What Are Some Natural Cures for Cat Allergies?

Although many people would love to share their homes with a pet cat, allergies to cats that prevent contact with these furry animals are common. Cat allergies are actually caused not by their fur, but by an allergic reaction to their dander. Dander is composed of skin cells and tiny fragments of hair, but not of pieces of the hair itself.

The Allergic Reaction

People who are allergic to cats display a range of symptoms. These symptoms may range from a mild reaction of sneezing--which is one of the body's methods of displacing irritants--to itching caused by a sudden increase in histamines, to a severe reaction that causes the throat and breathing passages to quickly swell shut, prohibiting the sufferer from breathing.

Most cat allergy sufferers react immediately to the presence of cat dander in the air around them. Thus, treatment for cat allergies must either act quickly to suppress symptoms or operate continuously to prevent them.

Medicinal Treatments for Cat Allergies

Patients who are allergic to cats are often instructed to take an antihistamine, a drug which prevents the body from releasing histamines in reaction to the allergen. This prevents the histamines from causing allergic symptoms. Antihistamines can be purchased over the counter or by prescription. Most antihistamines have side effects that range from slight drowsiness to extreme sleepiness. Few antihistamines have been formulated that can allow an allergy sufferer to remain symptom-free for more than a few hours.

Natural Allergy Remedies

Because of the side effects of conventional allergy medicines and, for some patients, the risk of an allergic reaction to the medicines themselves, many patients are interested in natural or alternative remedies for their allergy symptoms. These remedies include nutritional supplements, herbal remedies and allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Physical Allergen Removal

The most common method of physical allergen removal is the saline sinus wash. Many drug stores now carry saline in both non-aerosol and aerosol delivery sprays. These sprays work to alleviate allergy symptoms by removing the cause of the allergic reaction. In the case of a cat allergy, dander lodged in the sinus passages of the allergy sufferer is washed away and the body ceases to react to it. Thus, the symptoms are relieved.

Another method of physical allergen removal that is gaining popularity is the neti pot. This ceramic pot, which resembles a small teapot, uses warm salt water to rinse the sinus cavities and rid the body of allergens. Neti pots are available at health food stores, some drug stores and online.

Nutritional Supplements

Nutritional supplements for allergy sufferers are believed to work by strengthening the body's ability to fight off an allergic reaction. One common supplement recommended for allergy sufferers is quercetin, a member of the bioflavonoid family of food compounds that is found in many common foods, including citrus, apples and broccoli. Allergy sufferers can get quercetin by eating foods rich in the compound, but may also choose to take a quercetin supplement, available at health food and drug stores and online.

Herbal Remedies

Many people consider herbal remedies, often discovered and used long before conventional medicines, to be as effective as modern drug options. Some herbs that are reported to be useful for the treatment of allergies are eucalyptus, which is used for its vapors to clear sinus passages and soothe inflammation; red clover, which has purported anti-inflammatory properties; alfalfa, which is said to strengthen the immune system and soothe respiratory inflammation; and stinging nettle, which has a natural antihistamine action without causing drowsiness. Butterbur, licorice root and chamomile have also been used as herbal remedies for allergic reactions.

Patients who take herbal remedies should exercise caution, however, as many herbs can cause their own allergic reactions.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy

Allergen-specific immunotherapy, while technically a natural remedy, should only be administered by a medical professional. This method seeks to introduce small amounts of the allergen, which causes a reaction in the patient's body and allows the immune system to build up an appropriate reaction to the allergen. Allergen-specific immunotherapy may be delivered via injection or sublingually (dissolved under the tongue).

In the case of a cat allergy, small amounts of diluted, sterilized cat dander would be introduced into the body. These amounts, although not enough to produce the typical allergic reaction, would create enough reaction inside the body for it to begin producing antibodies. Once enough antibodies are built up, the body will turn to the antibodies to defend itself against the allergen rather than releasing the histamines which cause the allergic symptoms.

References

• Six Natural Allergy Remedies
• Conventional Medications Not Your Cup of Tea?
• Natural Allergy Cure