When there are animals in the house, for example, cats, then direct contact with children is simply inevitable. However, if a child has an allergy, then the animal’s fur will act as an active allergen, causing the appearance of rashes on the skin, redness, itching and other irritations. To block such a reaction, parents are advised to understand the etymology of the child’s allergic reaction to cat fur. It is also worth considering the possible specific course of the disease.
When small child there is a predisposition to allergies, immune protective functions are reduced, then minor contact with an animal can provoke an atypical manifestation of the body’s reaction.
The main symptoms are manifested in the following signs:
- upon contact with a cat, the mucous membrane of the eye begins to be irritated, tearing occurs, and then redness of the eyeball occurs;
- possible nasal congestion, difficulty breathing;
- the appearance of slight sneezing;
- if the allergen is strong enough for the body, an allergic cough occurs;
- the child is drowsy and lethargic;
- worsening mood and appearance of irritability;
- rashes and minor redness appear on the skin.
Attention! If a child has more than one of the above symptoms, it is recommended to give antihistamine(approved for the treatment of children), to avoid complications, or cause ambulance(if the child is too small).
Manifestation primary signs Allergies after contact with animal fur occur instantly or can make themselves felt after a few hours. It has been determined that a child’s body can react to wool breeds of cats, but not show any allergic reactions when in contact with hairless animals.
Causes
Atypical reaction child's body explained by genetic predisposition. When one of the parents is allergic to pets or during intrauterine development changes occurred in the immune system and the cells succumbed to mutation, thus making the child’s body vulnerable to future allergens.
It is important! For a long time after birth, the allergy may not manifest itself in any way, and the child will calmly come into contact with animals, but after three years an irreparable condition may arise every time he touches a cat. Statistics confirm that the main allergic reactions in children to cats are observed between the ages of three and seven years, but cases cannot be ruled out when a child suffers from allergies after a year.
Allergic reaction to cats one year old child difficult to determine, since the symptoms may be no different from the manifestations of food allergies. The main symptoms are nasal congestion, difficulty breathing, and skin redness (especially on the face). To accurately confirm the diagnosis and establish the causative agent-allergen, a detailed examination is necessary.
Carefully! Sometimes children develop an allergy due to a cat’s allergic reaction to food containing components that irritate the receptors. Characteristic features are sneezing and irritation of the ocular mucosa.
When a cat allergy is diagnosed in a newborn, this is evidence that the baby’s immune system is completely weakened. Therefore, there is an urgent need to strengthen protective functions.
How is the disease diagnosed?
To identify an atypical reaction of a child’s body to an animal, it is necessary to conduct tests followed by consultation with a therapist and allergist. In medicine, several methods have been identified to confirm the diagnosis of allergies:
- Scarification scraping. From skin A small scraping is taken from the child, the materials of which are examined in the laboratory, and then a reliable result about the allergen is provided.
- Provocative test. This method The study involves the manipulation of instillation of a certain provoking liquid into the nose, which causes allergic manifestations of the body. Thus, the tendency of the child’s body to be allergic to cats is determined. Then, if skin redness or tearing is present, a smear is required for analysis.
- Blood analysis. This research manipulation is carried out to determine IgE - a cat allergen, confirming the body’s tendency to atypical reactions.
The doctor must correctly collect anamnesis, study the main and additional symptoms, and then compare them with test data. Based on this, a diagnosis is made and further treatment is determined.
Treatment methodology
If a child is diagnosed with an allergic pathology to cats, then a certain course of treatment is prescribed.
An approximate treatment regimen includes:
- taking antihistamines that help eliminate the effect of the allergen, which provoked a pathological reaction in the body ( Zodak, Suprastin);
- medications that relieve swelling of inflamed mucous membranes, since swelling is one of the complications clinical picture (Sudafed);
- therapy that blocks the manifestation of the main symptoms ( Nasonex and others);
- antiallergenic injections. They are used to stabilize the condition of an allergic person (determined by the doctor based on the symptoms present).
To prevent possible recurrent manifestations of allergic reactions, it is necessary to observe preventive actions. To do this, during the period of active therapy, the child should be completely restricted from contact with pets. You should also avoid contact with people who have cats. Parents are advised to maintain constant cleanliness in the house by wet cleaning (twice a day). An obligatory point of prevention is ventilation and ventilation of rooms where a child may be. Additionally, for general strengthening of the body, the child needs to drink a vitamin and mineral complex, which will be selected by the therapist.
