What is Pet Dander? - Is There a Quick Fix?

By J Rodgers

Did you recently discover you were allergic to a pet? Perhaps you were told that pet dander was the culprit behind your allergies. What is pet dander? Is it an unnatural condition, a disease, a sign that something is wrong? Why does it affect you so? More importantly, is there anything you can do about it?

What is Pet Dander?

First of all, pet dander is completely natural and normal for your pet. It is nothing more than the dead skin cells that slough off from day to day. In fact, every living thing with skin, including you, renews skin cells and loses old ones continuously.

So there is nothing to fear. Neither is there anything you can do to stop it.

But how can you alleviate the problem caused by it, your allergies.

What Can You Do About Pet Dander?

Misinformation abounds. Some articles on the web would have you believe that choosing a short haired pet over a long haired one makes a difference. Hair length does not matter. It is the dead skin cells that concern us.

Allergy relief will depend upon your minimizing this residue. How? Here are the key ways:

• Wash your pet regularly, at least every two weeks
• Remove carpeting that can trap pet dander
• Keep your pet out of the bedroom, you should have your own "safe room"
• Improve ventilation through open windows if at all possible

Some people also find success regularly vacuuming surfaces with a HEPA vacuum cleaner. Keep in mind though that many vacuum cleaners that feature a HEPA filter do not pass 100% of the air through the filter but allow it to bypass. This simply aerosolizes the allergen just as a non-HEPA vacuum cleaner would and may only make matters worse.

Reducing airborne pet dander by means of an air purifier is another tactic. It may especially be of help in the bedroom, providing clean air that helps you get a good nights rest. Adequate sleep is one of the factors in your allergic response.

In choosing an air purifier for allergy relief go with one that features a true HEPA filter and total system efficiency very close to the HEPA standard.

Two excellent resources featuring both the high quality vacuum cleaners mentioned above as well as effective allergy relief air purifiers are achoo!Allergy.com and AllergyBuyersClub.com.

If you would like to know even more about how you can review, compare and buy the best rated indoor air purifiers in a few easy steps, I invite you to personally take advantage of free, instant access to the air purifier information available at http://www.home-air-purifier-guide.com

 

Article by J Alan Rodgers, the Air Purifier Expert.