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Parrots are one of the most beautiful and vibrant birds. Other than that they are pretty smart. Everyone knows that parrots can remember a certain number of words and constantly repeat them. The maintenance of this bird does not require any special conditions, and even in an ordinary small apartment there is always a place for a cage. Based on these benefits, many people opt for a parrot. However, not everyone knows that this step can be a threat to health. Allergies to parrots are a common occurrence, therefore, before buying a pet, one should make sure that there is no danger. The disease can develop to a serious stage and go into a chronic form.
Can a parrot cause allergies?
These poultry are the causative agents of diseases such as allergic alveolitis. It is characterized by the fact that it is an illness of the lungs. Simply put, the reaction does not appear on the mucous membranes, as in most cases of allergies, namely on the lung alveoli. Naturally, from this situation it can be concluded that the allergen consists of particles so small that they directly enter the lungs with a stream of air.
It turns out that they do not linger either in the nose or in the bronchi. In order to determine if there is a threat to health, you need to check your response to bird protein. Allergies to parrots in children are very common, so before buying, you need to conduct a thorough examination with a doctor. Only after a positive result can you start a new pet. Think primarily about health, and leave everything else to the background.
Causes of allergies
The parrot is by far the most popular poultry. In addition to its external features, the pet can repeat and memorize some words. Both adults and children are delighted by this and are strongly attached to birds. Caring for birds is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. The owners only need to carefully monitor the cleanliness of the cage, and also do not forget to feed the parrot. In addition, you should be careful when closing the cage, as the bird can easily fly out of it.
However, not everything is so rosy. As you know, birds are sources of proteins, and the human body often perceives this as a threat to health. Therefore, allergies to parrots are not so rare. The disease can be triggered by some factors:
- contact with feathers or down;
- connection with the outer layer of the skin;
- contact with the litter.
An allergy is not immediately detected, often this occurs after the first cleaning in the pet's cage. After all, there is direct contact with bird excreta, feathers, etc. It is this fact that causes a negative reaction. What is allergy to parrots?
Signs of ailment
First, we will make a general analysis of the symptoms, and then we will talk about them in more detail. It is worth noting that the signs appear almost immediately after contact with the bird, or rather, after a few minutes. Symptoms may be tolerable or severe. In the latter case, you must immediately call an ambulance.
The disease manifests itself in different ways: it can be disorders of the respiratory system, and changes on the surface of the skin, conjunctiva, etc. In most cases, the symptoms appear sporadically, regularly. However, if you manage to get rid of the provoking factor, then the symptoms of allergies to parrots can stop forever.
Skin problems
It should be noted that the symptoms that we will consider in this article are found in both adults and children. If we talk about skin manifestations, then the rash is most common here. It manifests itself in the appearance of various kinds of bubbles, spots and blisters. It can be both small and large. Quite often, the rash appears against a background of severe redness or large swelling.
With allergies to parrots, a person often has urticaria, characterized by special damage to the skin. In this case, blisters can exist for about a day, while creating foci and uniting in them. In especially difficult situations, Quincke's edema appears in the area of the cheeks or lips. These skin manifestations are unbearably painful and itchy, which causes severe discomfort.
Catarrhal signs
Do not underestimate the runny nose or banal nasal congestion. It is necessary to find out the reason why this or that ailment appears. After all, an allergy to parrots can begin with this. Manifestations are not always acute, often the disease takes a fairly long time. There is a high probability that at first only one symptom will be noticeable - a runny nose. And if you do not understand in time that this is the beginning of an allergy, then the condition will only worsen.
Particular attention should be paid to infants. How is an allergy to parrots in a child? Due to the inability to breathe normally, the baby has a deterioration in appetite, weakness appears, sleep is disturbed. Older children tolerate the disease more calmly, the symptoms are limited to runny nose, tearing and nasal congestion.
Consider the main catarrhal signs of allergies:
- redness and itching in the eye area;
- sore throat;
- regular cough;
- sneezing, nasal congestion.
Respiratory system disorders
This type of symptom is the most dangerous to health. Respiratory problems are manifested in the fact that it becomes difficult for the patient to breathe, it is necessary to constantly look for support for the hands. It is especially difficult to push air out of the lungs. A photo of a parrot allergy is not a very pleasant sight.
If you find yourself with such symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Even a cursory examination will reveal the problem and offer treatment. The person has a pale complexion, dry cough with small transparent discharge. Breathing becomes unrealistically difficult; in such a situation, independent therapy will not have the corresponding effect. Only specialists can cope with this situation.
Treatment of ailment
Above, we examined all kinds of symptoms of parrot allergies in children and adults. How to deal with this problem? To begin with, you should completely stop any contact with the bird. If the patient has a mild form of the disease, you can transfer the cage with the pet temporarily to another room. However, it is better not to do this, since the allergen gets onto furniture, walls and floors, and getting rid of it is not so easy. It is necessary to regularly carry out wet cleaning and constantly ventilate the apartment.
It is recommended that you simply give the parrot to your friends or other people in order to stop contact with the bird. After that, you need to carefully clean the room and constantly maintain cleanliness for some time until the symptoms disappear. However, it is not worth hoping that everything will pass by itself. In order to accurately cope with the disease, you need to undergo a course of treatment in the hospital, take the medications prescribed by the doctor and take your health seriously. After you undergo therapy, the doctor will tell you whether you can buy a pet in the future. It is likely that the doctor’s response will be positive.
Diagnostics
Before you start a budgie, it is worth checking whether you or your family are allergic to birds. Children should be especially careful, because it is they who are most difficult to perceive the ailment. To find out, you only need to take a blood test for certain antibodies. Moreover, there are practically no contraindications to this procedure.
If it is found that the norm of immunoglobulins in blood serum is exceeded, then the person is prone to allergies. In this case, it is best to refuse to purchase a pet. If the patient is already infected with an allergy, then he needs to undergo comprehensive treatment, which consists of:
- from restrictions on contact with birds;
- taking medications prescribed by a doctor;
- stay in the hospital during therapy.
Prevention
Allergies to parrots, as we have found, can manifest themselves in different ways. In order to prevent the development of the disease, it is worth adhering to some rules:
- take a blood test to detect hypersensitivity;
- if the first symptoms are detected, you should immediately seek help from a specialist;
- no need to get a pet in a house where there are people suffering from respiratory diseases.
Remember that your health is not worth admiring a beautiful bird. Symptoms may worsen over time, which will ultimately lead to irreversible consequences. However, the above symptoms are not always observed with allergies to parrots. They can be caused by intolerance to dust, household chemicals, etc. Therefore, before taking any action, it is necessary to determine the cause of the deterioration of health.