Children and adults who come into contact with pet birds may develop health symptoms of bird allergies. While allergens in cat and dog saliva, urine and dander most frequently cause pet allergies, bird feathers and droppings also contain allergenic proteins. When birds shed these substances, the microscopic allergens dry and become airborne, where people can inhale them. Individuals who have been sensitized to birds will get allergy symptoms every time they encounter the allergens by inhalation or by touch.
Effects
The short-term effects of pet allergies include allergic rhinitis, which affects the respiratory system, and allergic contact dermatitis, which produces an itchy rash. Bird allergies can also initiate asthma attacks in people who have asthma or raise the risk for contracting asthma in children and adults who don't yet have it. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, people with allergies who have ongoing exposure to pet birds at home or at work may develop hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a potentially chronic lung disease.
Features
Respiratory allergy symptoms occur immediately upon inhaling bird allergens or after several days of low-level exposure. As the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports, all pet allergies can cause sneezing, coughing, nasal symptoms and eye itching. In asthma patients, these problems may progress to wheezing and shortness of breath. Direct skin contact with feathers or droppings can create redness and irritation on the hands or elsewhere. Long-term pneumonitis effects from bird allergies include gradually increasing breathing trouble and fatigue.
Misconceptions
Simply refraining from handling birds and feathers won't necessarily eliminate allergy symptoms. Pet birds kept indoors release their allergens into air currents, which circulate through a building with people's movement and forced-air ventilation systems. Furthermore, bird allergies can be confused with dust mite allergies when the use of feather pillows or comforters triggers allergic reactions.
Identification
People who suspect that pet allergies are making them ill can perform a trial separation by sending their birds to another environment to see if health symptoms disappear. Skin or blood testing by a doctor can then confirm a diagnosis.
Prevention
Preventing allergy symptoms from bird contact may require both avoidance of allergens and drug therapy. Because bird allergens can be deposited throughout a home, they should be regularly removed by washing walls and cleaning floors and upholstery. Physicians will recommend the best medication for individuals among available antihistamines, decongestants and nasal steroid sprays.
