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Suddenly allergic to cats.
- Thread starter boxx
- Start Date
*Sigh.*
I'm sorry! I don't know anyone who's suddenly developed an allergy to cats, but I did develop sudden an allergy when I was 18 (to lotion, sunscreen, and conditioner). It kind of built up when I was wearing sunscreen every day over the summer, but I've noticed that it has not gotten worse since then, so that's good. Cats, I've been allergic to my whole life. But in most cases, it can be a manageable allergy!
The first thing I'd recommend is finding an antihistamine that works for you that you can take when your symptoms get bad or you get a cat hair in your eye or something. Benadryl is the absolute best for getting rid of symptoms, but it will knock you out so that's best for when you're about to go to bed. Otherwise, different medications work well for different people. I do great with Zyrtec, but it makes some people drowsy. My dad's very allergic to cats (although not quite as allergic as me) and he does better with Flonaze around them. Claritin is also a common option. If something isn't working well, try something else. It's usually fine to take an antihistamine daily if you need to. I do that during the spring for seasonal allergies.
I had bad asthma around cats growing up, but allergy shots helped a lot with that. Now I just get the sneezing, itching, and eye-watering, which can get bad enough that I can't function normally at times, but there are lots of things I do to keep that from happening, and it works pretty well.
Don't underestimate the power of washing your hands after petting your cat or rinsing your face with water if symptoms start. The worst symptoms come from direct contact, so be conscious not to touch your face after being around your cat until you've washed your hands. And flushing out the dander and allergens can help a lot. Also, if your cat's been laying on you (which my cat likes to do) changing into a clean, fur-free shirt helps. If your cat likes to sleep on your bed, wash and change your sheets often. The pillowcase is most important because it touches your face, so throwing that in with your laundry every now and then is better than nothing if you don't have time to change all of your sheets as frequently as you need.
Obviously, vacuuming frequently helps a good deal. But you might want to take something before you vacuum, because the vacuum cleaner can disturb dander and cause it to float around in the air sometimes.
Some people with bad allergies invest in an air purifier, which I personally haven't found necessary so I can't tell you how well that works.
Nowadays, mostly, my allergies only get bad enough to where I need to take an antihistamine if my cat rubs over my face or I get a cat hair in my eye or I've been lax about vacuuming that week. Otherwise, they are barely noticeable!
Basically, don't worry. You'll likely figure out how to reduce your symptoms and still be around your cat just as much.
The first thing I'd recommend is finding an antihistamine that works for you that you can take when your symptoms get bad or you get a cat hair in your eye or something. Benadryl is the absolute best for getting rid of symptoms, but it will knock you out so that's best for when you're about to go to bed. Otherwise, different medications work well for different people. I do great with Zyrtec, but it makes some people drowsy. My dad's very allergic to cats (although not quite as allergic as me) and he does better with Flonaze around them. Claritin is also a common option. If something isn't working well, try something else. It's usually fine to take an antihistamine daily if you need to. I do that during the spring for seasonal allergies.
I had bad asthma around cats growing up, but allergy shots helped a lot with that. Now I just get the sneezing, itching, and eye-watering, which can get bad enough that I can't function normally at times, but there are lots of things I do to keep that from happening, and it works pretty well.
Don't underestimate the power of washing your hands after petting your cat or rinsing your face with water if symptoms start. The worst symptoms come from direct contact, so be conscious not to touch your face after being around your cat until you've washed your hands. And flushing out the dander and allergens can help a lot. Also, if your cat's been laying on you (which my cat likes to do) changing into a clean, fur-free shirt helps. If your cat likes to sleep on your bed, wash and change your sheets often. The pillowcase is most important because it touches your face, so throwing that in with your laundry every now and then is better than nothing if you don't have time to change all of your sheets as frequently as you need.
Obviously, vacuuming frequently helps a good deal. But you might want to take something before you vacuum, because the vacuum cleaner can disturb dander and cause it to float around in the air sometimes.
Some people with bad allergies invest in an air purifier, which I personally haven't found necessary so I can't tell you how well that works.
Nowadays, mostly, my allergies only get bad enough to where I need to take an antihistamine if my cat rubs over my face or I get a cat hair in my eye or I've been lax about vacuuming that week. Otherwise, they are barely noticeable!
Basically, don't worry. You'll likely figure out how to reduce your symptoms and still be around your cat just as much.
first off I would get allergy testing to make totally sure it is the cat dander. It's almost summer, pollen is in the air crazy. The only time pollen doesn't get around is in the winter. I have read up on allergy things galore because after 40 years, I was told that I'm allergic to this & that &the most bothersome is I'm allergic to cats. I've had cats my whole life & now I'm allergic to them.
Second thing is you have to figure out if you're willing to take meds to keep your cat or if you don't want to deal with it. I take claritan when my symptoms act up, otherwise I always have the windows open, I don't get my face around them, I don't pet them like I used to, now I only pat their head or touch their tail, I don't totally rub them down like I used to. Another thing you can do is take a wet paper towel & wipe them off every couple of days. That helps with the dander. Another thing that is recommended is to give baths more frequently. Another thing I did was get an air purifier. That has seriously made a HUGE difference. It's funny cause when the cats walk around it, it goes from green to red so I know it's sensing the dander.
Another thing is vacuum more if you have carpet, if you have hard surface floor, that is better because the dander sticks in the carpet. Lastly if you want to keep your cat & not deal with daily antihistamines, look into allergy shots. Supposedly they can take away allergies over a certain period of time.
Second thing is you have to figure out if you're willing to take meds to keep your cat or if you don't want to deal with it. I take claritan when my symptoms act up, otherwise I always have the windows open, I don't get my face around them, I don't pet them like I used to, now I only pat their head or touch their tail, I don't totally rub them down like I used to. Another thing you can do is take a wet paper towel & wipe them off every couple of days. That helps with the dander. Another thing that is recommended is to give baths more frequently. Another thing I did was get an air purifier. That has seriously made a HUGE difference. It's funny cause when the cats walk around it, it goes from green to red so I know it's sensing the dander.
Another thing is vacuum more if you have carpet, if you have hard surface floor, that is better because the dander sticks in the carpet. Lastly if you want to keep your cat & not deal with daily antihistamines, look into allergy shots. Supposedly they can take away allergies over a certain period of time.
