MANY people with allergies have learnt to deal with their "attacks" as a matter of course. Some will be prepared with the medications wherever they go for the moments when they start sneezing uncontrollably, or if their eyes start to itch or mouth start to swell.
Some people may have learnt that their severe allergic reactions need immediate hospital assistance to prevent a full-blown anaphylactic attack. The culprit that triggers allergies are many, with common ones being food, pollen, mould, pets, dust mites, insect stings and chemicals like perfumes, disinfectants, air fresheners and room sprays.
There are people who can tolerate pets quite well and cope with their reactions that are considered mild. Take some antihistamines and remove the offending item from their personal space and they'll be fine. All's well until one day they just cannot tolerate it anymore.
This is when you hear about people giving up their beloved pets like cats and dogs and looking for families who can adopt them. Their allergies have become worse, and the only way to deal with it is to remove the cause. It's heartbreaking when this happens because such pets aren't just animals that share the same house; they've become part of the family.
PAINFUL DECISIONS
I've been through such an experience many years ago. I'd always been somewhat allergic to cats. I've been tested for it, and my doctors also recommended that the cats should go. I was soft about it and decided I should let my cats live out their natural lives before contemplating a cat-free household. In the meantime, I'd deal with the bouts of itches and sneezes as best as I could.
My doctor wasn't too happy about that decision, but decided to go along with it because as long as I diligently washed my hands and face after touching the cats, and changed my clothes before going to bed, I was fine. The cats were also not allowed into the bedrooms, but were otherwise free to roam around, entering and leaving the house as they pleased.
It was when I had my second child that things became more complicated. By that time, my children spent most of their time on the floor because they were just learning to creep and crawl, and were at that stage where everything they touched also went into their mouths.
My elder son, Omar, was born with physical and mental challenges. So, he was a floor dweller much longer than his younger brother Othman. When both of them started to have skin problems like rashes and ringworms, in addition to allergic rhinitis that led to asthma despite our efforts to sanitise and clean the floor with disinfectants, our doctors suggested taking the cats out of the equation to see if the skin infection improved.
Indeed it did — almost right after we sent our cats to stay with relatives for a few weeks. The separation was experimental, but it yielded immediate results. The cats had to go. Our two beautiful furballs had been with us much longer than our children. They were our fur babies before the human ones came along.
I was gutted when we had to part. Sadly, it had to be done because Omar was having countless epileptic seizures and he didn't need allergies and asthma added to his medical problems.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
After the cats left, the entire house was overhauled. We did away with fabric-covered furniture and opted for leather ones, which were easier to clean and maintain. Then all curtains and carpets were removed from the house too.
These common household items trapped dust and mites. Without them, it made cleaning much easier. We opted for washable lightweight carpets instead.
We totally baby-proofed the house and even covered all plug points so that little fingers of curious toddlers didn't find their way there. Whether you realise it or not, mothers of young children are caregivers of their little loved ones.
Before these precious little humans reach the age of 7, they'd have undergone numerous infections like cough, cold, flu, rashes, eczema and allergies to certain food and pets.
At this stage of their lives, young children get sick and build their immune system in the process. It makes them stronger if they can overcome those obstacles. From a very young age, they'd be able to tell others that they're allergic to certain things like nuts, eggs, seafood, cats, dogs and so on.
This is something they have to learn because it may be a life-long predicament, and the task falls upon their informed parents, namely their primary caregivers. It may also help if they wore a MedicAlert bracelet or locket to indicate their allergies in case they can't tell the whole story or become unconscious.
(The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own.)
Putri Juneita Johari volunteers for the Special Community Society of Ampang. She can be reached at [email protected].
