Nothing beats the relationship that you have with your pet. Whether you're a dog owner, a cat lover, or have another furry companion, the best parts about owning a pet can sometimes be overshadowed by runny eyes, a sniffly nose, and other allergic reactions.
If you are unable to get a hypoallergenic pet, then you may just be coping with the allergies that come with being a pet owner. You shouldn’t have to suffer from allergies. Keep reading for the five reasons why you need an air purifier to better your relationship with your pet and create a cleaner and allergen-free home.
What Are Pet Allergies?
Before we get into the reasons why you need an air purifier for pet allergies, let's clarify what constitutes an allergy. In general, an allergy is an abnormal reaction to a stimulus, whether that be food, environmental factor, chemical, or in this case, a pet.
Pet allergies are reactions caused by proteins found in the skin, saliva, or urine of animals. The most common allergic reaction is to dander, or the dead skin cells, in animals. While allergies can vary from animal to animal, most people find themselves allergic to cats and dogs, the most common furry household pets.
Symptoms of a Pet Allergy
It goes without saying: an allergy isn’t as cute as your pet. End symptoms of an allergy can vary from mild to severe, depending on the breed, hair length, and your personal body's response to an animal. General symptoms of an allergy include runny watery eyes, sneezing and itchiness on the skin surface.
If your allergies contribute to or combine with asthma, your reactions can become more severe. Respiratory response to pet allergies, combined with asthma, can result in wheezing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and interrupted sleep due to breathing problems.
Skin-based reactions are also highly common symptoms of pet allergies. If you experience itchy skin, raised red patches of skin (also known as hives), or eczema after or around the time when you come into contact with a furry friend, then you might have allergic dermatitis. You may notice a reaction in the place where you had direct contact with a pet.
As with any allergic reaction, whether it be respiratory or dermal, be sure to consult with your medical team if you notice your symptoms become more severe. With mild symptoms of allergies and the common cold resembling each other, it’s important to pay attention to your body and its response to pets.
How Does Air Purification Address Pet Allergies?
Clean air goes a long way. The connection between pet allergies and air purification is much simpler than you might think: cleaner, pure air is less likely to contain many of the allergy-causing proteins or dander that could potentially be floating around your home.
Though allergic reactions can be the result of direct contact with pets, allergies can also be exacerbated by allergens circulating through the air. Committing to cleaner air can make a world of difference, especially if you live in a home with multiple pets.
5 Reasons Why an Air Purifier Can Help Pet Allergies
Air purifiers have one job: to purify the air. The thing about pet dander, dead skin cells, and other matter that might be floating around, is that it becomes prime material for dust mites to feed on. While dust mites don't harm humans directly, their by-products can create additional allergens.
Air purification is one of the most effective ways to rid your air of harmful toxins and create a better breathing experience for you and your family. By ridding the air of contaminants such as unwanted bacteria, mold, mildew, and pet dander, air purifiers do the heavy lifting of creating cleaner and better-smelling air.
#1: Air Purifiers vs. Air Fresheners
Here's the thing: there is a major difference between chemical-based air fresheners and air purification. An air freshener masks unwanted odors that won't go away unless their root cause is addressed. Not only that, but pumping more chemicals into air that's already filled with toxins is unlikely to help your allergies, health, or air quality.
Air purification systems are important because they actually clean the air as it circulates through your home allowing for easier breathing and better air quality. When looking for an air purifier, be sure to prioritize natural ingredients, chemical-free commitments, and products that smell good and are safe for you, your family, and your pets.
#2: Air Purification Addresses the Issue of Air-Filled With Allergens
The truth is that dogs, cats, rabbits, and other furry pets can carry a lot of dirt, dust, and airborne toxins caught in their coats. However, most allergies are caused when your immune system reacts to the otherwise harmless proteins in these pets' skin cells, saliva, or urine. Air purification is so crucial to addressing allergens, the molecules that cause allergic reactions, because allergens can stick around on pet hair and in dust for a long time after being shed.
Just because you aren’t in direct contact with your pet, doesn’t mean that you can’t have an allergic reaction to the allergens in pet hair circulating in the air. Combined with regular cleaning routines and pet grooming, the number of allergens circulating in your home can decrease, resulting in cleaner air, and reduced allergies.
#3: Eliminate Toxins Beyond Pet Allergens
It isn't just pets that produce allergens, and if you live in a highly-populated area then you are more likely to also be at risk for breathing in toxins caused by outside pollution. An effective air purifier not only creates air that is better smelling but actually rids the air of harmful toxins that can cause breathing and skin issues.
This Premium Whole Home Odor Eliminating Kit from Azuna cleans the air and neutralizes unwanted bacterial growth like mold, mildew, and fungus. Azuna has you covered with odor eliminators for rooms small and large, an all-natural room spray, and refill pouches so you don’t have to worry about running out of fresh, clean air.
#4: Better Smelling Air
Though better smelling air may not be the primary goal in your commitment to creating cleaner air, it’s an added bonus. Cleaner air creates better smelling air that’s free from unwanted odors.
If you have multiple pets in your home, then dander and dust mites likely abound. In addition to these allergen-causing proteins, pets sometimes bring in unwanted odors into the home. After a long day at the dog park or a trip to the litter box, your pet may not be smelling as fresh as you’d like them to.
This room treatment by Azuna is perfect for creating air that not only smells better but also cleans unwanted toxins. This plant-based tea tree gel eliminates harmful bacteria while making your air smell like air again. . Unlike air fresheners packed with chemicals and artificial smells, this odor eliminator, like all of Azuna’s natural products, eliminates unwanted odors and toxins naturally.
#5: Air Purifiers Are Safe for Pets
It doesn't make sense to commit to a toxin-free home by using air fresheners and other chemicals to cover up unwanted odors. One of the best things about air purifiers, especially those made with all-natural ingredients, is that they purify your air and are pet-safe.
Made without harmful chemicals or toxins, you don't have to worry about your family or pet getting sick from unwanted chemicals circulating through the air. An air purifier is an effective and safe way to care for yourself, clear the air of unwanted contaminants, and keep your pet safe as well.
The Bottom Line
If you're unwilling to compromise your commitments to clean living and being a pet owner, but struggle with allergies, prioritizing air purification might be your next move. It doesn't make sense to spray chemical-filled scents into the air to mask an issue that's causing allergies.
An air purifier not only makes the air smell better but does the heavy lifting of cleaning unwanted toxins in the air so that you can breathe cleaner air. Not only that, but air purifiers made with natural ingredients are safe for you, your family, and your pets to be around.
Whether you decide to go for air purification throughout the home or target specific rooms where your pets may spend more time, choose an air purification method that is all-natural. You can honor your commitments to a clean lifestyle and breathe easier knowing that your air purifier is ridding the air of toxins, not masking toxins and unwanted odors with harmful chemicals.
Sources:
Pet allergy - Symptoms and causes | Mayo Clinic
What To Do for an Allergic Reaction |Cleveland Clinic
Toxic Chemicals in Air Fresheners Lead to Indoor Air Pollution | Made Safe.
