Pet Allergies: How Do Allergy Treatments Work?

Using Antihistamines For Pet Allergies

Your body starts producing chemicals called histamines when it comes into contact with things you are allergic to. These histamines are what produces those notorious symptoms — sneezing, coughing, wheezing, and redness. Antihistamines are medications that either put a halt to histamine production or reduce it. 

While often very effective, antihistamines can produce side effects in some people. They include drowsiness, blurred vision, nausea, confusion, and in children mood swings. Before taking an antihistamine, even if it is available over-the counter, talking to your allergist is a good idea, as they can advise you on which antihistamine is most suitable in your situation. Make sure to tell your allergist about other chronic health conditions and medications you use.

How Allergy Shots Work

Though allergy shots are indeed referred to as allergy vaccines as well, they are much more involved than your annual flu shot. Better called immunotherapy, they are well suited to people who didn't have success with over-the-counter allergy treatments and who are exposed to the thing they are allergic to on an ongoing basis, as you are when you are a pet owner with a pet allergy. Allergy shots aim to reduce your reaction to your pet by slowly making your body get used to the protein to which you are allergic. 

Know in advance that having allergy shots is an involved and time-consuming process:

• In the initial stage, you will need shots once or even twice a week.
• Later on, that can be reduced to once every two weeks to a month.
• After about six months of maintaining that schedule, you will graduate to needing a monthly maintenance dose.

Should You Get A Pet If You Are Allergic, Or Someone Else In Your Household Is?

Though anti-allergy medications and shots can indeed help many people who are allergic to pets live with them harmoniously, it is important to acknowledge that these treatments are not fool-proof: they do not come with a guarantee that you will have no symptoms whatsoever. They are very much worth a shot if you are already living with a pet you love and who depends on you to sustain them. Should you welcome a new pet into your home knowing that you are allergic, though? 

The answer is "probably not" and "not without talking to an allergist at length first". Consider pets to whom you may not be as allergic, such as breeds that shed less, or pets to whom you are definitely not allergic, as confirmed by your allergist, instead.