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Cat Allergy Reactions

About 20 percent to 30 percent of people who suffer from asthma can suffer a severe asthma attack if they come into contact with cats, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. More than half of the U.S. population owns a pet, according to the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology. Suffering from a cat allergy can be very unpleasant and can even be life-threatening.

  1. Cause

    • The cause of the allergic reaction to cats begins with an immune system reaction. Your immune system doesn't recognize the cat dander as a safe substance, so it releases chemicals to fight it off and protect the body. In response, the chemicals that are released cause cat allergy reactions. The most common cat allergy reactions are hay fever, hives, asthma, nasal congestion and eye irritation.

    Prevention

    • The best prevention and lifestyle treatment for cat allergy reactions is to avoid contact with a cat or cat dander, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. If you own a cat, give it a special room where it can spend the most of its time, to keep its dander from spreading throughout the house. If you don't want to seclude your cat, keep it away from your bedroom, where you spend hours every night. You might want to consider giving your cat to a family that doesn't have cat allergy reactions.

    Medical Treatment

    • You can use over-the-counter drugs to treat and prevent an allergic reaction to cats, according to the Mayo Clinic. You can use antihistamines for the allergy symptoms and decongestants to treat sinus reactions such as nasal congestion, sinus pressure and drainage. Antihistamines are commonly sold in a combined pill for allergies.

      Talk to your doctor before taking any OTC medication. Your doctor might prescribe a steroid nasal spray to manage your cat allergy reactions.

    Complications

    • Constant exposure to cats, leading to chronic cat allergy reactions, can cause a person to develop chronic sinusitis (sinus infection). The exposure to cats could cause the sinus cavity to become inflamed, leading to a sinus infection because of sinus drainage becoming trapped in the sinus cavity.

      Asthma is another potential complication associated with cat allergy reactions. If you experience a severe asthma attack in which you can't breathe normally, get medical assistance immediately.

    Considerations

    • Talk with your doctor about an allergy test. Allergy tests can help pinpoint the exact cause of your allergic reaction and would help in treating your condition. Consider seeing an allergist to discuss the options of using allergy shots (immunotherapy) as a solution to your cat allergic reactions.

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