Cat hair allergy therapy – how is it treated?

The most important component of a therapy against a cat hair allergy is of course that one prevents an exposure to the allergen as consistently as possible (“allergenic elimination”). This means that you should not keep a cat as a pet, but also have as little contact as possible with cats and places where they are frequently present. For the reasons mentioned above it is hardly possible to avoid any contact with cat allergens.

Therefore, additional medication must often be used to get the symptoms under control. For allergies in general, antihistamines are usually prescribed, which are available in the form of tablets, ointments, eye and nose drops. Which of the many preparations works best in which dosage must always be decided individually and it can sometimes take some time to find the optimal mode of application.

But even though this therapy often helps relatively well, it is purely symptomatic. If the problem is to be tackled causally, ultimately only hyposensitization (also known as desensitization) can be considered. In this treatment, the patient is injected with the corresponding allergen under the skin, first in very low and then in ever increasing concentrations over a longer period of time at regular intervals.

In this way, the immune system should gradually become accustomed to the allergen and finally no longer overreact to it, even if it is encountered under normal conditions. Theoretically, a cat hair allergy can be cured with the so-called desensitization (erroneously also called “allergen vaccination”). The defense system is confronted with small amounts of the triggering protein particle (allergen) and gets used to it with slowly increasing dosage.

However, this therapy is very lengthy and often not successful. Much more effective and faster than trying to cure the allergy is to avoid the allergenic element. For cat owners this means to separate from the cat.Another possibility is to reduce the allergy symptoms with medication.

In some cases, the hypersensitivity can subside over the years and thus a cure can be achieved. Unfortunately, however, the symptoms increase more and more, especially in people who are still in contact with cats, as long as no treatment is given. The principle of desensitization is based on first confronting the body’s own defense system (immune system) with the smallest amounts of the allergen.

These are gradually increased, with the aim of reducing the overreaction to the harmless trigger. The immune system should get used to this and recognize that there is no danger. In the case of cat hair allergy, the trigger is not cat hair but certain proteins from the saliva of the animals, which is distributed in the hair by the coat care.

With other allergies it is certain pollen or insect poisons. With a successful desensitization, which lasts two to three years, one is free of the allergy and shows no more symptoms. While the chances of success are very good for some forms of allergy (for example bee or wasp allergies), the treatment often works less well for cat hair allergies.

This is partly due to the fact that for a successful treatment during the therapy the trigger (i.e. the cat) should be avoided. However, the complex desensitization comes into consideration especially for people who do not want to part with their pet. A treatment is still possible but much less promising.

For this reason it is not always covered by health insurance. Therefore it is recommended to find out before the treatment whether the insurance company will cover the costs or whether you have to pay them yourself. The best and most direct measure in case of an allergy is to avoid the trigger.

This is a very big and difficult step for most cat owners. The symptoms of the allergy are also often not too restrictive, so that a cat can usually be kept. Fortunately, there are various measures to alleviate the symptoms.

For allergic symptoms of the skin such as itching, rashes or reddening of the skin, certain creams from the pharmacy or a drugstore often help. Active ingredients such as urea (urea) and aloe vera are recommended. Since the allergic reaction to the cats’ proteins is mediated by a release of the tissue hormone histamine, allergy sufferers can also take so-called antihistamines to stem the acute reaction.

Cetirizine and Lorano® are frequently used as prescribed by a doctor. These can also be taken as a preventive measure, for example if contact with the allergen cannot be avoided, such as when visiting an apartment where cats also live. The tablets can also help to contain an incipient reaction.

In cases of allergic respiratory distress, certain sprays can also be used for inhalation, which quickly dilate the narrowed airways again. The active ingredient is usually beta2-symphatomimetics such as salbutamol. People with allergic asthma should carry it with them along with an injection of adrenaline as an emergency medication.

An allergy to animal hair can exist from the beginning or is basically predisposed and can therefore occur suddenly despite many years of contact with a domestic cat. A treatment of the allergy can then also be carried out with homeopathic remedies. This can then often be carried out by the cat itself or, depending on the severity of the allergy, be accompanied by a specialized therapist.

On the one hand, patients receive acute homeopathic medication with low potencies, which have to be taken hourly. For the therapy of the basic disposition to disease, drugs with high potencies are used. These are intended to directly influence the immune system and are taken once or only monthly.

The aim of the therapy is not to over-stimulate the patient’s body. For treatment with the help of homeopathy there are various remedies available, which can be extracted from plants or even animals. Which remedy is most suitable for the patient can be determined by an experienced therapist and an allergy test. The homeopathic remedies can then be tested for their effectiveness and it may be necessary to try several homeopathic remedies until the most effective one is found for the allergy.