NORTHERN NEVADA ALLERGY CLINIC, LTD.

4796 CAUGHLIN PARKWAY #106 RENO, NEVADA 89519 775-826-4900 FAX 775-826-3257 www.nevallergy.com

Cat Allergy
Domestic animals are present in up to 60% of American homes, and cats are one of our most popular and loved pets. At the same time, it is estimated that over 6 million Americans are allergic to cats. Allergic reactions to cats can range from inflammation of the nose and eyes to hives and life-threatening asthma attacks. Many people are surprised to learn that the major cat allergen (the allergy-causing material from cats) is not actually cat hair, but rather a protein secreted by cats primarily through the sebaceous glands onto their skin, as well as into saliva, and other secretions. This allergen does stick to the cats hair, but there can still be high levels present even when no hair is visible. There are four major allergens in cats. The first, Fel D 1, is produced by ALL members of the cat family (felidae), from lions and tigers, to the common housecat, felis domesticus. The second allergen, Fel D 2, is a protein called serum albumin, and is frequently crossreactive with other animals. There is no direct relationship between a cats hair length and allergen production, although it IS true that cats secrete more allergen during the winter months, and that neutered cats secrete slightly less. Washing the cat does briefly reduce the allergen level, but it is replenished within several hours, making this an ineffective measure. Unfortunately, there is no non-allergenic cat!

Cats make the Perfect Allergen

There are 4 properties that make cat allergen a particularly formidable foe for allergy sufferers: 1. Cat allergen is extremely small and lightweight. Cat allergen can become airborne on microscopic flakes/particles of skin that stay aloft for hours, even in an undisturbed room. Up to 25% of the allergen can exist on tiny particles 2 to 3 microns in diameter (two thousanths of a millimeter)- far too small to see with the naked eye, and small enough to penetrate into even the smallest airways in the lung. This partially explains the propensity for cat allergen to eventually trigger asthma symptoms in many patients, not just nasal, eye, or skin symptoms. It also explains how cat allergen is easily transported through air conditioning and heating systems. 2. Cat allergen is very sticky. This property makes cat allergen able to be transferred easily by CONTACT, as well as by air. It is so easily transported by contact that the majority of homes, as well as most public places, contain cat allergen even though a cat has never lived there just from people bringing it in on clothing! In one study, it was shown that brand-new mattresses on a store showroom accumulated equivalent levels of cat allergen as homes with former cats in just 3 weeks, simply from random customers carrying it in on their clothing! 3. Cat allergen lasts a long, long time. Studies have shown that it may take 6-12 MONTHS or more, for levels of cat allergen to BEGIN to decrease in an environment after the pet is gone. As a poignant example, on the south Atlantic island of Tristan de Cunha, cats were completely banned (from the entire island) over 30 years ago. Yet in 1999 investigators still found substantial amounts of cat allergen there, over 25 years later! Large reservoirs of allergen remain in carpets, bedding, upholstered furniture, and other areas, for years. This is why cat-allergic patients can suffer with allergy symptoms in places even if the cat has not been there for a while. It is also why putting the cat out right before an allergic friend visits doesnt prevent their symptoms! 4. Cat allergen is abundantly produced. A single cat can produce several grams of allergen daily. Since it is very slow to break down, large amounts accumulate and are spread. At the same time, cat allergen is also very potent, and even extremely small amounts can trigger symptoms in susceptible people- on the order of a few NANO-grams (billionths of a gram)! All of these features combined essentially make cat allergen impossible to avoid- even if you do not own a cat. Certainly those who own cats or are with them regularly have a higher degree of exposure; but even with avoidance measures, cat allergen is a ubiquitous part of our environment, and is here to stay.

