I live in Minneapolis and I’m trying to figure out what my allergies are being triggered by. I just adopted a new cat which is what I thought was making me itchy, but I am also having allergies at my parents house in St. Paul.
I usually get itchy and sneezy when snow melts which has been kind of happening this past week or two, but no one else seems to be experiencing what I am. Can anyone relate? Or should I probably give my cat another bath? (Cat picture included for reference)
Bathing your cat probably won't stop allergies (I'm allergic and I own and work with cats)
My allergists have recommended keeping cats out of the bedroom, hepa air filters, wearing an N95 at work, taking a daily allergy med and possibly allergy shots if all that doesn't work
Previously keeping them out of the bedroom and a daily pill worked well for me to control the allergy at home
The bedroom part is tough but I am taking a daily Xyzal and have an N95 for any flare ups. A little bit of Benadryl here and there also gives me some relief.
Cats also produce more allergens if they’re not fixed (especially males). I’m guessing your cat has been fixed already, since it looks like an adult — but if not, make sure to do that asap!
She came to us spayed 😌 that’s good info though!!! Thank you.
If you can, try to avoid the Benadryl, which is linked to increased dementia risk. You could always take a different newer antihistamine in its place.
My sinuses have been going crazy and it's a combination of the super dry air and the temp/air pressure changes.
Ocean nasal spray (it's just a saline drop for moisture) neti pot rinses and increasing the humidity in the air. If it's really bad apply some bacitracin with a q tip in your nose and that can help moisturize and reduce nosebleeds.
I know I am, I still need my "summer" allergy meds. There's so many allergen options to choose from. There's the thawed ground, exposed grass, leaf mold, wind and bad/toxic air from rockets, big fires, volcanoes and bombs from around the world blowing through the jet stream.
Plus there are many families hauling holiday stuff out of dusty and moldy basements and attics and putting these contaminated things all over their homes, in some families the holiday items are 25+ years old and haven't ever been properly washed. Who washes their ornaments or decor? And I suspect the Christmas trees in houses have been sprayed with whatever chemicals are needed to make them grow uniformly.
Add in the very dry air, dust, plastic and paint on presents/brand new items off-gassing from dubious factories overseas, the old lead candles only used this time of year, other over hyped smells and the fancy foods of the holidays are also an issue.
Oh, and lots of illnesses going around that most people don't want to admit to having as it might ruin "holiday plans" if someone backs out sick. So instead, people seem to shop, decorate, cook and attend holiday gatherings while they're sick. Of course they hug and kiss everyone, too.
It's not the cat.
I have another cat that I’m able to control my allergies with fairly well so for a moment I thought it was our new one but I’m glad to hear that she doesn’t need another bath right now! Still have battle scars healing from the first one. Thank you for your input, it definitely makes sense now.
Ive only been living here for a month. First time dealing with winters like this.
My sinuses are totally ruined. I feel like im coming down from an awful sinus infection but this has been going on for weeks.
Bloody noses, waking up bone freaking dry, and this perpetual feeling of being dehydrated when im not.
As I said - im new an uninformed, but i think this cold blast in what has otherwise been reasonably warm weather is what is doing us in. These 70+ degree temperature swings cant be good for our sinuses.
It's dry winter air + the further drying effect of heat. I had really bad chronic congestion and nosebleeds my first winter here. The doctor told me that a lot of buildings have indoor humidity drier than the Sahara desert. I drank a ton more water, inhaled steam in the shower, and took mucinex and that solved it.
I've been getting nosebleeds pretty consistently every winter. The dry air just eats you up. I recommend a humidifier in your bedroom, that might help your nose stay softer/not crack so it doesn't bleed as often
If you bought a house, I highly recommend having a whole home humidifier installed on your hvac. Works wonders in the winter. Otherwise, regular ol humidifiers help a lot too.
Humidifiers make a difference!!! Bloody nose and itchy skin if I don’t use it. It’s really dry out, too.
