How To Treat A Cat Allergy

Introduction

If you’re allergic to cats, you probably know that the condition can make your eyes watery and itchy and even cause a runny nose. Sometimes symptoms are mild, but they can be severe. In addition to medication, there’s plenty you can do on your own to reduce exposure to allergens and lessen discomfort.

Avoidance

If you are allergic to cats, the most important step to take is avoidance. This means that you should avoid contact with cats and other allergens as much as possible. There are many ways that this can be done:

Do not allow a cat into your home or car.
If a cat must be in your home, keep it away from you by putting it in a separate room or kennel when you are at home and only let the animal out when necessary (for example, if there’s an emergency).
If a cat must be in your car, try using a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner daily to clean up any hair or dander before driving anywhere.
Use air filters on vents so they don’t blow particles into rooms where people spend a lot of time; many allergy sufferers have reported good results using them instead of dehumidifiers because the air coming out is cleaner than what comes from most dehumidifiers.

Medications

Medications
Over-the-counter antihistamines
Prescription antihistamines. These are often called H1 blockers and include cetirizine (brand name Zyrtec), levocetirizine (brand name Xyzal), desloratadine (brand name Claritin), fexofenadine (brand name Allegra) or loratadine (brand name Claritin). These drugs help reduce your symptoms by blocking the effects of histamine, a chemical released in response to an allergen that causes sneezing, itching and runny nose.
Oral steroids: If you have severe asthma or allergies to dust mites and other allergens, your doctor may prescribe oral steroids such as prednisone for short periods of time to control severe symptoms like wheezing and difficulty breathing. However, long-term use of oral steroids is not recommended because it can cause major health problems including osteoporosis.
Nasal steroids: These medications prevent inflammation in the nose so it can’t become blocked by mucus secretions during an allergic reaction to pollen or pet dander.

Allergy shots

Allergy shots are a type of immunotherapy that can help reduce your allergic reactions to allergens. It’s not a cure, but it can help you live with your allergies. Allergy shots aren’t for everyone, though—you’ll have to be pretty committed to the process and make sure you’re in good health before starting treatment.

Allergy shots work by introducing small amounts of the allergen into your system over time. Over time, this allows your immune system to build up defenses against that particular allergen and reduces symptoms like sneezing, congestion and runny nose when exposed to it later on in life

Other treatments

Natural remedies. There are a number of ways you can treat a cat allergy without taking medications, including:
Eliminating allergens from your home. While vacuuming and washing clothes frequently may not be enough to completely eliminate cat dander in your home, it will help reduce the concentration of dust mites, pollen and other triggers that make you sneeze.
Diet. Some people find that adjusting what they eat helps their symptoms improve or go away entirely; some common foods that might trigger an allergic reaction include dairy products (milk, cheese), wheat (breads/pastas/cereals), eggs and soybeans. If this is the case for you, try eliminating these foods from your diet for a few weeks to see if it makes any difference in how well your body handles allergens like pollen or dander from cats!
Vitamins A study published in the Annals of Allergy Asthma & Immunology showed that taking vitamin D supplementation over six months improved seasonal allergies by 40%. You should speak with your doctor before starting any vitamin regimen though—it’s possible to overdose on one type while missing out on another important nutrient!

It’s important to understand the causes of your cat allergy.

There are a number of reasons why a person may develop symptoms of an allergic reaction after coming into contact with cats. The most common cause is an immune system response to proteins found in cat saliva, dander and urine. But there are other possible causes as well, including:

Diet – Some cats are fed diets that contain fish or other ingredients that humans have allergies to. If you have food allergies, it’s possible that your cat can trigger them as well.
Environment – Cat litter boxes can be breeding grounds for dust mites and mold spores—which can also trigger mild allergic reactions in sensitive individuals—so it’s important to keep these areas clean and dry to prevent these issues from developing further over time.

Conclusion

Cat allergies are very common and can be quite bothersome. However, they are almost never a medical emergency. You should consult with your physician if you think you may have symptoms of a cat allergy or any other type of allergy. Treatment and avoiding the allergen is the best way to treat cat allergies and should help reduce symptoms significantly.