It is important! The above preventive measures can be used if the child does not suffer from allergy symptoms, but there are prerequisites for a similar reaction of the body to cats and cat hair.
You can learn about how an allergic reaction to animals manifests itself in children from the video.
Video - Children and animal allergies - expert commentary
Traditional therapy
| Non-traditional remedy | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Motherwort decoction | You should take about 50 grams of dry plant per 500 ml. water and boil for half an hour. Then, after the broth boils, let it brew (two hours). Then strain and apply for instillation into the nasal passages. If swelling of the nasopharynx is observed, then you can use a decoction to gargle. Motherwort has strong antiallergic properties, namely it relieves swelling and eliminates itching. 0 |
Representatives of the cat family easily win the hearts of children and adults. Kids love to play with fluffy beauties, pet them and hug them.
After contact with the pet, the child begins to feel unwell. Any deterioration in health may be a manifestation of an allergic reaction.
To distinguish a cat allergy from another disease, you need to understand the symptoms of the allergy.
Symptoms
Cats pose a particular danger to children with allergies and children with reduced immunity.
In this case, even a short-term interaction with an animal may cause the baby’s body to react unpredictably.
If a cat is used to walking outside, an allergy may be a reaction to pollen, poplar fluff and dust, particles of which inevitably “come” into the house with the pet.
Many parents ask themselves why their child is allergic to cats? The answer may lie in genetic predisposition, excessive attention to hygiene, the presence concomitant diseases(hay fever, atopic dermatitis etc.).
What to do if you are allergic to a cat
If an allergist has identified the cause of the allergy, and the cause is a cat, it is necessary to provide the baby with the correct treatment.
Most often it consists of taking decongestants and antihistamines.
Sometimes used local drugs that can eliminate the manifestation of individual symptoms - allergic conjunctivitis, nasal congestion.
The following preventive measures will help reduce the intensity of allergies:
- Daily wet cleaning;
- Frequent ventilation of the room;
- Regular washing of cat litter, washing bowls and toys;
- Cleaning carpets, replacing them with washable coverings;
- Isolating the cat from the child (if this cannot be done, you need to put the cat’s litter box and food bowls in another room);
- Feeding the animal with high-quality feed;
- Regular washing of the pet (1-2 times a week).
Cat breeds that do not cause allergies
Since a child’s body reacts not to a cat’s fur, but to its saliva, urine and skin, an animal of any breed can become the culprit of an allergy. Hypoallergenic cats are considered to be those breeds whose saliva and skin contain less allergen.
These breeds are:
- Balinese;
- Oriental Shorthair;
- Javanese;
- Devon Rex;
- Cornish Rex;
- Siberian;
- Sphinx.
Some more facts about cat allergies:
- The saliva of kittens contains less allergen than the saliva of adult animals;
- Cats are less allergenic than cats;
- After castration/sterilization, the amount of allergen in cat saliva decreases;
- Light-haired cats are less allergenic than dark-haired cats.
Before buying a pet, agree with the seller that if necessary, you can return the kitten back.
At Allergy to cats symptoms in children resemble the common cold. The condition is accompanied by rhinitis, severe cough, tearing, etc. The pathology itself is quite common. Today every fourth person suffers allergic manifestations. It could be a reaction to dust pollen, food or medicine. The allergen can be anything.
The disease forever changes a person's lifestyle and behavior. It is important for the patient to avoid contact with the irritant and not provoke further development pathology, which can develop into more serious illness, for example, asthma. But how to do this if you are allergic to your favorite pet? How can a child say goodbye to true friend? These are the questions often asked by anxious parents.
Contents of the article:
Causes of allergies
Very often the disease is hereditary and is transmitted to the child from one of the parents. If both parents have such a pathology, then with a probability of 80% the child will also have it.
If the doctor has diagnosed an allergy to cat hair, then this is not entirely correct. Pathological reactions do not occur due to length or thickness hairline animal. They are caused by a special protein found in cat secretions: saliva, urine, skin. Thus, if a child is allergic to a cat, then even hairless breeds of the cat family will provoke an exacerbation of the condition.
