 You may suspect allergy if you have the symptoms mentioned here. When touching the fur or feathers of pets; objects containing pet allergens; or breathing in pet allergens; the following reactions may result:
• hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis). Sneezing and a running or blocked nose.
• eye symptoms such as itching and watering eyes.
• asthma. Coughing and wheezing.
• children's eczema. Itchy skin disease with red patches.
• nettle rash. An itchy reddish rash.
The following things can make your symptoms worse:
• Polluted air, tobacco smoke and car fumes may precipitate asthma.
• Any other allergens in the environment (e.g. pollens).
Methods of pet allergy diagnosing don’t differ much from those of other types of allergy.
Skin tests or special allergy blood tests are usually applied. To help determine whether an allergy is involved, two types of skin testing are usually performed: a skin prick test, which involves making a small break on the surface of the skin to introduce an extract of a specific allergen (any substance, including animal dander, that can cause an allergic reaction); or an intracutaneous test, where an allergen extract is injected into the skin. If you develop swelling and redness in the area, that indicates you have an allergy.
On the other hand, if skin testing is negative, a blood test can confirm whether the animal in question is the source of the allergy. Many pet owners rarely part with their animals so it can be difficult to understand whether the symptoms are related to the allergy or not. To gain confirmation about a pet's significance as an allergen, the pet should be removed from the home for several weeks and a thorough cleaning done to remove the hair and dander. It should be understood that it can take weeks of meticulous cleaning to remove all the animal hair and dander before a change in the allergic patient is noted.
If you ignore your symptoms and don’t see your doctor you are likely to develop worsening of the symptoms, among them:
• Greater susceptibility to other illnesses of the airways.
• Ear infections.
• Difficulties sleeping and insomnia.
• Worsening of asthma, and maybe even the possibility of a severe asthma attack.
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