Content
Many people dream of pets.
Most often in our homes you can meet cats, dogs and, of course, parrots. About feathered friends and will be discussed in our article. Budgerigars become home decoration and bring a lot of positive emotions. There are a lot of bird species, and they are no longer exotic. But when starting a parrot, do not forget about the existence of such a phenomenon as an allergy to parrots.
Main symptoms
Signs of this disease will not be long in coming if you have been in contact with an allergen in the form of a small brisk bird.
Consider how an allergy to parrots manifests itself.
- allergic conjunctivitis (lacrimation) and itching
- allergic rhinitis (runny nose)
- sore throat and cough
- wheezing when inhaling and exhaling
- rash on the skin
- uncontrollable sneeze
- lack of air
- laryngeal edema
- dyspnea
Consider some of the symptoms in more detail from a medical point of view.
allergic rhinitis
This symptom appears very quickly. Mild nasal congestion does not alarm anyone, especially during the cold period of time, and in fact very often this is the body's signal about allergies .
It can be distinguished from a cold by the amount of discharge: with allergies, this is a small amount of “substance”, in contrast to a cold, where it pours “stream” from the nose. In no case should allergies be treated with sprays and all kinds of vasoconstrictor drops in the nose from a cold. This is fraught with serious complications.
With allergic rhinitis , headaches are observed, the olfactory function of the body is disturbed, and the person ceases to feel aromas. Another form of manifestation is that the mucosa begins to be sharply irritated by the smell of tobacco, pungent odors of spices and perfumes, which up to this point have not caused trouble. It's worth looking out for!
allergic conjunctivitis
It manifests itself in redness of the eyes and profuse lacrimation.
At the same time, it seems to the patient that a foreign substance has got into the eye, the effect of “sand in the eyes”. Feeling extremely uncomfortable. There is itching, and often swelling of the eyelids. Most often, allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis overtake the patient at the same time.
Sore throat and cough - the manifestation of a symptom occurs when an allergen enters the lower respiratory tract: the bronchi, and from there into the lungs. This, in turn, can cause an attack of bronchial asthma, which is always accompanied by a suffocating cough. There is a sharp lack of fresh air, and breathing is accompanied by wheezing and whistling.
It should be emphasized that the manifestation of the disease in each person is individual. One organism will give the first alarm signals in a few days, the other in a few weeks. The sooner the disease makes itself felt, the more successful the subsequent treatment will be. Everything can start with a slight cough, very reminiscent of a cold, and end with a diagnosis: "Allergy to parrots" in the patient's chart.
Causes
Let's figure out what exactly causes an allergy to parrots.
A parrot, sitting in its cage or flying around the apartment, not only pleases us with its chirping, but also spreads the allergen in the form of fluff, feathers, skin particles, droppings and other “charms” throughout the house. Also, ticks live on the body of the bird, to which a reaction can also occur.
All troubles originate from the so-called "bird protein". The body will sooner or later react to the interaction with a foreign protein, if you have such a predisposition.
The disease is called by doctors "allergic alveolitis" . When it enters the alveoli, the protein forms seals, as a result of which breathing becomes difficult and air cannot freely enter our lungs, since the volume of incoming oxygen decreases four times.
Allergic alveolitis requires immediate treatment in a hospital, where the patient will be provided with qualified assistance under the supervision of a doctor, and the respiratory function will be restored after a certain period of time (from a week to two, depending on the capabilities of your body).
Allergies can also occur due to parasite mites living on the body of a bird. The waste products of birds contain no less allergen than fluff and feathers.
If such an ailment is detected, do not despair. It is important to start treatment correctly and in a timely manner. Of course, you can forget about communicating with a bird.
It is impossible not to say that there were cases of desensitization of the body to the allergen, simply speaking, the sensitivity of the body to the allergen decreased, and the allergy went away by itself. But it's not worth risking your health.
Most often, a bird is bred for babies. Doctors say that allergies to parrots in children are much more common than in adults. Take care of your baby in advance: check with an allergist before bringing a crate with a wavy friend into the house.
Before you start a bird, you should pass allergy tests in the laboratory. An express antibody test will answer your question: is it possible to have a feathered friend, or are you allergic to parrots.
Mistakes of "experienced"
- Error one: the statement is false that only large species of parrots (macaws, cockatoos, amazons, grays) can cause allergies. Budgerigars, although smaller, are just as dangerous for an allergic person.
- Error two: it is wrong to assume that short-term contact with a bird (for example, only at a party) will not cause an allergic reaction to a bird. Allergen particles are so small that they can instantly be in the bronchi and trigger an allergy.
- Mistake three: isolating the bird by moving it to another room will solve the problem. Under no circumstances should you rely on this statement. You can solve the problem only by parting with the pet. Try to give it to good hands.
- Mistake four: "removed the allergen - got rid of the allergy." It should be noted that allergies do not go away immediately after the house is freed from the bird. For a long time, the air will contain the waste products of the bird: keratinized skin particles, fluff, feathers. Even a thorough wet cleaning does not save the situation. Time needs to pass. It will not be superfluous to use devices for air filtration. Or you can resort to simple ventilation in order to get rid of bird protein.
A little more about birds
Remember: your health and the well-being of your loved ones should always be more important than the desire to acquire a pet. So carefully weigh the pros and cons before bringing a pet into the house. After all, if you do not identify an allergy to a parrot in advance, you doom yourself to an inevitable parting with a feathered friend you have already fallen in love with.
