Cat allergy
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Cat allergy in humans is an allergic reaction to one or more of the five known allergens[1] produced by cats. The most common of these are the glycoprotein Fel d 1, secreted by the cat's sebaceous glands and Fel d 4, which is expressed in saliva. An allergic reaction is a histamine reaction that is usually characterized by coughing, wheezing, chest tightening, itching, nasal congestion, rash, watering eyes, sneezing and similar symptoms.
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Cat allergens
Fel d 4 is the product of the cat major urinary protein gene. It is primarily expressed in the submandibular salivary gland and is deposited onto dander as the cat grooms itself. A study found that 63% of cat allergic people have antibodies against the protein, and most had higher titres than of anti-Fel d 1 IgE.[2]
Symptoms of allergies
Symptoms of an allergic reaction to cats include: red, itchy, watery eyes; nasal congestion; itchy nose; sneezing; difficulty breathing (dyspnea), swelling of the feet or hands, chronic sore throat and/or itchy throat; coughing, wheezing, or itchy skin. Some people reported elevation of the skin upon being scratched by a cat.
Lessening reactions
Allergic reaction to cats can be lessened most successfully by minimizing exposure to the animals. If living with a cat is unavoidable, frequent handwashing and avoiding touching eyes or other sensitive areas is advisable. Minimizing upholstery, rugs and draperies in which the allergen can accumulate in the home is another strategy. Barring the cat from certain rooms (in particular the bedroom or other rooms where much time is spent) or limiting it to the outdoors is also partially successful. It is also important to feed your cats a high quality diet with plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids to keep their coats healthy and minimize dander[3]. Cat foods with high concentrations of grain "fillers" (such as corn) may not be optimal for cats to maintain healthy coats.
Finally, some allergy sufferers find relief in periodic injection therapy designed to stimulate the body's natural immune responses to the cat allergen. Although this is not usually 100% successful, it can reduce reactions to tolerable levels for many individuals.[citation needed]
Coping with allergies
Allergies are cumulative and this means that every allergen (e.g. dust, mold, pollen) will add to the reaction. If then adding a cat then the total allergic reaction will be worse than any one allergy on its own. This is because people have a threshold; reducing all allergens will reduce the cumulative total and hence possibly reduce the reaction below the threshold.[citation needed] There are some other things that may aid a sufferer:
Desensitizing
Many people originally allergic to cats have, over time, become "immune" to allergic symptoms from their own cats; however, they may still have allergic reactions, of varying intensity, to other cats. This is not reliable when deciding to get a cat as a pet, as allergy may become worse, not better, with time.[citation needed]
Lower exposure
Allergens are airborne and survive for months or even years by themselves, hence removing anything that can trap and hold the allergens (carpet, rugs, pillows) and cleaning regularly and thoroughly with HEPA filters and Air purifier systems reduces risk. Furthermore, regularly brushing the cat will reduce the amount of loose fur (and its attached saliva) in the air. Regularly bathing will reduce allergens by 60%.[citation needed]
Medications
The most appropriate medication depends on the type and severity of symptoms. Specific illnesses that are caused by allergies (such as asthma and eczema) may require other treatments. Generally, hay fever medication or over-the-counter antihistamines have negative effects on cat allergy.[citation needed]
Allergy shots
Immunotherapy, more specifically known as Hyposensibilization, for cats can provide immunization to allergies.[4]
Synthetic epitope vaccine
The Synthetic epitope vaccine is an in-development vaccine to provide a long term vaccine for allergies.[5]
Hypoallergenic cats
A hypoallergenic cat is a cat which is less likely to provoke an allergic reaction in humans. There has been a disputed claim based on antigen research that the Siberian and Russian Blue breeds may be naturally hypoallergenic. Similarly, cat breeds such as the LaPerm, Sphynx, Oriental Shorthair, Devon Rex, and Cornish Rex, which lack some of the normal layers of cat fur, are generally held by mild allergy sufferers to be significantly less likely than other breeds to provoke an allergic reaction.
In 2006, the Allerca company announced the successful breeding of a line of hypoallergenic cats. However, no peer-reviewed studies have been done to confirm their claims and many scientists and consumers are skeptical of the company's assertions.[6] They are currently accepting orders for hypoallergenic kittens.[7] However this firm has been the subject of numerous complaints alleging that these cats aren't as described.[8] Another company, Felix Pets, also claims to be developing a breed of hypoallergenic cat.[9]
Other cat variations
It appears that female cats shed substantially lower amounts of allergen than males, and a neutered male sheds significantly less than a full male tom.[citation needed] In 2000, researchers at the Long Island College Hospital found that cat owners with dark-colored cats were more likely to report allergy symptoms than those with light-colored cats.[10][11][12] A later study by the Wellington Asthma Research Group indicates that hair color has no effect on how much allergen a cat produces.[13][14]
References
- ^ Adédoyin J, et. al. "Cat IgA, representative of new carbohydrate cross-reactive allergens" The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2007-3. Retrieved on 2009-8-1.
- ^ Smith W, Butler AJ, Hazell LA, Chapman MD, Pomés A, Nickels DG et al. (2004). "Fel d 4, a cat lipocalin allergen.". Clin Exp Allergy 34 (11): 1732–8. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2222.2004.02090.x. PMID 15544598.
- ^ Human Allergies to Cats. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=0+1278&aid=144
- ^ Advice from Your Allergist...Pet Allergy. American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Accessed 13 March 2010.
- ^ Larché, M.; Akdis, C.; Valenta, R. (2006). "Immunological mechanisms of allergen-specific immunotherapy.". Nature reviews. Immunology 6 (10): 761–771. doi:10.1038/nri1934. PMID 16998509.
- ^ Felis Enigmaticus
- ^ 'Hypoallergenic cats' go on sale BBC News. 24 September 2006.
- ^ Popken, Ben. (4 April 2009). "Allerca, Where's my $4000 Hypoallergenic cat?" The Consumerist. Accessed 13 March 2010.
- ^ Pepling, Racheal. (9 June 2006)."Hypoallergenic" Cats For Sale, U.S. Firm Announces. National Geographic News. Accessed 13 March 2010.
- ^ preliminary results, cited in Prevention (magazine)
- ^ full study, cited in the Journal of the American Medical Association
- ^ Hussain S, Bassett C, Kaplan S, Schneider A, Silverman B. (2000). "Correlation between the color of cat hair and severity of allergic symptoms in patients with allergic rhinitis". Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 105(1 Part 2):S5.
- ^ cited by Allergy New Zealand
- ^ Siebers, R.; Holt, S.; Peters, S.; Crane, J.; Fitzharris, P.; Fitzharris, P. (2001). "Fel d 1 levels in domestic living rooms are not related to cat color or hair length". Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 108: 0652. doi:10.1067/mai.2001.118788.
External links
- Allergen-free cats – a breed apart? - article from New Scientist.
- Cat Choo - News on immunisation
- Coping with Allergies - Pet Allergy Information
- Allergies to Pets - Advice on How to Live with Pet Allergies and Minimize Its Effect
- Help, I'm Allergic to the Cat - In-depth Cat Allergy Information
