Pet Allergy Relief---4 Important Allergens To Eliminate
If you are allergic to your pet you're really in a tough spot----having to choose between your health and one who has become a family member
. There are 4 major allergens associated with warm-blooded pets, and they are the first pollutants you should remove for allergy relief.
Dander---Although it is microscopic in size and can only be seen with magnification, if it triggers allergy symptoms you don't have to see it to know it's there. It is the protein in these dead flakes of skin that is such a powerful allergen.
You don't want your pet to stop producing it because these flakes are shed to make way for newer and more heat disease and infection. So removing them from the air is the best way to minimize their effect on you.
Hair-Pet hair is not an actual allergen. But because dander is such sticky stuff it sticks to your pet's hair (or feathers). Once the hair, feathers or fur are shed, they serve as additional carriers for the dander. Having a cleaner that can remove airborne particles generated by pets is important
Dust Mites---These tiny creatures thrive where it is dark, moist and there is a food source. They are most common in the bedroom and more specifically in the bed. And if you have a pet they will thrive on their dander as well.
There are a number of things you can do to keep the dander down like keeping their favorite area and/or cage clean, and bathing your pet. But despite your best and consistent efforts these small flakes will still find their way into the air.
Bacteria & Viruses---Germs are every where. And when we close our doors and windows to keep out the heat or the cold, unless there is efficiency filtration there is no way out for them. And so they continue to circulate each time the fan comes on to moderate the temperature in home with cool or warm air.
They travel from one host to the other by attaching to airborne particles that can then be inhaled by pets and humans. Some of the germs associated with animals can cause health problems in humans such as Bird Fanciers Lung (BFL) that is caused by breathing dried droppings from infected birds.
The best way to remove all of these pet-related allergens as well as more normal household allergens is to filter the air with a variety of filter that can remove both gaseous and particulate allergy triggers.
The HEPA or high efficiency particle arresting filter can remove airborne allergens as small as .3 microns. And a carbon based filter (preferably carbon cloth) can remove odors, smoke, and chemicals from your air. Choose an air cleaner that has both types of filters for continuous relief allergy symptoms.