Usually, if an animal lives in a family, it leaves traces of its presence everywhere. Tiny dead skin particles quickly settle on the surface of furniture, carpets and clothing. There is a particularly high probability of awakening unpleasant symptoms of the disease if the animal is outdoors. In such a situation, the reaction may not even be to cat fur, but to pollen, mold spores or dust particles that the animal brings on itself.
Infants are especially susceptible to allergies. If a child has not experienced symptoms of the disease until the age of 15, then most likely it will not appear in the future. Related pathological conditions of this disease often becomes bronchial asthma and dust mite allergies.
To establish the exact cause of the pathological reaction and confirm the diagnosis of cat allergy, special samples are taken from the child. Such tests will help to accurately determine the root cause of the pathology. And based on the results of the examination, if the diagnosis of allergy to wool is confirmed, parents will decide what to do and where to put their beloved animal.
In the video, Dr. Komarovsky talks in detail about the topic of our article:
Main symptoms
How does a cat allergy manifest in children? This question is often asked in families with animals. There are situations when allergy symptoms are not very pronounced and the disease is confused with another ailment. First of all, this applies to small children, because their body may react to the stimulus differently. The pathology may be accompanied by intestinal upset, bloating or bowel dysfunction.
Only a doctor can confirm or refute the diagnosis, and only a specialist, in case of confirmation of an allergy to cats in children, should prescribe a dosage regimen medicines. Self-treatment, especially during therapy infant, unacceptable.
In other situations, there are almost no problems with diagnosis; usually the pathology manifests itself with well-known symptoms:
- The patient experiences spontaneous sneezing for no apparent reason. This is the first sign of an allergy to cats.
- The nose is often stuffy and runny. If the allergen constantly affects the body, then a runny nose can develop into a chronic one.
- A dry cough, wheezing, or shortness of breath may occur.
- The disease can manifest as skin rashes and redness at the site of a scratch or bite.
- Drowsiness and lethargy in behavior.
- Some experience symptoms such as watery or red eyes.
Redness and watery eyes are a common symptom of allergies.
When diagnosing pathology, first of all, pay attention to external phenomena. Usually, symptoms in the form of a rash or rhinitis are easily relieved and do not pose a threat to life. But sometimes the body reacts very violently to an irritant, which can provoke, for example, swelling of the larynx. This condition is very dangerous for all people, but especially for a newborn, because he cannot talk about his feelings and ask for help.
The reaction usually appears immediately after contact with the animal, although sometimes symptoms can occur after a certain time. In addition, only one symptom or several at once can be observed. Everything will depend on the individual characteristics of the body.
On video children's pediatrician talks about the problem of the influence of pets on children's health:
Treatment methods
Treatment of the body's reaction to an irritant is carried out using standard techniques. They can be used in combination or separately. This will depend on the severity of the allergy.
The baby is usually prescribed antihistamines medicines. Such drugs will block the effect of the allergen on the body. If the pathology is accompanied by more serious complications (stagnation of mucus, swelling), then additional symptomatic treatment is carried out.
None of the existing methods can eliminate allergies completely. Treatment of pathology is based solely on symptom relief.
To prevent exacerbation, general recommendations should be followed:
- Even short-term contact with an animal can provoke a reaction, so it is advisable to avoid any touching. The reaction will be especially pronounced if the cat often plays with the child.
- It is advisable not to contact people who have a cat. There may be fragments of her fur on their clothes.
- If parents know that the child will soon have to encounter an allergen (for example, while visiting), then in such situations he must be given a hypoallergenic remedy every time. Such preventative measure will help avoid unpleasant consequences.
- If allergic reaction provoked domestic cat, then you will have to give it away. Even if you avoid direct contact with the animal, it will not be possible to exclude the occurrence of this kind of manifestation, since the irritant is not the cat itself, but its secretions. And, living in an apartment or house, an animal leaves its traces everywhere.
If an allergy occurs, it is very important to limit the child’s contact with the cat.
Where to put a cat if a child has allergies? This is very actual question for many parents. Difficulties arise not only because you need to place your pet somewhere. Usually the family becomes very attached to their beloved pet.
To cope with any allergic manifestations, you must take medications. But which means are best to use? When treating allergies, consultation with a specialist is very important. Only a doctor, focusing on the individual characteristics of the body, can prescribe suitable medications. At the same time, you do not need to take the medicine every day, but only when the allergy manifests itself with unpleasant symptoms.
