How Do We Remove Cat Dander from a Home?
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Question
My 7 year old son has had wheezing since he was a toddler but only used the inhaler when he had a cold. A few months he went to my mother-in-law’s for a few days and his asthma was triggered along with watery red eyes. I’d never seen him like this. Turns out he’s severely allergic to cats. The cats are leaving her home and they are repainting some of the walls. What else needs to be done so that he doesn’t get triggered? Is there a period of time it takes for the dander to be gone?
Answer
Once the cat is removed from the home, it will take up to 6 months for all of the remaining cat dander allergen to be gone.
There are things you can do in your home to decrease and remove residual cat dander allergen.
- Thoroughly clean the home, including steam cleaning of carpets.
- Use a high-quality, high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) to help remove airborne allergens.
- Replace heating ventilation and air conditioning filters regularly. Use filters that are CERTIFIEDasthma & allergy friendly®.
- If possible, replace old carpets with hard flooring material.
Categories
Allergy, Asthma, CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly®, Pet Allergy
Answered by
John M. James, MD, is a board-certified allergist. He is also President of Food Allergy Consulting and Education Services, LLC. He has worked as a medical specialist in the field of allergy, asthma, and immunology for over 30 years. Dr. James received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Tennessee. He is board certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.
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