Sunday, June 24, 2012

Pet Allergies and Air Quality

Although there are many allergies people suffer from that are caused by the consumption of food and drink, there are a lot of allergies that come from allergens that are airborne. These airborne allergens get ingested through a person's nose and mouth when they breathe and they get an allergic reaction which can be mild through to severe.

Pets, particularly cats and dogs, produce many allergens which for most people have little no effect on their health. But for some, it can be very distressing and can cause severe respiratory problems, skin rashes and other medical conditions.


Interestingly a recent survey has found that despite being allergic to pets, one-third of people that suffer from pet allergies actually have at least one pet in their home. Even when advised by a medical practitioner to avoid contact with pets, only one out of five people gave up keeping a pet. The survey also found that over one third of the people surveyed admitted to getting another pet after one had died, even though they knew they were allergic to them.

People often refer to the cause of a pet allergy as being from the animal's hair. It has been proven that it doesn't matter what type of hair a dog or a cat has the animal still produces allergens. It is fair to say that allergens are sometimes on the hair of the animal and therefore if the hair drops from the animal it can float around a bit.

A pet produces allergens from glands on its skin. They dry on the animal's hair and become airborne and a person then breathes them in. Allergens are also produced in an animal's mouth and are therefore present in the saliva. If the animal licks its fur, then they get transferred and dry on the hair and become airborne and, if an animal licks a person, the allergens stay on the skin and dry and gain become airborne.

If you or a family member suffers from pet allergens, but it is not particularly severe, then there are a few things you can do to reduce the airborne allergens entering a person's respiratory system. Remember, the allergens from pets are mainly airborne so you need to clean the air in your home.

Air purifiers are very helpful, but they need to be placed in rooms where the pet is generally and if the pet is allowed into several rooms then you will need several air purifiers. However, you need to get purifiers that have high efficient particulate air (HEPA) filters. These filters can remove 99.7 percent of airborne particles, therefore reducing the number of allergens floating in the air.

Filters must be regularly cleaned or replaced to ensure they remain effective. It is also recommended that, despite using electrical energy, air purifiers should be left to run continuously.

Vacuum regularly to get rid of animal hairs and again ensure your vacuum has a HEPA filter, otherwise the vacuum will suck up the allergens that have got into the carpet and blow them out into the air making the matter worse.

Check out http://www.rabbitair.com/air-purifiers-for-allergies.aspx for more information about better air quality for pet allergies in your home. Visit RabbitAir online. Rabbit Air is a manufacturer of air purifiers. Their philosophy is to create the best purifiers available that also have a great design aesthetic.