How Do Antihistamines Work
Simply put, histamine is a particular protein that will trigger inflammation throughout the body. When histamine is released, it binds to H-1 receptors and causes a chain reaction that increases blood flow while releasing other chemicals that contribute to the allergic response. Allergic symptoms include itching, sneezing, nasal congestion, and headaches.
Antihistamines are medicines or natural remedies often used for symptoms of an allergic reaction, which include hay fever, rashes, hives, conjunctivitis, eczema, and other skin reactions like from an insect sting or bite.
These symptoms are largely part of the bodys natural defense system. Antihistamines work by blocking histamine receptors, which prevent many of the negative effects of histamine.
Some of the most popular antihistamine medications include alimemazine , promethazine , and hydroxyzine . However, side effects are common, especially in the elderly, and can include:
- Headaches
1. Watercress
Cruciferous vegetables like watercress have always been top anti-inflammatory, natural antihistamine foods.
One study published in the Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin in 1999 shows that watercress can block up to 60% of histamines released from mast cells.
2. Pea Sprouts
Pea sprouts is a type of vegetable with a particularly high concentration of a histamine-damaging enzyme known as diamine oxidase , which is also high in lentils, peas, and chickpeas.
3. Garlic and Onion
What Are Cat Allergies In Humans
The first thing you should do is to determine whether or not it really is the cat that youre allergic to. It could be a seasonal allergy or hay fever causing your rhinitis, which happens around May to July when plants actively and profusely release pollen into the air. Your new friend might have just brought some of the pollen into your home after a walk outside. If youre unsure, it is best to see your doctor and have yourself tested.
Well, the tests are out and your worst fears are realizedyoure allergic to your cat. What does this mean for you and for him? You dont have to give him up just yet. There are ways to manage the situation to make your life a bit easier.
It is a common misconception that a pets fur is the main culprit behind pet allergies. Cat allergies are actually caused by a protein called Fel d 1 that the feline produces in their saliva and under their skin. It is commonly known as dander.
These proteins are miniscule and can attach to a number of surfaces when the cat grooms itself, scratches itself, urinates, and defecates. They can even be carried off by the wind so you could be exposed to them despite not living with a cat.
Video Answer: Natural Approach To Diagnosing And Treating Allergies In Dogs
Place ammonia soaked cotton balls around the area you wish to keep the dog out of.
Do not pour the ammonia directly onto the ground as it may hurt your plants.
Vinegar Vinegar is another strong smelling scent that will act as a repellent to dogs.
Use it if your dog gets nervous in the car and gets car sick.
Valerian this is the most widely recognized herbal sedative.
It’s safe and gentle and calms the nerves.
It also promotes physical relaxation.
Raw, organic pumpkin seed can help prevent or expel worms.
You can feed them as a treat or grind them and place them in his dish.
Give a teaspoon per ten pounds of your dog’s weight.
Faith is a natural food topper that can help create an unwelcome environment for fleas, worms and other parasites!
- Dog owners might avoid mosquitoes by walking in the morning or afternoon rather than at night. Citronella candles and sprays can help deter mosquitos and ticks. Oil derived from a neem tree can be an effective insecticide and ward off mosquitoes. Garlic may be considered a natural mosquito repellant.
Human foods that are safe for dogs include:
- Carrots. Share on Pinterest Some human foods are safe for dogs to eat
- Apples. Apples provide many important vitamins for dogs, including vitamins A and C
- White rice
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Household Changes To Help Your Cats Allergies
If your cat has seasonal allergies, you can make a few simple changes at home to help him feel better.
Keep your cat indoors when the pollen count is high.
Also, keep your home allergen free. Vacuum and wipe often, and change your HVAC filters monthly.
In addition, consider purchasing an air purifier to remove dust and pollen from the air.
Make sure your cat is flea free. Flea allergies are common in cats, and all it takes is one bite to trigger the allergic response.
Is your cat itchy and scratchy around his mouth? If his food dish is plastic, he might be allergic to the bowl. Try switching to glass, metal or ceramic.
Switch cat litter. Some cats are sensitive to chemicals and scents in many cat litter brands. Find a bag of low dust, chemical free brand and give it a try.
Do you like to cook? Try a home-cooked diet for cat allergies. Often limiting ingredients in a cats diet helps allergy symptoms.
PET | TAO Limited Ingredient Recipe is the perfect food for allergic cats.
Cats Claw And Dandelion Root
Dandelion root contains natural cortisol, which can suppress the immune system response that causes itching from allergies, much like medical steroids.
Dandelion root helps with digestion and liver detoxification, and cats claw regulates immune system function. They can be brewed into a tea and applied topically to fight the itch.
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Best For Adult: Genexa Natural Cat Allergy Relief For Human
The Genexa Natural Cat Allergy Relief For Humans superior materials makes sure that it ages well with use. The genexa natural cat allergy relief for humans is major and it is best for fast acting. That means making medicine with the same active ingredients you need, but without the artificial ones you do not. And, it is perfect for great tasting and it is good for animal dander.
