What are the signs of cat hair allergy

Typical signs of a cat hair allergy are sneezing fits or itching, which occur especially when a cat is nearby or you are in an environment where cats are present. However, these unspecific symptoms can also be caused by other triggers, such as a house dust allergy. An allergy is more likely to occur if the symptoms only affect you and not other people in the same environment.

Allergy to cat hair is one of the most common animal hair allergies and is often accompanied by various symptoms. Triggers for the allergy can be not only the hair, but also proteins in the skin, saliva or sweat of the cat. A typical symptom can be an acute cough and respiratory problems.

This cough can manifest itself as an acute coughing attack or as a longer lasting and recurring cough. Especially inflammation of the throat and pharynx, which can also be triggered by an allergy, can further irritate and aggravate a cough. The cough can become dangerous especially if the structures of the respiratory tract swell additionally.

Those affected can then quickly panic and suffer an acute shortness of breath. It is then particularly important to remain calm and guide the patient to breathe calmly. A cough that is caused by animal hair should always be clarified by a doctor.

Diagnosis

The presumption that a cat hair allergy is present is usually expressed by those affected themselves. To confirm this suspicion, however, it is advisable to consult a doctor, as the symptoms can often be confused with the symptoms of other allergies or infections with bacteria or viruses. A doctor will always first take a detailed medical history.

This includes important questions:

Exactly which complaints exist,
How often and when exactly they occur,
Can they be triggered, improved or made worse by certain activities,
Are there similar symptoms also with family members,
Are there other known diseases and/or allergies and, depending on the individual case, even more.

This is followed by a physical examination. During this examination, the doctor examines the eyes, nose and sinuses and, if necessary, affected areas of skin. After these measures, a suspicion is usually already confirmed, but can still be confirmed and confirmed by certain tests.

There are various skin tests that can be used to detect allergies. The most widespread is the so-called prick test. In this test, the doctor applies various allergens diluted in solution that could be responsible for the symptoms to the patient’s forearm and then pricks the skin with a small lancet in the middle of the droplets so that the allergens enter the body.

An allergic reaction has occurred in those areas where redness and/or wheals appear within ten to twenty minutes. If the result is unsatisfactory, the prick test can be supplemented by an intradermal test in which the allergens are injected directly under the skin, making this test more accurate but also more painful. A blood test can also provide information about a questionable allergy.

However, this is usually only carried out if, for some reason, the prick test cannot be performed or only provides unclear results. Blood is taken and then tested in the laboratory for a certain antibody subtype (IgE, which is increasingly released in the course of allergic reactions). The total IgE, i.e. all IgE-antibodies present in the blood, can be measured once, but this is only of limited value, since it can also be increased by other factors (such as worm infections or smoking).

It is better to determine the specific IgE, which is directed against a certain allergen, in this case the cat hair allergen.If this value is increased, it speaks in connection with the appropriate clinical picture almost 100% for an existing cat hair allergy. The last possibility is the provocation test. In this test, the patient is confronted directly with the suspected allergen, whereby it is brought into contact with the mucous membrane of the eye or nose, for example.

Since this test can sometimes trigger severe allergic reactions, it is rarely used and must only be performed under strict supervision. Important differential diagnoses of cat hair allergy are other allergic diseases, for example hay fever, allergies to other animal hair, food allergy or drug allergies. Also some infections (viral, bacterial or even by worms), certain changes in the nasopharynx or even hormonal disorders can rarely cause similar symptoms, so a thorough diagnosis should not be omitted even in the case of apparently obvious cat hair allergy.

If a cat hair allergy is suspected, the first thing to do is to have a thorough interview with a doctor (this can be the family doctor first) to determine the symptoms. This includes when they occur, which symptoms appear and how long they last. If the suspicion is confirmed by the physician, a special allergen test can be performed.

These tests are usually covered by the statutory or private health insurance. However, it is also possible to order an animal hair allergy test kit with all necessary utensils, for example on the Internet. With the help of devices and instructions suitable for laymen, a drop of blood can be taken from the finger and sent to a laboratory.

There the blood is examined for certain components, which speak for a cat hair allergy. Afterwards a detailed analysis is sent to the laboratory. Such a test is available for about 25€.

A positive test result alone does not guarantee the diagnosis of an allergy! Only if there really is a hypersensitivity reaction of the immune system due to contact with the corresponding allergen (in this case cats), an allergy can be diagnosed. With an allergy test kit you can avoid a visit to the doctor if you want to know if you suffer from an allergy to cat hair. However, a negative test result does not exclude the allergy with certainty. On the other hand, if the test result is positive, a doctor should be consulted anyway, in order to be advised about the further procedure.