A charming kitten can fill life not only with comfort and positive emotions, but also bring into it serious problems in the form of a response of immunity to an irritant. In order not to blame the vainly purring creature in all its troubles, it is better to clarify how the allergy to cats is manifested. The cause of unpleasant symptoms is not always a domestic pet.
How does the allergy to the fur of cats appear in adults?
To begin with, it is important to understand that immunity does not react at all to the animal's coat. In this case, irritants are protein compounds, proteins that are excreted with saliva and urine.
Thus, the allergy is equally manifested both in British cats and in contact with other breeds of these cute creatures, including completely devoid of wool sphinxes. They all regularly go to the tray and are licked, secreting proteins into the environment. Naturally, most of the proteins settle on the skin and hairs of the pet, which led to the origin of the erroneous opinion that the immune system reacts to the wool.
Characteristic signs of the described pathology are specific symptoms and how quickly allergies to cats are manifested. If for other types of disease, for example, pollinosis, it takes several hours before the development of a pronounced clinic, negative reactions in contact with animals arise almost immediately.
Symptoms:
- Sneezing with a small amount of clear secret. Allergens, first of all, get on the mucous membranes of the nose during breathing, cause their irritation and puffiness, sometimes - stuffiness without a cold .
- Dry cough and shortness of breath, similar to an asthmatic attack. Protein compounds have microscopic dimensions, which quickly overcome the membrane barriers in the bronchi. This provokes difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing.
- Conjunctivitis. Another area that is exposed to allergens is the eye. The described pathology is accompanied by pronounced lacrimation, marked reddening of both proteins and mucous membranes, swelling of the eyelids. In addition, there is photophobia.
- Dermatological reactions. Typically, allergies are typical of urticaria , but with direct tactile contact with the cat, rashes can be more numerous. Often, a red rash is very itchy and spreads rapidly throughout the body, including the face and neck.
- Inflammation. If the pet licked, scratched or scratched any area of the human skin with increased sensitivity to the feline protein, redness and irritation, swelling are first observed at this site, after which the inflammatory process may begin, especially with bacterial infection or contamination of the wound.
It is worth noting that the symptoms are strictly individual and not necessarily all of the listed signs should take place. Moreover, it is necessary to check the presumptive diagnosis, having consulted with the allergist. The cause of these phenomena can be a completely different disease.
How long does it take to get an allergy to cats?
It has already been mentioned that sneezing, coughing and difficulty breathing usually arise during the first hours of communication with a pet regardless of its breed. But this
On that, through how much the allergy to cats is shown, the following parameters influence:
- the age of the animal, the kittens produce less protein;
- abundance of wool cover;
- frequency of cleaning in rooms;
- The habitat (living in a separate room, on the street or freely moving).
The reaction time is completely different for each person, some symptoms appear after 5-15 minutes, others - after a few months.