Owning and caring for pets is a favorite pastime around the world. Many people grow as close to their pets as they do to their family members. They become a part of your family. Choosing the type of pet you will select depends on a variety of things.

Pets range from many different animals. While some may choose a snake, rabbit, bird or lizard, many prefer the more common pets: dogs and cats.

Due to cat allergies, many do not choose to have a cat, when they may otherwise have liked one. Those who have cat allergies cannot be around cats. Their allergies may be mild to severe, so they need to be certain to be careful when around these animals.

Coping with Cat Allergies

Forty percent of people who suffer from asthma also have cat allergies and are much more sensitive to these creatures than to dogs.

The problematic element for those with this allergy is a protein found in the skin of the cat and in the saliva of the cat. When the cat licks his fur while cleaning himself, he deposits this protein on his fur.

Thus the reaction in sensitive individuals is by this allergen. The allergen can then produce a reaction-pollen dust mites, and animal dander. The cat hair itself is not the problem; it is the protein in the dander and the saliva. When these allergens become airborne, then the symptoms begin.

No cats are known to be hypoallergenic, however; male cats do cause more allergic reactions because of the testosterone increasing in the cat’s glands. This in turn increases the protein. The cat allergens are found mainly in homes where the cats live, but are also found in offices and places where animals are not allowed. This protein is sticky and can be carried on the clothing of people from place to place. The particles causing the cat allergies can remain in air for long periods of time, and those who are sensitive are more likely to have a quick reaction when going into a room where there is a cat or multiple cats.

Wheezing, the most common symptom of cat allergy, begins upon entrance to a room with cats. There are also more subtle, delayed reactions that can linger to up to a week or more. Chronic asthma can be an ongoing malady for those who are exposed often. Hives and eczema may also occur. Be safe, if allergic to cats, don’t be in their presence. It is better to maintain good health and be aware of the symptoms of your allergy. By yourself a dog!

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Has this ever happened to you? You are vacuuming your house and all of the sudden your vacuum cleaner bag is full and your vacuum needs filter changing. You look in the closet and it turns out you are all out of bags and filters. You feel angry and upset that you did not get an extra package of bags and that your machine constantly needs bag changing. You wish you had a machine that does not use bags exclusively and a machine that does not consistently require filters changing. A Bagless Vacuum Cleaner would answer this problem however a bagless vacuum cleaner creates problems as well. Every vacuum cleaner has positives and negatives to it and it is up to the user to figure out if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for their lifestyle.

Numerous people question the benefits and advantages to owning a bagless vacuum cleaner. One of the biggest benefits of owning a bagless machine is the situation mentioned above will never occur for you, simply because it is impossible to run out of bags for something that does not require bags. With a bagless machine you will never have to worry about having bags for your machine.

Another advantage found in certain bagless vacuum cleaners such as the Dyson is no need for filter changes. The filters are actually washable and only need to be washed every 6 months or so. You let the filter dry out for about 12 hours and you are ready to vacuum again. Washing filters instead of replacing them every 6 months saves you time and money. Not all bagless vacuum brands have this feature so watch out for brands that require frequent filter changes because filters can be a disadvantage for many bagless vacuums.

Cyclonic technology is a feature some vacuums such as the Dyson, which allows the vacuum cleaner to provide the same amount of suction despite of the amount of filth filling the bin. So even of the vacuum dirt bin is entirely filled with dirt the vacuum will never lose suction. Again this feature is not found in all bagless vacuum cleaners, but should be heavily considered in you search for a better vacuum. A bagless vacuum that does not have the cyclonic technology will fill up with dirt and quickly lose suction, causing you anger and frustration.

Now it is time to talk about the disadvantages of having a bagless vacuum cleaner. The biggest disadvantage is that when you dump the bin, the dirt goes flying back up into the air and onto your floor. Many bagless vacuum cleaner manufacturers tell you that you must empty your bin outside in order to fix this dilemma. When the dust puffs back up into the air it agitates many people with allergies and asthma. For people with such a condition, you may want to consider a bagged machine because they contain the dirt and dust much better than a bagless machine.

An additional downfall of a bagless machine is the dirt within the machine is always visible; the tank holding the dirt will NEVER look clean. Your vacuum will reveal all the dirt within it and the dirt will not go away until you dump and wash the dirt bin. As mentioned above dumping the bin is not a ‘fun’ experience and washing the bin is an even more un-pleasurable and arduous experience. One must wash out all the dirt and debris that is clinging to the vacuum dirt bin by hand in order to make their machine look ‘clean’.

Many bagless vacuum cleaners, however not all, have horrible filters that get clogged up with dirt and dust the second you turn the machine on. When a bagless unit is being used the dirt and dust is deposited in a bin. The dirt is then filtered by the filter medium, which is also found in the bin. The filter is supposed to stop dirt from reentering into your house via the exhaust air. However this does not work for many bagless units and is something to definitely consider if you have allergies or asthma. The filter consistently gets clogged with dirt, preventing optimal suction and reducing its filtering capabilities. Many bagless vacuum cleaners require a vacuum filter change every 6 months which could cost up to eighty dollars a year just on maintenance; maintenance for a vacuum that you thought would prevent extra spending on commodities. Not only are you spending the money on the filters but you are also spending the money on filters that do not perform properly and can quickly get clogged up with dirt. Be on the lookout for bagless vacuum cleaners (Such as Dyson) with a lifetime filter that only requires 6-month washouts, not purchases.