Sometimes parents notice that after interacting with cats, their child develops an incomprehensible rash and redness on the skin, which is accompanied by itching and other discomfort. They immediately start blaming everything pet, especially its fur. To make your child feel better and understand the problem, you need to know how allergies to cats manifest in children. Exist specific signs course of the disease, which immediately indicate a similar pathology.
Symptoms and causes of the disease
Often the body reacts violently to the presence of a cat if the baby has a predisposition to allergies and his immunity is significantly reduced or weakened. In this case, even minor contact with the animal can provoke unforeseen complications.
Note! Most often it occurs not as a result of fur, but as a result of a protein that is part of the animal’s skin, urine or saliva. Its specific structure can cause irritation in a child’s body at the slightest contact with a cat.
- redness of the eyes, irritation of the mucous membranes in the presence of cats;
- sneezing and sinus congestion;
- With hoarse voice, difficulty breathing;
- drowsy state constant fatigue and bad mood;
- the appearance of a rash and redness on the skin after each contact with an animal.
It is worth noting that the appearance of signs of allergies in a baby may occur immediately after contact with a cat or several hours after such communication. It may also be that the animal’s body reacts violently to a particular breed and treats other animals normally, for example cats without hair.
The cause of an atypical reaction of a child’s body to a cat may not even be the animal itself, but, for example, an allergy to cat food. It may contain components that can irritate receptors and cause negative symptoms.
Another cause of cat allergies in children may be genetic predisposition. This means that even in uterine development there was a malfunction in the immune system, a mutation of cells, as a result of which the child’s body begins to react violently to the presence of a furry animal in the house. This condition may not manifest itself for a long time and will appear only after a year, but most often this occurs between the ages of 3 and 7 years.
It is necessary to know how allergies to cats manifest themselves in children under one year of age. This condition may be no different from allergies to other foods. The child may have a stuffy nose, wheezing when breathing, and redness on the skin of the face and throughout the body. To accurately determine the pathogen, it is necessary to undergo an examination and pass the necessary tests.
Important! An allergy in a newborn baby is an indicator that the baby’s immune system is weakened and the body’s resistance to pathogenic bacteria is reduced.
Diagnosis of the disease and its treatment
To confirm or rule out an unhealthy reaction to a pet in a child, it is necessary to conduct a cat allergy test and consult a doctor. There are several methods for identifying this pathology:
- Scraping from the skin (scarification tests). Reliable result Such analysis depends on compliance with the rules for its conduct and the qualifications of personnel.
- A provocative test is a procedure that is carried out by instilling a special liquid into the nose or eyes, which provokes an allergic reaction in the body. If there is redness, tearing and runny nose, special swabs are taken for analysis.
- Blood test to determine IgE, which are cat allergens. It is this study that allows us to identify a child’s tendency to allergies (increased immunoglobulin).
If the doctor correctly collects the entire medical history, compares the facts and symptoms, then the above tests may not be necessary, or they will simply become a confirmatory link in making a diagnosis.
Basic methods for cats in children:
- The use of antihistamines, which help neutralize chemical substances that cause allergy symptoms.
- Drugs aimed at reducing swelling of the mucous membrane. Very often, edema processes are complications.
- Therapy that is aimed at reducing or completely eliminating the symptoms of the disease.
- Allergy injections. This treatment is used quite rarely and is not always effective, but it can improve the condition of an allergy sufferer.
Important! Read which one is used to eliminate the disease.
Besides traditional treatment, you need to know how to get rid of allergies through prevention. There are a number of methods for this.
Close contact with cats should be avoided; it is harmful for a child to even occasionally touch an animal during treatment. Communication with people who have such pets is not recommended.
In the apartment where the child is located, there should be several rooms to which cats do not have access. Thorough cleaning of the house and constant maintenance of order in the animal's tray and feeder are also mandatory conditions. Airing the room, ventilation and air conditioning will also help long time do not use antiallergic drugs.
Important! Such preventive measures are effective if the manifestations of allergies are minor and the child practically does not suffer from them. If the situation is more complicated, then you will have to give up the cat and give it to friends, relatives or acquaintances.
Treatment at home with folk remedies
When a child develops certain unpleasant symptoms Parents begin to panic, and they do not know what to do with such signs. In addition to traditional treatment, it helps ethnoscience. It can do less harm than chemistry medications, and is better tolerated by babies.
