|  | Conditions Treatments | Asthma

The Effects Hamsters Have on Asthma

The effect of asthma is easy for any family to see--a person who has it is unable to breathe, often needing doses of inhaled medications and steroids. If you are wondering about the effects of your hamster on asthma, it is important to think of several things.

  1. Allergies and Asthma

    • For many people, allergies and asthma go hand in hand. If you have both asthma and allergies, it is important to know what those allergies are. Allergies are a trigger for asthma symptoms. If someone is allergic to pet dander, then a hamster is going to make his asthma worse, even if it is in another room. If someone is allergic to dust, the dust particles in the wooden shavings or bedding will also make his asthma worse. If someone is allergic to other materials that are used in the bedding or cage, those materials will make the asthma worse and will cause asthma attacks. In the case of allergies, it would be best to remove the hamster from the home.

    Excitement and Asthma

    • If you do not have allergies, there are other things that will cause asthma attacks. These are called triggers. Your doctor will discus these thing with you. If excitement is one of the triggers, the hamster might have an adverse affect on asthma if it escapes often or if it is prone to getting out of its cage. It might also be exciting to pet and play with the hamster, and this could cause problems with asthma.

    Stress and Asthma

    • On the other hand, if your doctor has told you that you should relax in order to help your asthma, and you feel that playing with a hamster or watching a hamster is a way to relax, the calming affects of being around the animal might help your asthma. If your doctor clears you for allergies, and tells you to do whatever you'd like to do in order to stay calm and happy, and having a hamster is something that will make you calm and happy, it might help your asthma.

Asthma - Related Articles