How do I get tested for cat allergies?
821819
You need to call your doc and ask for a referral to an allergist.  The allergist will test you for all sorts of allergies at the same time.  They usually use the skin test not blood test to test for allergies.
1079825
There is a OTC medicine called Drixoral. It works really well, as well as Benadryl, or generic Diphenhydramine. If none of those work, you may want to make an appearance at the office of a holistic doctor-he/she will do an allergy test and you may be able to have your reaction to allergens desensitized.
698372
give your cat some benadryll. its for allergys. i talked to my vet cause my dog also sneeze a lot too, i asked what i could do he told me benadryall. but if this does not help, then take ur cat to the vet. Benadryl - up to 2 mg per pund, every 8 hours (to treat loval allergies, itching, etc)
40823
The most common indoor/outdoor allergy triggers are:  tree, grass and weed pollen; mold spores; dust mite and cockroach allergen; and, cat, dog and rodent dander.
873385
he probably just doesn't like your cat. How can he only be allergic to the CAT and not the hair and dander everywhere....think about it!
941630
Yes, you might be allergic to cats. But there are ways of dealing with it. I am allergic, but cannot live without my cat. I wipe her with a damp wash rag every day, bathe her once a week. I keep her brushed to keep the shedding down and take benadryl to keep me from feeling miserable.
721564
you can buy test strips at wal-mart and read this page it taught me everything I needed to know http://intheswim.com/help/FAQ.aspx
773080
try reading up on what type of cat you want. Then, go to animal shelters and look for what you like. Pick one. then, get the stuff cats need, and go back for the cat.
603164
Absolutely, your beating heart requires a visit in person to specialists. Don't consider this internet advice. This is only a sharing of my experiences. You've the right to request referrals and confer with more than one specialist. I had a General Practioner with an ego that. Well. Maybe you've encountered one of those already.\n\nI've discovered over the years, that allergies have the possibility of change. If only to rule out an allergy is not a side effect or allergic reaction to the medications one has? It's been worth getting tested again.\n\nAs far as pills go, I'm allergic to corn-based, egg-based  meds, codeine based, and some penicillin. I have outdoor and food allergies a page long in small font. An allergist MAY recommend weekly allergy shots. A tiny amount of what you are allergic to is inserted just under the skin via a needle. The idea is to build up resistance and immunity. Don't compare it to flu shots. Feels like a mosquito bite. If you have had the skin test for allergies already, then it is comparably the same technique.\n\nThe allergists have regularly reminded me of the value of changing the environment as best one can. Many people spend at least 8-10 hrs at home in a day to sleep. \n\nSome of this is Dr recommended, some is what I found from experience:\n\nAll the allergists I've seen have told me these things in common:\n\n1. Removing all carpet and old furniture in your home. Cover in plastic what you can't get rid of. \n2. Wash floors 1-2 a week. \n3. Cover your mattress in plastic. \n4. Wash your bed sheets more often, in hot water.\n5. Use a good quality air filter that will clean the air of pollens, dust etc. Change filters regularly. Especially in your sleeping area. Ensure it is big enough to cover the square footage of the room(s).\n6. Clear sleeping area as much as possible.\n\nI've found:\n1. I don't keep my clothes I've worn in the sleeping area. I've spent a day gathering allergens on my clothing.\n2. Before going to bed. I shower, or at least wash my hair during the worst of the allergy season. The pollens are in the hair, and will transfer to the pillow.\n3. If you drive, clean windows and dashboard 1-2 a week. I use Windex for that, as well as for windows in the home. Remember the vent openings. Clean as far as you can reach.  Get rid of the paper towels you used. Wash the floors. Hot water, a touch of bleach and mr clean are what I've used. Then when the wet floor gadgets that use disposable wet sheets on them came out, I started using those to wipe down floors.\n4. Cleared as much dust collecting trinkets out of my  living space as possible. Wiped down what I can't on a regular basis.\n5. My cloth curtains are washed seasonally. Use hot water if there's no rubber lining. Use cold water if there's a rubber lining. Put a small amount of bleach in the washer. My metal window blinds, I wash down regularly with mild dish soap and water.\n6. Showers are also dual purpose. I find the water moisture helps ease discomfort. Same applies by using a wet cold cloth over the face. Or a cold air humidifier.\n7. Multi-vitamins appear to be a booster to alleviating my symptoms. Some theorize it is Vitamins B-complex and C that help the most. My Dr's have said it's no harm (to me) to take them. I use a well-known respected brand name without additives.\n8. I don't experiment with herbal remedies. Unless you have thoroughly researched botany, that item can be directly or indirectly RELATED to what you're allergic to. I was  surprised... what is related to what. Botany is very complex. They may also interfere with any prescribed medications one is taking. Messing with heart medications may not be a good thing to risk. \n\nI strongly follow with what the specialists say. They've spent 10 years to get a Drs degree, and five more years of specialty studies. Here, there are currently no standards on the strength of an herba
423644
Most people are allergic to cats because of the oils that are produced by the cat's hair. It is a known fact that washing a cat's hair for several weeks will actually allow the fur coat to stop producing these oils. This happens because when you wash a cat, the oils are stripped from the coat, and eventually the coat just stops producing them (this doesn't hurt the cat in any way).\n\nOf course, the trick is getting your cat into the bath tub.\n\nI am allergic to cats but have owned two cats for the last five years. I don't take any medications, but if a cat hair touches my face, my eyes will flare up and it'll look like I'm crying. This is why I keep eye drops handy.
71682
Zyrtec is a prescription only medication: See http://www.zyrtec.com/index.asp?pid=1_0\n\nIt does work for "indoor" allergies, which includes cat dander.
591256
Oh dear.  It can happen - allergies out of nowhere.  I understand you can get allergy shots for cats now - check that out.
184480
Get a couple of cats.
1041429
consider it a possible food allergy, look up 'Celiac' disease on the web
1067389
ummm...I assume you mean the test, rather than a furry feline...\ntry the Princeton Review site. They have prep for most major tests. Good luck!
779971
go to google.com or yahoo.com click video as the category and put kitties or cats in the search bar
1082654
if you are sensitive to cat furs, dander, or the stuff they may have on the fur, and you are a diagnosed asthmatic, then your options are limited.  \n1.  were you prescribed inhaler medications?  if so take them as directed.  if not then see a doctor who can give you medication which help control asthma.\n2.  minor helps but useful could be:  a.  get an air filtration system for your room.  i say a room b/c they are not generally large enough to do anything more effectively.  b. get rid of the cat.  c. keep everything you have away from the cat and keep it clean.\n3. for you to implicate the cat you would have to have reasonable cause.  just coughing b/c you think its the cat doesn't really diagnose your condition.  thats not to say you are not allergic to cats, but have you never been around a cat in your lifetime?  what happened when you were around a cat? \n\nnow to answer in different way.  cats dont cause asthma.  people with ashtma may respond allergically in the prescence of a cat but they may respond allergically around a dog, or parrot, or any other furry creature.  coughing isn't always a sign of allergic reaction as much as it is a protective mechanism for keeping foriegn bodies out of the lung.  \n\nniether do you have to have a history of asthma in the family to be individually affected with asthma.  you more likely are having mild airway irritation due to ?? something in the air, maybe what the cat brought in.  not to mention dusts, pollen, and molds, and even cockaroach droppings, which have been implicated in asthma in ghettos.