What Cat Allergen Does to Sufferers:

Patients allergic to cats have an immune system that produces allergic antibodies (IgE) to one or more of the major cat allergens. These allergic antibodies circulate in the blood, so are spread throughout the body, until they find and bind to specific allergy cells (mast cells) that reside in the lining of the nose, eyes, respiratory tract, skin, and other areas. They then wait there quietly, until the person is re-exposed to
Turn Over

NORTHERN NEVADA ALLERGY CLINIC, LTD. 4796 CAUGHLIN PARKWAY #106 RENO, NEVADA 89519 775-826-4900 FAX 775-826-3257 www.nevallergy.com

cat allergen. When re-exposure occurs, IgE triggers the mast cell to immediately release large quantities their inflammatory mediators (such as histamine, and other chemicals), and this is what produces the allergic symptoms. The specific symptoms depend on the site(s) of exposure: When the allergen is inhaled or rubbed into the nose, nasal symptoms of allergic rhinitis (hay fever) are triggered. When rubbed into the eyes: allergic conjunctivitis results. When inhaled into the lungs- allergic (or extrinsic) asthma occurs. When in contact with the skin: itching, hives, swelling, or atopic dermatitis may result. In all of these cases, the same allergic process is responsible. This is how allergy sufferers may either have one area affected, or many areas affected, at the same time. In addition to the symptoms that are making them miserable, part of the chemical mediators (cytokines) released during an allergic reaction tell the immune system to produce MORE of the IgE allergic antibodies to that allergen. As a result, it may then take LESS exposure in the future, to trigger even more severe reactions. This immunologic process is called by several names such as priming, positive reinforcement, or up-regulation, but the end result is the same: people notice that their reactions are becoming more severe, even though their exposure is less, or that the medicines that used to control their symptoms seem to stop working after a little while. Fortunately, there is help available.

How Can You Reduce the Exposure?

Since most pets are considered essentially family members, removing the pet or keeping it exclusively outdoors although effective- is virtually impossible for most people and families. The next best thing is to set up a pet-free-zone focusing especially on the allergic patients bedroom, and reducing as many allergen reservoirs as possible. For more information, refer to the allergen-reduced-bedroom handout. Start by either keeping the door closed to keep the pet out of the bedroom, or by putting up a child gate or similar barrier. Next, focus on removing reservoirs for allergen in the room: remove carpets, drapes, and upholstered furniture to the greatest extent possible, replacing with hard-surface flooring (wood, tile, etc) that is easily wiped, and solid-state furniture (leather, wood, etc). The mattress and pillow should be encased with an allergen-impermeable barrier such as a dust mite cover. Bedding should be washed in hot water every 1-2 weeks to remove allergen transported in. Wash or remove other soft, plush items such as stuffed animals, etc. To decrease transporting in allergen, minimize travel into and out of the room.

Treatment Options
In addition to the avoidance measures discussed above, there are a number of treatment options for patients with allergic symptoms to cats as well as other pets. Medications are directed toward the different dominant site(s) of your reaction (nasal symptoms, eyes, breathing symptoms, skin symptoms). For further information on specific classes of medications, refer to the handout(s) for Allergic Rhinitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis, Asthma, Urticaria / Angioedema, and Atopic Dermatitis. There are many, many medication options. Your allergist will tailor these medications to meet your needs, taking into account your symptoms, and explaining the risks and benefits of each treatment option. Medications suppress the chemical mediators released during the course of the allergic reaction, and alleviate symptoms, but do not get at the root cause of the problem, however, which is the production of allergic antibodies. To re-direct the immune response away from the production of allergic antibodies and decrease a persons sensitivity, allergen immunotherapy (allergy shots or allergy drops) are the only proven method available. Allergen immunotherapy has been used for over 100 years and is the only all-natural method to truly reduce your sensitivity to cat and other allergen(s). For more information, see What about Allergy Shots? and Allergy Drops. With the many effective treatment options available, there are very few people who cannot take control of their life back from their allergies! Talk with your allergist. The following online sites are also good sources of information as well:
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology : www.aaaai.org American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: www.acaai.org

Turn Over