Symptoms | The animal hair allergy

Symptoms

From the path described above, it is clear that the symptoms of an animal hair allergy also only occur when there is or has recently been contact with the corresponding animal. The symptoms can range from skin irritation after contact (contact eczema) to allergic shock (anaphylactic shock). The so-called contact eczema usually occurs with a delay of a few minutes to contact with the animal and can last from a few hours to several days.

The affected skin area is then reddened and patients usually complain of severe itching. Allergic conjunctivitis can also occur. The affected patients have severely reddened and itchy eyes, which can also water.

Some patients experience a severe and sudden shortness of breath as soon as they are near the animal that caused their animal hair allergy. Often the symptoms improve quickly when they are out of reach of the animal.In some patients, the attacks of shortness of breath on exposure to allergens also develop into allergic asthma or chronic sinusitis (chronic rhinosinusitis). In a few patients, the animal hair allergy manifests itself as an allergic shock (anaphylactic shock).

Should this occur, an emergency doctor must be called immediately, as this is an acutely life-threatening situation. Coughing as a symptom of animal hair allergy is less common. In addition often large quantities of the animal protein must be in the breathing air.

If these are inhaled near the animal in large quantities, a hypersensitivity reaction can occur. The immune cells of the respiratory tract recognize the protein as foreign and harmful and try to channel it out of the body. Coughing fits can be the result.

Subsequently, the respiratory tract can swell as an allergic reaction and make it difficult for further particles to pass through. Just as coughing occurs as a defensive reaction against inhaled animal proteins, breathing difficulties can also occur. In contrast to body skin, mucous membranes do not have a keratinized surface to fend off such proteins.

If they come into contact with an allergen, they can swell considerably, itch and cause problems. In the mouth and throat area, the mucous membranes sometimes swell so much that breathing becomes difficult. Especially in the throat at the transition to the larynx, even slight swelling can cause a considerable blockage of the airways.

Asthma can also occur as an allergic reaction. The allergic reactions can even block breathing completely, resulting in unconsciousness and an acute medical emergency. Skin symptoms are very common in animal hair allergies.

Often no direct contact with the animal is necessary, but a close proximity is sufficient. This is due to the fact that the allergens can pass into the air due to their small size. After only a few minutes, itching occurs in the accessible areas.

This often affects the skin of the face, hands and forearms. At the affected areas there is an additional redness with so-called “urticaria“. These are hives, a symptom of urticaria.

If one leaves the room in which the animal is located, the symptoms on the skin also subside within a few minutes. With other forms of allergy, which occur much less frequently, rashes, so-called “eczema“, can develop over hours. The development of the symptoms takes considerably longer and healing after the end of exposure, i.e. the time of contact with the allergen, can also take several days.