While fur—and feathered or scaly—babies are excellent companions known for adding so much to our lives, sometimes they’re not so great for your physical health. It’s common for pet allergies to affect millions of pet owners, even right here in North Texas. Many people can’t imagine life without their furry friends, nor do you have to. Getting professional allergy testing to determine your specific pet allergies is the first step towards remediation.
Top 4 Benefits of Allergy Testing for Pet Allergies
Rather than simply enduring the symptoms alone and thinking there’s nothing you can do, allergy testing can help you learn what’s going on inside your body. It’s important to have testing performed by a board-certified allergist, as at-home test kits are not typically reliable. Let’s look at the outcomes of professional allergy testing and how it benefits you or your child.
1. Find the Specific Allergen
Did you know that in addition to pet dander, people can be allergic to an animal’s saliva or urine? For most animals (including mammals like dogs and cats as well as birds and reptiles), it is the proteins in dander, saliva and urine that cause the discomfort.
When animals shed, share kisses or relieve themselves, proteins in the above substances can enter the air and reach your eyes, nasal passages or skin, resulting in your allergy symptoms. Pet allergy testing allows you to find out specifically which animals and elements cause your allergic reactions.
2. Determine the Severity of the Allergy
Testing also gives you and the allergist insight into how severe the allergy is, and will help them decide the best treatment options to use for your pet allergies. This focus ensures that your treatment is customized to your situation, and doesn’t interfere with any other medical conditions you may have.
The most common treatments are SCIT (subcutaneous immunotherapy, known as allergy shots), and SLIT (sublingual immunotherapy, also called allergy drops).
3. Helps You Live Better
Once your pet allergies are identified and you begin treatment, you’ll know what adjustments to make in your life. You’ll also be able to make better-informed decisions going forward about which pets are best for you to have at home. Your allergist can also provide tips about home cleaning and items like air purifiers to help you enjoy the love and affection of your pet family members.
4. Simple Testing
Very often, the pet allergy testing process is easy for both adults and children. The skin prick test is the most common one used to determine pet allergies, although occasionally a blood test may be performed. The results of skin prick tests are available the same day, and treatment plans are drafted at that time.
Get Expert Allergy Testing for Pet Allergies in North Texas
Don’t delay any longer, get on the road to relief with comprehensive allergy testing at TexasAllergyMD. Dr. Mireku will establish a customized allergy treatment plan for you at our McKinney/Prosper or Southlake allergy treatment centers. Call us today at (469) 375-1525 or request an appointment.
