Humans have been living alongside cats and dogs for thousands of years. But that doesn’t mean we’re always compatible.
About 1 in 5 Australians are allergic to our furry friends, and the rate is rising globally.
Pet allergies can range from mild to severe, so it’s important to pinpoint the seriousness of your reaction as soon as possible.
While it’s unusual to experience anaphylaxis from pet dander, it is possible. The signs can include swelling of the face, hives, wheezing and stomach pain.
In that case, pets are best to be avoided. But if you’ve got a mild allergy, are you doomed to a life without animals?
“It’s not all bad news,” says John Upham, who leads the Lung and Allergy Research Centre at the University of Queensland.
“There are a few approaches that you can take, and it depends to a large extent on how severe the allergy is.”
The first step is confirming the source of the allergy.
While you might be blaming the cat, dust mites, mould spores and cockroaches can cause similar symptoms.
When in doubt, it’s recommended you see an allergy specialist for a skin-prick test or a blood test.
If you get a positive result to dander — congrats, you’re now the brand new owner of a pet … allergy.
Pet allergy practicalities
The best approach to a pet allergy is avoiding exposure by not owning a pet. But if you’re an animal lover, that can be difficult advice to take.
The next best solution is limiting your exposure as much as possible.
This means washing your hands after contact and keeping the animal out of your bedroom.
“Get the animal sleeping in another room, so then at least for the period of time you’re asleep, you’re not breathing in allergens.”
However this approach isn’t foolproof. As any pet owner will confirm, dander travels — on your clothes, your items and in the air.
“They’ve even recorded situations where somebody has gone into an empty property and immediately started sneezing,” Professor Upham says.
“The previous owner had a cat.”
Being exposed to small doses of dander in this way is called ‘passive exposure’, and research suggests it might be linked to the rise in allergies.
Even going to work or school with pet owners can lead to allergic sensitisation.
Sensitisation is a normal process where your immune system recognises a substance as a threat and deploys antibodies in response.
But allergic sensitisation happens when the immune system recognises harmless substances as a threat.
Some people are more prone than others, especially those who have a family history of allergies. And allergic sensitisation more often happens in childhood.
“That’s probably because the immune system is immature at that time,” Professor Upham says, “and not terribly good at picking the difference between a threat and something that’s not a threat.”
