How to Get Rid of Pet Allergy
Pet allergy represents one of the most common types of allergy. If people realize that they have watering eyes and that they sneeze in the presence of dogs and cats, then they must realize that pet allergy may be the cause. However, the cats and dogs are not the only pets that may determine an allergic reaction among people. Birds, and in some cases even hamsters, have been reported to provoke allergy.

Most of the people think that the fur or the feathers of the pets are the elements that trigger the allergic reaction. Actually, this is not true. The flakes of animal skin, which are also known as dander, are responsible for the watery eyes and for the irritation of the skin and of the respiratory tract. In rather seldom cases, the element that provokes allergy is actually the saliva of the pets. This happens very rarely, since people make contact to this only by mistake.

The actual presence of the animals is not necessary for the allergic reaction to appear. People may manifest pet allergy symptoms when moving into a new home, for example, if the previous owner had any pets. In this particular situation, the person who moves in must clean the house thoroughly. Despite of this fact, it may take several weeks or even months to get rid of the discomfort.

When people who have pet allergy make contact to pets or enter a location where pets live or have lived, a chemical substance is released into their body. This chemical substance is called histamine. The immune system is the one who releases it, so the potential dangerous elements –the animal skin flakes, in this particular situation- are counterattacked. When this substance is set free into the body, people start to feel their skin itchy. In addition, people may experience other symptoms that include watery eyes and stifling nose. Even more, sneezing and itchy nose are also symptoms of pet allergy. The respiratory tract is also affected by the pet allergy, so it is not uncommon for people to experience lung congestion, cough and breathlessness.

Requesting medical advice as soon as these symptoms become noticed is very important. The doctor will perform a test in order to make the diagnosis correctly. After this test, the doctor will be able to tell the precise cause of the allergic reaction. Next, a treatment will be prescribed. Although the treatment is usually based on antihistamines and antibiotics that are meant to neutralize the action of the histamine, the best solution to get rid of the pet allergy is to have the pets moved to another location.