The relief is lactose free and it is great for runny nose. Finally, the genexa natural cat allergy relief for humans is for children 12 years, is non-gmo and it is high quality.
Most buyers agree that the relief can be taken every 4 hours as needed. And, a few say that the relief is easy to swallow because youre not supposed to swallow it. Moreover, a few strongly agree that this medication is effective for mild/ moderate allergies that trigger asthma in children.
Top Customer Quotes:
- This is supposed to treat symptoms right away.
- This is used for itchy and watery eyes and it worked very well.
- This has no side effects to add to that works for spring hay fever.
- This can take every 6-8 hours instead of every 4.
Have Your Cat Groomed
Cat owners will agree that this first step is easier said than done. Some cats do deviate from the norm and actually enjoy being bathed, but the majority of our feline friends still recoil from water. Cats know how to clean themselves and do so quite frequently. However, since the protein is found in their saliva, then having your cat lick itself clean isnt going to help you especially if its free to roam around the house.
Cats produce Fel d 1 daily, so I suggest bathing and grooming him at least once a week to reduce build-up, preferably outside the home. If you can afford it, you may also have it professionally groomed. Bathing is the surest way to rid your cat of dander, at least for a time. For the rest of the days, wiping him down with non-alcoholic, unscented wet wipes can help remove some of the dander from his body.
You wont always be able to cuddle with your furry friend, but at least you can still enjoy his company in other ways without his presence being too detrimental to your health.
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Limit Pets Access Around The House
When animals have free range of the home their dander will spread easily and for allergy sufferers, this is likely to make symptoms more noticeable.
Bedrooms should be a no-go zone for pets as dander easily collects in the fabric of bedding, curtains, rugs and pillows. This can bring on symptoms at night that will easily disrupt sleep so keep pets confined to their own beds to prevent a flare up.
Also, many of us spend a lot of time in our living rooms meaning that any dander in that area is likely to become noticeable. Therefore, if possible, this is another area of the home that should be off limits to pets.
When symptoms are severe pets could be confined to certain areas of the house: a kitchen, for example, or the ground floor of your home.
More About How To Get Rid Of Cat Allergies:
Sensitivity to pet dander from cats and dogs are on the rise. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, they can affect as many as 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children. Conventional medicine has a few solutions such as over-the-counter and prescription antihistamine drugs, which can alleviate symptoms for some individuals, but at what cost? Many drugs cause drying of mucus membranes, which will just put you at an increased risk of developing other illnesses such as colds and sinus infections. Rather than pharmaceuticals, we hope this article will help you learn how to get rid of cat allergies naturally.
The best medicine for cat/dog allergies is to expose children to pets before the age one. Babies raised in homes with cats/dogs as household pets had reduced risk of developing allergies by a wide margin over the childs entire life. Not only this, but it is now commonly accepted in the medical literature that exposure to pet dander as a baby also helps build up a healthy immune system in infancy.
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Reducing Exposure To Cats
While medical treatment can help control cat allergies, the best approach is simple: avoid cats and their dander. Here are some tips.
- Don’t touch, hug, or kiss cats. It should be obvious, but some people think a little cat contact is OK. It isn’t.
- Beware of visitors who own cats. Even if your house guests leave their cats at home, they can bring the dander with them on their clothing and luggage. This indirect exposure can cause serious cat allergy symptoms in some people.
- Plan. If you have to stay in a house with cats, ask that the cat be kept out of the room in which you will sleep for a few weeks before you arrive. Also, start taking allergy medication a few weeks beforehand. Once an allergic reaction gets started, it can be tough to control. But taking medicine can prevent it from happening in the first place.
But what if you already own a cat? Here’s the most sensible advice: if you or a family member has cat allergies, you shouldn’t have a cat in the home.
Of course, such harsh advice may not be easy to follow. What if your kids have already fallen in love with a kitten? What if you intended to never, ever part with your cat? If the cat has to stay, there are other things you can try.
While these techniques might help, they may not be enough. As hard as it might be, if keeping your cat is putting your health — or a family member’s health — at risk, you have to consider giving it up.
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Antihistamines For Cats: Dosage And Side Effects
22 June, 2021
Those who suffer from different allergies are familiar with antihistamines. Because of this, its easy to think that the way out of an allergy problem in cats would be to provide them with a dose of these medications. However, whatever the case, its never a good idea to self-medicate pets, and you should always get a professional opinion. Find out all about antihistamines for cats.
For example, when people have allergy symptoms, the best step is to perform tests that allow vets to establish the exact origin of the allergy. They will carry out skin evaluations, which consist of extracting small samples of purified allergen extracts to identify how the skin reacts.
They will also perform blood tests in order to identify the presence of specific antibodies and indicate the degree of sensitivity to a certain allergen. In the case of cats, the veterinarian will also need to map out a diagnostic pathway to include the tests necessary to establish treatment, which may or may not require antihistamines.
