Animal hair allergy
"Animal hair allergy" - the colloquial name is already a misunderstanding. This is because those affected do not have an allergic reaction to the hair of their pets, but to certain proteins in saliva, sweat, sebum, urine, feces or in the skin scales (epithelia) of the animals. The hair comes into play at another point: cats, for example, take care of their body hygiene by licking their fur with their tongue. Allergens also reach the hair, the air and from there the respiratory tract of the affected person. In addition, allergies are caused not only by animals with fur, but also by feathers.
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In brief: Humans can react sensitively to any animal, usually with fur or feathers, and develop allergies. The most frequent triggers of animal hair allergies are cats and dogs. Other animal species include guinea pigs, golden hamsters, rabbits, mice, rats, horses, cattle and birds. Most reactions occur only minutes after contact with the animal. …

Symptoms: The symptoms usually come on suddenly. Within minutes after contact with the allergens, the affected individuals begin to sneeze or rub their reddened eyes. They can have an itchy, runny nose. Cough attacks, shortness of breath and reddening of the skin are also possible.
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Prevalence: It is estimated that 13 million cats and 8 million dogs are kept in Germany. The number of people affected by animal hair allergies is increasing. Animal allergens are the third most frequent cause of respiratory allergies after pollen and house dust mites.
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Risk factors: A decisive factor for developing sensitization (and later perhaps allergy) is at least in cats their occurrence in the residential community. Data from Swedish schools show that the amount of cat allergens in the classroom increases directly with the number of children having a cat at home. ...more
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Diagnosis: Even if you don't keep an animal, you can get an animal hair allergy. It is often not so easy to determine which animal triggers the symptoms. Skin tests, blood tests and sometimes also a provocation test can bring clarity. But a detailed doctor-patient talk is also important. ...more
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Therapy: Often, families in which someone suffers from an animal hair allergy are forced to give the pet away to eliminate the cause of the allergy. In individual cases, for example with veterinarians or animal keepers, specific immunotherapy (SIT, hyposensitization) with animal allergens can be considered ...more
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Prevention: Avoiding the allergen would be a top priority - but many animal hair allergens also occur frequently in public spaces, for example in buses. There are no completely allergen-free animal breeds, even if they are advertised for from time to time. All animals produce proteins that can potentially lead to allergic reactions. ...more
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Research approaches: Does early childhood contact with animals lead to increased susceptibility or does it even protect against animal hair allergy? This is just one of many questions that research is asking itself. ...more
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- González-de-Olano, D. et al.: Prevalence of allergy to human seminal fluid among women with allergy to male dog and sentization to Can f 5. In: Clin. Exp. Allergy 2018; 48: 2368-1370
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- Schuyler, A., Platts-Mills T.: Furry Animals – Risk or Protective Factors for Allergic Rhinitis? In: Akdis, C. et al.: Global Atlas of Allergic Rhinitis and Chronic Rhinosinusitis 2015, S. 100 – 102
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- van Nunen, S.: Tick-induced allergies: mammalian meat allergy, tick anaphylaxis and their significance. In: Asia Pac Allergy 2015; 5: 3-16
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- Letzte Aktualisierung:
- 25.03.2019
Die hier aufgeführten Leitlinien und Aufsätze richten sich, so nicht ausdrücklich anders vermerkt, an Fachkreise. Ein Teil der hier angegebenen Aufsätze ist in englischer Sprache verfasst.
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