Do you suffer from complaints such as sneezing, itchy eyes or shortness of breath and do you suspect that this could be caused by a cat allergy? You may not be sure what type of allergy it is and it could also be a dog allergy, hay fever or hypersensitivity to house dust mites. Nowadays you can easily test yourself whether it is cat dander that is causing your complaints using a simple self-test from Allergie Check. Once you have discovered the cause of your allergy, you can choose an adequate treatment, such as medication or a hyposensitization treatment.
Testing for cat allergy
- How can you be allergic to cats?
- What symptoms are associated with a cat allergy?
- Test whether it is a cat allergy
- What can you do about a cat allergy?
How can you be allergic to cats?
Many people think that you may have an allergy to cat hair. This is not right. Anyone who is allergic to cats is not allergic to the hair of the animals, but to the dander they secrete. These flakes, which are not even visible to the naked eye, circulate in the air and you can inhale them. A cat allergy is therefore an inhalation allergy, just like hay fever or a house dust mite allergy. The fact that you suffer from complaints such as sneezing and itchy eyes while you are in the vicinity of a cat is of course an important indication. However, if you have multiple types of pets, it may not always be immediately clear that the allergic reaction is caused by the cat. It may also be that you have certain complaints that you wonder whether they are caused by an allergy, but that you do not experience the most well-known symptoms such as sneezing and watery eyes.
What symptoms are associated with a cat allergy?
Common symptoms of a cat allergy include:
- Sneezing and sneezing fits
- Runny nose and stuffy nose
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Fatigue
- Red rash and swelling of the skin
- Shortness of breath and wheezing
However, it may also happen that you suffer from nose complaints but not from eye complaints. A cat allergy can also worsen asthmatic complaints. The complaints usually develop quite quickly after contact with cats or being in the vicinity of cats. For some, the symptoms disappear very quickly and for others they can last up to 24 hours. In severe cases, you can also get an allergic reaction from contact with someone who has recently come into contact with a cat.
Test whether it is a cat allergy
If you want to know the source of your allergy, you can choose to have a test carried out. This can be done at your doctor’s office, but nowadays you can also easily test it yourself at home using a self-test from Allergie Check . You can easily do a test with a finger prick. You put the drop of blood that is released on a strip that you then put in the testing device. This will immediately provide you with an answer to whether or not you have a cat allergy. Allergy Check’s tests are up to 98% accurate.
What can you do about a cat allergy?
It is clear that an allergy to cats quickly becomes very annoying. Nowadays, so many people have a cat at home that it can seriously limit your social life, not to mention the obstacles for someone who often visits other people professionally, such as a social worker, installer or maternity assistant.
There are roughly two treatment methods for a cat allergy. First of all, you can suppress the allergic reaction with medication , just like with hay fever. However, you must be prepared every time you come into contact with cats because you must take the nasal spray or pills in advance. Another method that can really ‘cure’ the allergy is a hyposensitization treatment . Through an injection course, you are then given an increasingly increasing dose of allergens, which should ultimately ensure that your body becomes used to the allergens and will no longer react so strongly to them. Unfortunately, a hyposensitization treatment does not work for everyone.