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Consult With Your Veterinarian First
One of the most important things that you can do before choosing a new antihistamine for your kitty is to consult with your veterinarian. Your vet can do blood tests and review your pets medical history to determine if there are any ingredients that either you should stay away from or should be looking for. They can also conduct a basic examination to determine if your cat can handle medication and if there are other things that you can do to help relieve your cats allergy symptoms in addition to providing them with antihistamine medication.
Your vet can let you know whether a specific antihistamine medication is right for your cat or whether you should skip an option on your shortlist. In short, they will give you the information that you need to confidently choose an antihistamine that is perfect for your furry pet. If anything, your vet should be happy to provide you with their expected advice about any product that you are considering investing money in.
Every antihistamine for cats featured on our reviews list is worth your consideration, but we highly suggest the first and second featured choices. HomeoPet Feline Skin and Itch offers immediate allergy symptom relief for kittens and adult cats and is made with all-natural ingredients. We think that Pro-Sense Itch and Allergy Solutions is the best value because it is affordable, safe, and fast-acting.
Featured Image Credit By: Susan-Santa-Maria, Shutterstock
Antihistamines For Cat Allergy Relief
Cats can sometimes suffer from allergies. Antihistamines are often prescribed for cat allergy relief, being effective in keeping allergies under control. Anallergic cats immune system produces an increased amount of histamineswhen he come in contact with an allergen . The histamines will cause all of the allergy symptoms suchas sneezing, itching, swelling or dermatitis. The antihistamines willblock the production of histamines, so that the allergy symptoms willnot occur.
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Opt For Extra Moisturising Eye Drops
Swelling, itching and watering the eyes can suffer after exposure to pet allergies. As the area is already quite sensitive at this time, we dont want to make matters worse by putting harsh products on top and because of this Id always go for natural eye drops.
Our Extra Moisturising Eye Drops are a superb option as they contain natural ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and a herb known as eyebright. Together these ingredients act swiftly to ease irritation and moisturise the eyes.
Watch For Allergy Symptoms
Treehugger / Jordan Provost
If your cat does suffer from allergies, it wont be much of a secret. Dr. Weigner said that itchy cats typically get skin conditions due to the release of an immunoglobulin called IgE. Its found in certain cells that are more common in cats skin.
As a result, Dr. William Carlson of Intown Animal Hospital in Atlanta said cats with allergies typically show signs of hair loss, as well as scabs or open sores. Discharge in the ears or excessive scratching also are common symptoms.
Dont raid the medicine cabinet: Resist the urge to sneak a few Benadryl capsules into your cats kibble. While certain antihistamines may be used to treat cats with allergic skin disease, Carlson warned that pet owners should never give a cat medication without consulting a veterinarian first.
“Each patient is different and medications are determined on an individual basis based on a physical exam,” Weigner said. If your cat has serious allergy symptoms, call the vet. Youre better off safe than sorry.
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Benadryl Dosage For Cats
Benadryl is available in various forms tablets, gel capsules, liquid, and spray. The gel capsules should be avoided for pets because they often contain potentially harmful ingredients. Perhaps the easiest way to give your cat Benadryl is to search for a compounding pharmacy and ask them to add a cat-friendly flavor/odor .
The recommended dosage of Benadryl for cats is 1 milligram per pound of body weight. In more practical terms, the average 10-pound cat would need one-half of the regular 25 mg tablet or 4 ml of liquid Benadryl .
If you accidentally miss a Benadryl dose, you have two options give it to your cat as soon as you remember or skip it completely and then continue with the scheduled dosing. Regardless of what you decide, do not double up the next dose as a compensation form.
Giving your cat too much Benadryl can have severe consequences and may even result in an antihistamine overdose. A cat with such an overdose requires urgent veterinary help and is likely to exhibit the following signs and symptoms.
- Extreme sedation or hyperactivity
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors MAOIs
- CNS depressants
- Nitrofuran antibacterial agent
- Certain scabicides
Make A List Of Specific Symptoms
Before you even start looking for an antihistamine to give your cat, it is a good idea to create a complete list of their specific symptoms. Note any sneeze, cough, itch, drool, and sign of discomfort that you witness. If possible, set an alarm to wake up in the middle of the night and check on their symptoms then.
Does cooler air at night make their allergens more or less powerful? Does sunlight seem to help ease symptoms? What is your cat eating, if anything, before a big allergy attack occurs? Taking notes about everything that you observe will help you figure out exactly what kind of allergy relief your kitty cat needs.
After you have spent a few days documenting specific symptoms and observations, go back through your writings and determine which symptoms are recurring and which are occasional. You can figure out whether certain areas of the house or time of the day make the allergy symptoms more severe. Having insight into these things will allow you to ultimately figure out what kind of antihistamine medication your cat should try.
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