With a bagless vacuum cleaner you are not forced to purchase bags and filters for the machine, but it when purchasing your subsequent vacuum cleaner it is important to keep in mind the negatives of buying a bagless vacuum cleaner as well. Bagless vacuum cleaners are a horrendous choice for those with asthma and allergies, as the construction of the machine is far from friendly with those with these types of conditions. Overall it is the choice of the user, and the lifestyle of the user. However not having to replace the bag has many drawbacks such as a vacuum cleaner that never looks clean, needs filter replacements every 6 months for an ineffective filter, and a machine that constantly emits contamination into the air. Now you are armed with useful information about the positives and negatives of both the bagged and bagless vacuum cleaner, which can help you find out what is best for you and your current situation.

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Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to get rid of allergies. An allergy is the reaction of the immune system to substances your body thinks are harmful to you. Once the body detects these foreign substances (which are called allergens), it releases a chemical into your bloodstream (the most common being histamine) and these chemicals cause the familiar allergic reaction you get: the runny nose, the watery eyes and the rashes on your skin. The more severe allergies are called anaphylactic reactions and can cause you to have chest pains, breathing difficulties or even loss of consciousness.

Because the body will always react the same way to allergens every time, you can’t really do anything to permanently get rid of an allergic reaction. You can, however, prevent allergies from happening by avoiding allergens that affect you. If you’re already affected, you can get rid of the allergic symptoms instead. In the case of allergies, the saying “prevention is the best cure” really applies.

First, identify your allergens. Everyone has different allergic reactions to different allergens, so it is impossible to treat someone’s allergy based on another’s reaction. For this reason, it is imperative that you identify which allergen you have a reaction to. You can accomplish this through the process of elimination. When you develop symptoms of allergy, try to think of the immediate things around you that could have triggered it. Things like the food you ate, the material of the clothes you wore, or even the things you touched are perfectly good suspects. The hard thing about allergies is that anything can be an allergen. It is only through experiencing one personally that you can start identifying it.

When trying to pinpoint your allergens, keep a list of the common allergens. You can find them in medical books or on the Internet. This way, the process of elimination will be easier. Since you can have allergic reactions to multiple allergens, a list can also be helpful to keep track of all the possibilities. If you still can’t identify your allergens on your own, enlist the help of a doctor. An allergy testing can be done, which usually involve scratch tests that bring out reactions that point to specific allergens.

Once you’ve identified your allergens, get rid of them. The simplest way to get rid of the allergens is to get them out of your environment. For example, if you are allergic to peanuts or to shellfish, remove them from your diet. If you’re eating out in a restaurant, ask the waiter about the ingredients of the food so you won’t have an embarrassing attack in the middle of the restaurant. Likewise, if you’re allergic to certain animals, like cat or dog fur, get them out of your house or steer clear of them.

Be sure to clean your house or environment regularly. Remember that allergens are not usually rooted in one place. Therefore, if someone brought a cat over and you’re allergic to cat fur, you are still at risk from any fluff the cat may have left behind, even if the cat’s long gone. Also, one of the more common allergens is dust, so regular house-cleaning will ensure that you’re relatively safe, always.

If you can’t get rid of an allergen (say, the allergen is a pollen from one of the flowers your next-door neighbor has), then the best course of action would be for you to get pharmacological help.

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A food allergy can develop at any time in a person’s life. So, yes, it’s possible for adults to develop food allergies. It’s not clear why or how this is done.

Although they occur most often in infants and children, food allergies can appear at any age and can be caused by foods that had been previously eaten and enjoyed without any problems. Excessive exposure to a particular food such as fish by Scandinavians or rice among the Japanese may cause the allergy to be more prevalent.

The prime reason some people have allergies and others don’t deals with the matter of heredity. We are products of our parents, so in that gene pool, if our parents had allergies on both sides of the family, chances are we will have allergies too. If our relatives had allergies, we still have a good chance of having them passed on to us.

Once the diagnosis of a food allergy is confirmed, the most effective treatment is not eating the offending food in any form. The patient must be vigilant in checking labels on food products and learning other names of identification of the responsible food or food additive to make sure it is not present.

When eating in a restaurant, be particularly careful and take emergency medicines with you if you have a history of severe reactions. Waiters aren’t always aware of the exact ingredients of each item on the menu.

In many cases of adult food allergies, an elimination diet appears to promote the process of outgrowing the food allergy, but this must be done with strict adherence. The vast majority of people with documented allergic reactions to eggs, cow’s milk, and soy eventually become tolerant to these foods. Allergies to peanuts, fish, tree nuts and shellfish, however lasts a lifetime and are not outgrown.

Overall, approximately one-third of children and adults will eventually be free of their allergic reactions to foods after rigorously following appropriate diets free of the offending food allergens.

After you have eliminated foods responsible for your allergic reactions for a period of at least six months, your allergist may recommend that you undergo an oral food challenge under observation to reassess your symptoms. If you have no reaction, then you will be able to reintroduce this food into your diet. If any symptoms do occur, however; the dietary restriction will be continued.

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