Health and Well-Being-Furry friends a problem for asthma sufferers
They may be cute and cuddly, but for many asthmatics sharing a home with a pet can be risky business. "Pet owners with asthma tend to have more attacks because many also have pet-related allergies," says Benjamin Interiano, MD, a pulmonologist and associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
While dogs and cats are the main culprits, any animal with fur or feathers, including gerbils, rabbits, and birds, can aggravate asthma. When pets are kept inside the home, it is impossible to avoid contact with their hair, dander, and various contaminants emitted from the urine and feces into the air.
"If a person is allergic to a pet, the best thing for them to do is remove the pet from the home," says Interiano. "If that's not possible, the animal should be kept outside the asthma sufferer's living space, including bedrooms and family rooms."
If parting with a pet is not an option, the owner should at least take steps to lower the risk of triggering an asthma attack. Interiano suggests:
• keeping the pet outdoors as much as possible;
• bathing the animal once a week to reduce the number of allergens it emits;
• cleaning litter boxes, cages, and the pet's bedding regularly;
• placing plastic covers over fabrics, furniture, pillows, and mattresses.
To minimize exposure to allergens, assign those chores to nonallergic family and friends.
"The most important thing to remember with any allergy is to avoid the source," Interiano says. "Controlling the allergy will help control the asthma."
Continuous exposure to an allergen can make asthma more severe and persistent, and can even result in irreversible damage to the respiratory system.
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