Ok, I’m glad someone else knows what I’m talking about!! I think the temperature swings also confuse plants and maybe they’re more active than usual this time of year?? I can’t breathe out of my nose lately, I’m sorry you’re experiencing the same thing :/ Minnesota is not for the faint of heart.
Oh if this is the case you need a humidifier and a decongestant
My nose almost swells shut when it gets really dry. I highly recommend a humidifier, specifically one that does warm mist as well as cold mist, instead of just a cold mist one
Try running a humidifier in your bedroom. Just be sure to empty it out daily and clean it weekly, given they grow mold easily.
Get a humidifier for the room you sleep in and only use distilled water.
Me! I felt like I was going crazy.
Also. If you’re allergic to cats look into liveclear food for them. It helped sooo much for me.
Im hour away on wi. Sinus issues last few days. No idea why.
Make sure you dust and change furnace filters, air filters. Purina live clear for cat food will help too. Vacuuming. My eyes be itchy because I'm lazy and don't do those as much but I try to do it for my cat since she has allergies.
Ugh yes!! I thought I was the only one
There are ways to clean the air on the cheap. You can build a box fan air purifier that's just as effective as some commercial air purifiers that are at least 10 times more expensive. You can use the money you save to build more air purifiers.
Tips from a 2-cat household in a 400sqft apartment:
sweep and vacuum every day
get a cat hair roller (I think mine is called a chomp?) and use it on sofas + bed to get the hair that settles there
I have two small air purifiers for my living room and bedroom
change your pillow cases frequently
Please don’t bathe the cat unless they are physically unable to or get in something awful. They keep themselves clean just fine. This is not good for their skin.
Additional info: bathing a cat won’t do much to reduce allergens in most cases. The part that most people are allergic to is in cat saliva. So if you bathe them, you very temporarily remove the leftover allergens from their fur, until they lick themselves again in a matter of hours.
I’m not sure if anyone’s mentioned it but some cats just produce more allergens than others. There are anti-allergen diets for cats that are supposed to help though I have no idea how effective they really are. If that’s the issue…
Yes! I have been soooo sneezy and sniffly the past couple of weeks.
The air is really dry in the winter here. Reduce the length of time of your bathing and moisturize within 3 minutes of bathing. If your itching is severe take a bath, not too hot and no more than 10 minutes. Add an oil to your tub after washing your hair. When you get out you will find that the oil has coated your back and other hard to reach areas. You can use olive oil, sesame oil whatever you have in the kitchen. Pat yourself dry, do not rub yourself dry.
Be sure to drink enough water, add moisture to the air. If you do not have a humidifier you can lay out containers of water. (Plastic coffee tubs work great) You'll probably find the water evaporates readily, that's because the air is very dry this time of year.
For itching you can use an over the counter hydrocortisone on the itchy hot spots, if that doesn't work you can ask for something stronger but steroids can thin the skin if used excessively. Xyzal, Zyrtec and Benadryl can also help but they'll be temporary if you don't moisturize your skin.
When your skin is very dry it isn't uncommon to develop some sensitivity to products that you normally tolerate. It's better to use an unscented thick cream or ointment. Unscented laundry detergent and soaps are better. If cost is an issue pantry items can help as well. Shortening, olive oil, avocado oil etc. Sugar scrubs are easy to make as well, sugar and oil, scrub the body, rinse and pat dry. Don't bother with baby oil or mineral oil; it won't be well absorbed by the skin.
My daughter had what seemed to be bad allergies this week which isn’t too surprising for her. I gave her a multi viral test and she came back as positive for Influenza A. I would have not thought that was what her “allergies” were.
She was lethargic and had a runny nose. That was basically her symptoms.
I am! Usually at night. It’s wierd…ears and eyes are crusty and I’m also coughing. I’m not normally prone to allergies, either! And I have had cats for decades so it’s not that….
Rub some dirt on it, kid.