Do you have cat allergies? it doesn?t mean you have to skip visits with your feline-loving friends and family.
With a little preparation, you should be able to go anywhere without ending up with itchy, red eyes, a tickly throat, sneezing, or even shortness of breath?all of which happen when people allergic to cats encounter cat dander.
Cat dander is more than just cat hair; it?s skin cells, saliva, and other proteins that can cause your body to release histamine, an immune system protein that?s ultimately to blame for your miserable symptoms.
Be prepared
?If I know I?m going to somebody?s house who has a pet, I just take a pill 20 minutes before I go,? says Alejandra Soto, 36, who has been allergic to cats, dogs, horses, and pretty much any animal with hair since childhood.
Because she doesn?t always know whether someone has a pet before she visits, Soto adds, she always has an antihistamine in her purse.
?It?s really rare that I?ll be exposed and it will catch me by surprise,? says Soto, who directs communications and outreach for the New York City Mayor?s Office to Combat Domestic Violence.
Don?t choose the soft chair
Steer clear of upholstered furniture, which is a hotbed of dander in households with cats. not only do felines like a comfortable seat as much as the next mammal, the soft upholstery can trap dander.
Hard wooden chairs can?t harbor as many cat allergens, so you?re better off taking a seat there.
Even if you can?t spot any cat hair on that comfy looking couch, don?t go there.
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Take antihistamines
Non-drowsy antihistamines like loratidine (Claritin) can help keep you symptom-free and alert when you?re visiting a household with pets that make you sneeze.
Angel Waldron, a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), who?s also allergic to cats, takes loratidine every day when she?s visiting feline-friendly family members.
If you?re planning a long visit to a home with cats, you may want to ask your allergist about starting medication a few weeks beforehand.
Practice hand hygiene
Two things that help fight colds or flu?washing your hands and not touching your face?are also a good idea if you might come into contact with cat allergens.
Tempted to give your friend?s cat a quick scratch behind the ears? Don?t. even minimal contact can trigger an allergic reaction.
What?s more, if you touch any surface and transfer dander to your face or eyes, it can trigger symptoms. So wash your hands before touching your face.
Have air filter, will travel
If you often visit friends or family with cats, but they don?t have a HEPA air purifier in the room where you?ll be staying, you may want to consider investing in a portable version.
Small but powerful, HEPA air purifiers are available for under $200, and you can even use them to clean the air in your car.
?A HEPA filter is just great to have anyway,? Waldron says. ?It?s good with pollen, it?s good for mold, it?s good for dust mite allergens.?
10 Ways to Beat Cat Allergies ? Page 1 -
MSN Health & Fitness ? Allergies
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