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Health & Fitness

5 Tips to Help Your Dog and Cat Allergies

Pet allergies are a major cause of very significant allergy symptoms and asthma symptoms in both children and adults. Here are 5 tips to help manage this problem in your home.

Pet allergies are extremely common. At least 30 percent of the people who have allergies will find that they are allergic to dogs and cats. One needs to be aware that the pet dander from their own pet could be causing some serious allergy symptoms.  Although the most effective treatment for dog allergies and cat allergies is removing the pet from the home, many people love their pets and they wouldn’t dream of giving them up just because they have allergies. Since your pet is a part of the family and you don’t want to give him or her away, you need to know best ways to prevent pet allergies. It’s a good thing there are some great products that will help you with your pet dander allergies!

Environmentally Controlling the Pet Allergy: The first steps!

Cat allergies and dog allergies are the result of an allergic reaction to the dander and fur that the pet sheds. You may also have allergies to their saliva. Because your pets are going to have dander, hair and saliva their entire lives, you have to make sure that you take a proactive approach to controlling the presence of these allergens in your home. The allergens, particularly the dander and the fur, can be found all around your home, in your bedroom, on the furniture, and potentially in every nook and cranny. Controlling your pet allergy symptoms is possible, but it is going to require some work on your part.

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Tip #1: Clean your Home with a HEPA vacuum cleaner

Cleaning your home thoroughly is a good way to eliminate some of these very powerful allergens. Use of a high quality HEPA filter vacuum cleaner on your floors and upholstery is great way to remove much of the fur and dander that are causing your allergies to cats and allergies to dogs. There are many quality HEPA vacuums available.

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Tip #2: Use a steam cleaner for deep cleaning

You should also invest in a steam cleaner that will be able to get down deeper into the carpet and upholstery and remove even more of the allergens. Steam cleaners are extremely effective in removing not only pet dander, but dust mites as well. The high temperature of the steam can kill dust mites and dust mite eggs. Using a steam cleaner, combined with regular dusting and cleaning, will help to remove some of the allergens from your home, and that should help you breathe easier, quite literally.

Tip #3: Invest in an Air Purifier for Pet Allergy Relief

Another item that will help you with your pet allergy symptoms is an air purifier You want to make sure that you get one that has a HEPA filter on it so it will be able to eliminate the largest amount of particulates in the air, including dander.

These, along with the above methods, will be able to help make the pet allergy more bearable. You might find that it’s a good idea to keep more than one purifier in the house. Make sure you have one in any area of the home that the pet frequents, including your bedroom, even if you don’t allow your animals in the bedroom.

Tip #4 - Make sure that you keep your animal clean!

You can find some great shampoos for your pets that can help to keep their coats clean and shiny and their skin healthy so they have less dander. Brushing your pets outdoors and brushing them frequently will help to keep some of the fur and dander out of your home too.

Tip #5 - Keep your pet out of the bedroom

By limiting the number of locations you allow your pet to go in your home, you can reduce some of the problems too. Keeping them out of your bedroom, the room where you spend about a third of your life, will lower the amount of allergens there and make sleeping easier.

Using all of the tips above will make a significant difference to your allergy symptoms from dog and cat allergies. You can find more detailed information on this subject and recommended products on www.TheOnlineAllergist.com.

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