BY THE DOC

Feline fine? Sometimes cat’s to blame for troublesome sneezing

What would we do without cats?

We might be overrun with mice, there would be far fewer funny pictures on the internet and comic-book heroine Catwoman wouldn’t make a jot of sense.

In fact she’d just be called Woman. No one would want to read that.

But for some, cats can be a real pest. For many unlucky people, moggies can trigger a bout of persistent rhinitis.

The symptoms, typically, are sneezing along with a blocked, runny or itchy nose.

You may also lose your sense of smell and get a headache or pain in the face, as well as red, itchy eyes.

Sound familiar? Rhinitis is most commonly caused by a cold, but colds of course tend to disappear after a couple of weeks.

Hay fever or seasonal rhinitis only lasts for a season – like the upcoming grass pollen season.

Persistent rhinitis, on the other hand, can last all year. One of the causes, as mentioned, is our feline friends. Other pets, like dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs and so on, can also be the cause.

The most common cause is the house dust mite, a wee beastie that thrives in dusty environments.

Flour or wood dust or latex can be causes, too. If any of these are the cause, then we call it persistent allergic rhinitis.

Confusingly, there’s also persistent non-allergic rhinitis, where the cause isn’t an allergic reaction, but certain triggers can still make it worse. These triggers can include strong fumes, smoke, hormonal changes (such as during pregnancy), thyroid problems or side effects of medication.

It terms of treating the condition, it helps to identify the cause – often so it can be avoided.

For instance, if it’s caused by a cat then don’t hang around with cats.

Some people don’t want to give up the family feline, though, so it may help to keep the guilty furball away from main living areas, especially the bedroom.

If the cause is housemites then keeping the house vacuumed and using dust-proof bedding might reduce symptoms.

Some people find treatment with an antihistamine nasal spray or tablet does the trick, but others may need a steroid spray.

Often a stronger dose is prescribed for a few weeks, then it’s reduced to a minimal dose which provides ongoing prevention.