Motherwort decoction for cat allergies
Brew 50 g of crushed dried plant with 0.5 liters of boiling water and leave until cool, strain. It is recommended to rinse your nose with this decoction. The product is also effective when gargling frequently. Motherwort relieves allergy symptoms, eliminates redness and watery eyes, and rubbing the skin with a decoction of the plant helps reduce rashes and itching on the skin.
Dandelion infusion
Pour 25–30 g of dried inflorescences hot water and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, then cool and strain. The child should take 15 ml of the decoction several times a day. Also use the infusion to rinse your eyes well and wipe skin damaged by allergies.
Mumiyo
Dissolve 1 g of product in 1 liter of water. Children need to consume this solution once a day, 60 ml, with warm milk. The product helps not only with the body’s reaction to cats, but also with other allergies.
An allergic reaction to cats and other pets in different children can manifest itself in various forms. Already have a cat? Are you just planning to start one? Are you planning to visit friends with your child who have a cat? In all of these cases, it is important to know whether your child is allergic to these pets. Recognizing allergy symptoms in a child is not always easy, but with a keen eye you can protect the well-being and health of your loved ones. Even if the child does not have allergies, you should make sure of this in advance, so that later you do not have to look for new owners for the cat.
Steps
Allergy testing
- Itchy eyes
- Stuffy, itchy, or runny nose
- The child's skin itches where the cat touched him
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Remove the child from the cause of the allergy. If you notice any of the signs listed above, stop the child's contact with the cat and try to mitigate and eliminate the symptoms.
Take your child to an allergy test. In order to establish that a child is allergic to cats, the observations described above are often sufficient. However, you can also visit your doctor and get an allergy test. However, remember that such tests are not always accurate, so if negative results test, continue to monitor your child when he is in contact with cats.
Watch for signs of more serious allergies. In most cases, the allergic reaction is limited to red eyes, itching, skin rash and stuffy nose, but a more severe reaction can occur. Possible swelling of the throat, which can lead to partial or even complete closure respiratory tract. In this case, you should immediately contact medical care, and further prevent any contact of the child with cats.
Monitor the effectiveness of medications. Once you have determined the appropriate dosage and type of drug, watch how its effectiveness changes over time. Usually, the immune system a person adapts to the active ingredients of the antiallergic drug taken, and over time its effectiveness decreases. If you find this to be the case for your child, it may be worth changing the dosage or type of medication.
Let your child play with cats sometimes. Visit friends or relatives who have a cat with him, and allow your child to have contact with the animal. This way you can see the signs possible allergies on cats.
Listen to your child. He is most likely allergic to cats if, after contact with the animal, he complains of the following symptoms:
Preventative measures to prevent cat allergies
- By nature, cats can get into the most secluded corners of your home. Therefore, when cleaning, try not to miss such places (for example, wipe the floor behind sofas and under the bed).
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Bathe your cat regularly. This will reduce the amount of hair and dander your cat leaves around your house. By regularly bathing your cat, you will help your child cope with allergies.
Limit your child's contact with cats. As obvious as it sounds, by minimizing this contact, you will immediately alleviate allergy symptoms or get rid of them altogether.
Warn others that your child is allergic to cats. If you are going to visit a house where a cat lives, warn the owners about the child's allergies. Ask them to keep the animal in a different room than the child will be in during your visit.
A few hours before contact with the cat, give your child an antiallergic drug. If you are going to visit a home with one or more cats, give your child an allergy medication a few hours before the visit. By doing so, you will reduce a possible allergic reaction, and you will not have to wait for the drug to finally work after symptoms appear.
Limit your cat's freedom of movement. Do not let the cat into bedrooms and children's rooms, on sofas, and generally keep it away from places where the child spends time O most of my time. If you have a well-equipped basement in your home, you can keep your cat there.
Install an air conditioner with an anti-allergen filter. By reducing the amount of airborne allergens in your home, you can relieve the symptoms your child experiences. Air conditioners with anti-allergen filters (such as HEPA brand filters) can help protect your home from airborne allergens.
Clean your home more often and thoroughly. Cat hair and skin can gradually accumulate in carpets, sofas, curtains and other places where the cat goes. Get a good vacuum cleaner and try to use it more often. Also use carpet shampoos, disinfectant sprays and wipes, often wiping down surfaces where your cat might be.
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