The severity of allergic reactions to cats and other pets varies for each child. Whether you do have a cat or simply want to visit the home of a family member or friend who has a cat with the family for the first time, it's important to find out if your child has a cat allergy. Identifying allergy symptoms in a child can sometimes be difficult, but keeping an eye on a child's reaction to a new animal is important to keep the family healthy and happy. Even if your child does have allergies, there are steps you can take to avoid having to hand over your cat to someone else.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Testing for Allergies
Step 1. Put the kitten around the cat for a while
Go to the house of a friend or family member who has a cat and let the child interact with the cat. That way, you can keep an eye out for signs of cat allergies.
- Be aware that cat allergies can arise from interactions with animal skin, fur, dead skin cells, saliva, and urine.
- You should understand that you should not expose your child to cats or other animals, whether he has a cat allergy or not, if your child has asthma. Mild allergy symptoms can trigger potentially fatal asthma symptoms.
Step 2. Observe the child
If your child shows any of the following symptoms, he or she may have a cat allergy:
- Excessive coughing, sneezing and shortness of breath
- Rash or itching on the chest and face
- Red or itchy eyes
- Redness of the skin where the child was scratched, bitten, or licked
Step 3. Listen to the child
If your child complains of any of the following symptoms while exposed to cats, he or she may have a cat allergy:
- Her eyes itchy
- The nose is stuffy, itchy, or runny
- The skin is itchy or red in the area the cat has touched
Step 4. Remove the child from allergens
If you notice any of the above symptoms in your child, you should immediately get rid of the cat until you have a plan to reduce or treat the allergy symptoms.
Step 5. Let the child have an allergy test
Observational and personal evidence may be sufficient to determine that the child has a cat allergy. However, you should see a doctor and let your child have an allergy test. You should keep in mind that allergy testing is not always accurate, so if the test result is negative, you should keep an eye on your child for signs of allergies when he or she is exposed to cats.
Step 6. Find more severe allergy symptoms
Most allergic reactions are limited to redness, itching, rash, and nasal congestion, but a more severe allergic reaction may occur when a child is exposed to a cat. Swelling of the throat can occur in severe allergic reactions that can trigger airway obstruction. If that happens, take the child to the doctor immediately and do not expose the cat to him in the future.
Method 2 of 3: Controlling Cat Allergy Symptoms with Medication
Step 1. Remember whether your child has mild or severe allergies
If your child's allergy symptoms are mild, you may be able to control them with over-the-counter medications and proper sanitation around the house. If symptoms are severe, such as a rash all over the body or swelling of the throat or other airways, you should make sure that your child is no longer exposed to cats.
If you do have a cat and you know your child has a severe allergy, you will likely have to give the cat to someone else
Step 2. Use an antihistamine
Antihistamines are designed to reduce the body's production of immune compounds that are the cause of allergy-related symptoms. It also helps relieve itching, sneezing, and runny noses. You can buy them over-the-counter or by prescription.
- Antihistamines are available in pill, nasal spray, or syrup form, which are specially designed for children.
- Never give over-the-counter or prescription allergy medicines to children two years of age or under, except on instructions by a doctor.
Step 3. Use a decongestant
Decongestants work by defrosting swollen tissue in the nasal passages, making it easier for you to breathe through your nose.
- Some over-the-counter allergy relief tablets combine an antihistamine with a decongestant.
- Never give over-the-counter or prescription allergy medicines to children two years of age or under, except on instructions by a doctor.
Step 4. Give the allergy injection to the child
These injections, which are usually given once or twice a week by an allergist, can help your child deal with allergy symptoms that antihistamines and decongestants cannot control. Injections for allergies train the immune system by desensitizing certain allergy triggers. It is usually called immunotherapy. The initial injection exposes the patient to small doses of the allergen, and in this case the cat protein that triggers the allergic reaction. The dose is gradually increased, usually over three to six months. Maintenance injections are needed every four weeks for three to five years.
Be sure to also ask the doctor for the age limit and dosage based on the child's condition
Step 5. Match medication with other preventive measures
While continuing to take allergy medication, you should follow the steps listed in the section “Controlling Cat Allergies with Preventive Measures”, to ensure that you minimize cat allergy symptoms in your child.
Step 6. Monitor the effectiveness of medications
After finding the right dose and type of medicine for your child, monitor its effectiveness over time. People over time tend to become resistant to the active ingredients in allergy medications, which in turn minimizes the effectiveness of the drug. If you see this happening to your child, you may have to change the dose or type of medicine your child is taking.
Method 3 of 3: Controlling Cat Allergies with Prevention
Step 1. Reduce cat exposure
While it's obvious, reducing exposure or limiting the time your cat is exposed will drastically reduce symptoms.
Step 2. Warn others about allergies in children
If you want to visit someone who has cats, warn that person about allergies in children. Ask him if he can keep the cat out of the room where the kids are until you get home.
Step 3. Give the child allergy medication a few hours before interacting with the cat
If you take your child to the house of someone who has cats, administer allergy medication a few hours before the child is exposed. It can minimize the reaction and the child does not have to feel uncomfortable waiting for the medicine to work if he takes the medicine after being exposed to the cat.
Step 4. Restrict cat access
Don't let cats come into bedrooms, play areas, couches, and basically any area where your child spends time. If you have a basement that your children don't frequent, letting your cat live separately in the basement can be a solution.
Step 5. Purchase an air conditioner that has an allergen controller
Reducing the number of allergens present in the air at home can have a very good impact on the recovery of allergy symptoms in children. Air conditioners with filters to control allergens, such as HEPA filters, can reduce the number of allergens present in the home air.
Step 6. Clean the house frequently and well
Cat dander and dead skin cells can build up on couches, carpets, curtains, and basically anywhere cats go. Buy a good vacuum cleaner and use it quite often. Also use carpet cleaner, cleaning spray, and antibacterial wipes on the surface of the house to get rid of allergenic triggers left by the cat.
Cats naturally have a tendency to get in and walk all over the house. So, make sure you pay attention to areas that are not often touched, such as behind the sofa and under the bed
Step 7. Bathe your cat regularly
Bathing your cat regularly can help reduce the amount of dead skin and excess hair your cat leaves around the house. Therefore, bathing a cat is another effective way to fight allergies in children.
You have to keep in mind that cats don't like baths and don't really need to bathe too often. Be sure to consult with your veterinarian about bathing your cat as bathing your cat too often can be bad for the cat's health
Tips
- Try to avoid places with lots of cats.
- If your child really wants a cat, try buying him a stuffed animal or other pet. However, make sure the child also does not have an allergy to these animals.
- Allergies are also related to genetics, so if a parent suffers from allergies, the chances of the child suffering from the same allergies are also high.
- Beware of the triad, which consists of allergies, asthma, and eczema. If your child has acid and eczema, there is a tendency for him to also suffer from allergies.
Warning
- If you have to get rid of a cat, don't throw it on the street or anywhere else. Take the cat to a safe shelter.
- If you are trying to hand over a cat to someone else, be aware of that person's intentions. Not everyone likes cats.
- Children under the age of two should not be given antihistamines or decongestants.
- Be careful with drugs. Consult a doctor before starting to give medicine and ask the doctor to recommend a good medicine for your child
