Pets, particularly cats and dogs, produce
many allergens which for most people have little no effect on their
health. But for some, it can be very distressing and can cause severe
respiratory problems, skin rashes and other medical conditions.
Interestingly
a recent survey has found that despite being allergic to pets,
one-third of people that suffer from pet allergies actually have at
least one pet in their home. Even when advised by a medical practitioner
to avoid contact with pets, only one out of five people gave up keeping
a pet. The survey also found that over one third of the people surveyed
admitted to getting another pet after one had died, even though they
knew they were allergic to them.
People often refer to the cause
of a pet allergy as being from the animal's hair. It has been proven
that it doesn't matter what type of hair a dog or a cat has the animal
still produces allergens. It is fair to say that allergens are sometimes
on the hair of the animal and therefore if the hair drops from the
animal it can float around a bit.
A pet produces allergens from
glands on its skin. They dry on the animal's hair and become airborne
and a person then breathes them in. Allergens are also produced in an
animal's mouth and are therefore present in the saliva. If the animal
licks its fur, then they get transferred and dry on the hair and become
airborne and, if an animal licks a person, the allergens stay on the
skin and dry and gain become airborne.
If you or a family member
suffers from pet allergens, but it is not particularly severe, then
there are a few things you can do to reduce the airborne allergens
entering a person's respiratory system. Remember, the allergens from
pets are mainly airborne so you need to clean the air in your home.
Air
purifiers are very helpful, but they need to be placed in rooms where
the pet is generally and if the pet is allowed into several rooms then
you will need several air purifiers. However, you need to get purifiers
that have high efficient particulate air (HEPA) filters. These filters
can remove 99.7 percent of airborne particles, therefore reducing the
number of allergens floating in the air.
Filters must be regularly
cleaned or replaced to ensure they remain effective. It is also
recommended that, despite using electrical energy, air purifiers should
be left to run continuously.
Vacuum regularly to get rid of animal
hairs and again ensure your vacuum has a HEPA filter, otherwise the
vacuum will suck up the allergens that have got into the carpet and blow
them out into the air making the matter worse.
Check out http://www.rabbitair.com/air-purifiers-for-allergies.aspx for more information about better air quality for pet allergies in your home. Visit RabbitAir
online. Rabbit Air is a manufacturer of air purifiers. Their philosophy
is to create the best purifiers available that also have a great design
aesthetic.
