new thread
I just moved and now theres a cat in the family. I'm really allergic to cats. I'm working on solutions to reduce the allergy. Like hepa filter, vacum, allergy pills but getting rid of the cat is not an option. I was just wondering if being allergic to something could affect hair growth. I'm probably being way paranoid about this. Couldn't find anything about it on google. Anybody have insight on this?
Much as I love cats (and thankgod, am not alergic to them)...
If I were you, I'd do one of 2 things: 1) get rid of that cat, or; 2) move out of that house.
And, as far as cats having an effect on your own hair growth goes... if that's the only excuse you can come up with for not offending the others in your household as to why you're moving out, then by all means, USE IT!!!
- Ken in San Francisco
I'm allergic to cats too, which is unfortunate because I love them. However, I do know that people with allergies can become acclimated (desensitized) to certain allergens, at least to some degree. In spite of my cat allergy, I have lived indoors with cats and have always developed a higher tolerance to them, so much so that the allergic reaction was virtually nonexistent after a period of time. That said, it no doubt depends on the particular individual affected, as well as the specific allergens that are eliciting the reaction; in other words, you may not develop a tolerance, and your condition may even become worse, so tread with care.
As far as an allergy to cats affecting hair growth: I am not a doctor, and I cannot give medical advice. I am, however, a pathologist's assistant, having studied a fair amount of medicine and pathology, and I can say that, to my knowledge, there's no reason that an allergy to cats should affect the normal growth of one's hair. Hair loss can result from an immune system disorder, such as SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), and allergies are indeed caused by a hypersensitive immune system; however, I've never heard of an allergy causing hair loss. Still, the best thing to do is to ask your doctor.
Good luck!
dino
Same here, I have had cats for 6 years, I have horrible allergys, and the cats used to nearly kill me until the past couple of years I have developed a tolerence and now I can go a week without sneezing. I also take zyrtec.