Dog Allergies: What To Do If You Are Allergic To Your Dog

Are you a pet owner who thinks that you may be allergic to your dog?  If you are, you may be looking for guidance.  After all, there is nothing worse than realizing that you are allergic to your beloved pet or pets.

One of the first things that you will want to do is make sure that you do have a pet allergy.  Sometimes, the symptoms of having a pet allergy can be caused by other allergies or by another medical illness, such as the flu or the common cold.  Those who suffer from pet allergies may experience a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, develop a skin rash, or have difficultly breathing.  If you experience severe allergy symptoms or if you would like conformation that you do have a pet allergy, schedule a visit with a healthcare professional.

As for how you can go about treating your pet allergies that are due to your dog, you can remove the dog from your home.  If you are unable to do so or if you choose not to, you will want to see if you can find it a good home.  Friends or family members who are willing to take your pet are often considered the best option.  Even if you want to keep your dog with you, there are still a number of steps that you can take to seek relief from some common dog allergy symptoms.

The best way to limit your allergy symptoms that can be attributed to your dog is to keep your dog or dogs out of your bedroom.  The bedroom is the room where we spend most of our time.  For that reason, your dog or dogs should be kept out of your bedroom.  Doing so, may limit the number of irritating symptoms you display.  It may also help to get you a good night of sleep.  In addition to the bedroom, it is also important to examine other rooms that you may spend a good portion of your time.  Consider keeping your dog or dogs out of that room as well.

Another great tip involves not letting your dog or dogs climb on your furniture.  This is particularly important if you like to lie down on your couch or rest in a reclining chair.  You do not want to have pet dander and hair in your face.  If you must, covers can be used.  There are a number of cloth style covers that can be used.  They are a great alternative to the unattractive plastic covers.  With that in mind, should you use cloth covers, be sure to wash them every few days or when too much pet hair accumulates.

Investing in an air purifier is another way that you can seek relief from a dog allergy, without having to find a new home for your beloved pet.  Air purifiers work by eliminating air particles, including pet dander.  It is best if you search online for air purifiers that are designed to help those with allergies.  These air purifiers can easily be found with a standard internet search.  Also, HEPA air filters and HEPA air purifiers are known for their amazing results.

Vacuuming as much as possible is another way to manage the symptoms that you may be experiencing due to having a dog allergy.  In addition to vacuuming often, be sure to take a good, close look at the vacuum cleaner you are using.  There are now vacuum cleaners that use HEPA filters and they come highly rated and recommended.  In fact, there are even some vacuum cleaners that are targeted towards and marketed towards pet owners.  You should examine these vacuum cleaners.

The above mentioned steps are a few of the many steps that you can take to seek relief from allergies that you may be suffering due to close contact with your dog.  As reminder, a doctor may be able to prescribe you prescription medication or recommend over-the-counter products that may work just as well.  With that said, remember that treating allergies, especially pets allergies, naturally is usually much safer.

Nasal Allergies - What They Are And What You Can Do

Nasal allergies are better known by its common name, allergic rhinitis. This type of allergy is extremely common.

But, if these reactions only happen during specific periods of the year, then you have a seasonal allergy, usually caused by pollen grains being spread out in the air at about the same time as your allergies. There are also perennial allergies that can happen no matter what day of the year. But the good part is that you and your doctor can work out a treatment for you that will minimize the occurrences and keep your allergy in check.

Nasal Allergy Manifestations
A nasal allergy reaction is a bit like getting a sudden bout of the colds. You"ll sneeze, have watery eyes, have a runny nose with a clear liquid discharge, and all the other unpleasant side effects coming in with colds like having a sore throat and cough. This may seem like just an irritation, but there's more to your nasal allergies than just that.

Common Causes

All allergy attacks are triggered by an allergen, which is the substance that your body recognizes as an outside threat and will attempt to block it. A common allergen during the summer months when flowers are in bloom is pollen, which can float around in the air and end up entering your respiratory tract.

Mold also does the same thing, so you can really feel like you"re having a mix of irritants, which is probably also the case. The last common sources of nasal allergies are animals, whether it's from dust mites or pet dander from your dog. These can all trigger allergic reactions from your body.

Diagnosis of Allergies

A simple evaluation by your doctor of your nasal symptoms can define the best way on how to diagnose if you have a nasal allergy. Then you can undergo tests to determine the best method of treatment for your case.  It would also be very helpful to your doctor if you provide some medical background and history on your allergies, such as when it started, which periods of the year it occurs, and heredity factors.
A physical exam could also test your body parts for faults. Once it's all finished, you and your doctor can plan a way on how to treat your allergies with medication, allergen avoidance, and possibly immunotherapy so that you won't have to endure those allergies forever.
The most effective treatment of allergies, however, is to avoid being exposed to it as much as possible. If you"re allergic to pollen grains, then it might be a good idea to limit your time in parks during the summer, where there are lots of trees and other plants who spread pollen quite well.
Depending on the medical advice your doctor gives, you just have to follow it to make sure that your nasal allergies are minimized and possibly avoided entirely.
Animals are also good sources of nasal infection, so keep your surroundings clean of pet hair and other materials by cleaning and vacuuming often.
You won't have to do so many complicated things just to avoid a simple allergen material, and common sense still applies. Wherever your allergen is bound to be grown or found, better keep yourself away from it.