subject: Childhood Asthma: How To Control Pet Dander So That You Can Keep Your Favorite Pet [print this page] Nearly 5 million U.S. children under the age of 18 suffer from asthma, causing them to miss out on school and normal daily activities. If your child has a pet, youhgn should know the ways to prevent it from triggering your childs asthma.
Asthma occurs when the bronchial tubes become inflamed, create extra mucus, and cause airways to narrow. The end result could range from a frequent cough to minor wheezing to severe difficulty breathing. Unfortunately, a childs environment can play an important role in how this happens.
An important step in controlling your child's asthma is identifying the triggers and avoiding them. It is well known that children are more susceptible to environmental triggers than adults. This leaves your young one vulnerable to such allergens as dust, mites, smoke, and you guessed it pet allergens.
Those children who are allergic to pets are not actually allergic to their hair. It is the dander that causes the problem. The hair of your favorite pet collects dander and other allergens. This eventually gets into the air and aggravates the lungs of your young unsuspecting child.
The major thing that you can do is to reduce exposure to allergens. You're not going to be able to get rid of them completely. But there are a number of steps that you can perform to keep allergy symptoms from flaring up:
Step 1: Clean your house regularly. You can use allergy control products to decrease dander. Most of these products are all natural and are safe for you, your child and your pet. Dander clings to everything so bare floors and walls are best.
Step 2: Keep pets out of the bedroom. Your pet should be kept out of your childs bedroom completely. This may be hard for a real pet lover but it is essential. Then change your childs clothes immediately after playing with your family pet.
Step 3: Wash pets frequently. Pet shampoos and topical treatments are available to remove dander and allergens. By removing the problem, your child has less of a chance of having an allergic or asthmatic reaction. This is only recommended if the childhood asthma is not severe and you are able to handle the pet without a problem.
Step 4: Brush pets regularly. Pet allergy control products that may ease the suffering and can help avoid an asthma attack. Since it is the dander that causes the bad reaction in children, this will reduce the chance of an asthma attack. Brush pets outdoors to remove some of the dander that is trapped in the hair. When you brush your pet, wear a face mask.
Step 5: Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Make sure you vacuum with a cleaner that has a HEPA filter otherwise allergens are just going to end up in the air. Adding an air purifier with a HEPA filter may also help with airborne allergens.
All of this really depends on how severe childhood asthma affects your child. If it is severe, then it is best to avoid contact with animals all together. Currently, a vaccine for people allergic to cats is being tested. Unfortunately, the success rate of allergy shots and other treatments for pet allergies is only about 50%. Although this may be a major breakthrough in the future, currently it is best to keep your child safely away from pet dander.
by: Lynn Versailles
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