on a regular basis as shots, immunotherapyhelps your body build up a natural tolerance to specificallergens.
With the use of the above methods you'll be able to live a longand healthy life with your pet
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