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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Sinus infections
Ongoing (chronic) inflammation of tissues in the nasal passages caused by pet allergy can obstruct your sinuses, the hollow cavities connected to your nasal passages. These obstructions may make you more likely to develop bacterial infections of the sinuses, such as sinusitis.

Asthma
People with asthma and pet allergy often have difficulty managing asthma symptoms. They may be at risk of asthma attacks that require immediate medical treatment or emergency care.

References
  1. Ferguson BJ. Environmental controls of allergies. Otolaryngology Clinics of North America. 2008;41(2):411-417,viii-ix.
  2. German JA, et al. Environmental control of allergic diseases. American Family Physician. 2002;66(3):421-426.
  3. Spitzauer S. Allergy to mammalian proteins: At the borderline between foreign and self? International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 1999;120(4):259-269.
  4. Airborne Allergens: Something in the Air. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bethesda, Md.: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; 2003.
  5. Fletcher R. Patient information: Rhinitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 24, 2008.
  6. National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma - Summary Report 2007. Bethesda, Md.: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthsumm.htm. Accessed Oct. 8, 2008.
  7. Tips to remember: Allergic skin conditions. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/allergicskinconditions.stm. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  8. Platts-Mills T, et al. The role of allergens in asthma. American Family Physician. 2007;76(5):675-680.
  9. Tips to remember: Indoor allergens. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/indoorallergens.stm. Accessed Oct. 7, 2008.
  10. deShazo R, et al. Patient information: Trigger avoidance in allergic rhinitis.  http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 24, 2008.
  11. Simpson A, et al. Pets and the development of allergic sensitization. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. 2005;5(3):212-220.
  12. Takkouche B, et al. Exposure to furry pets and the risk of asthma and allergic rhinitis: A meta-analysis. Allergy. 2008;63(7):857-864.
  13. deShazo R, et al. Epidemiology and clinical manifestations of allergic rhinitis (rhinosinusitis). http:/www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 24, 2008.
  14. deShazo R, et al. Diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (rhinosinusitis). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 27, 2008.
  15. Tips to remember: What is allergy testing? American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatisallergytesting.stm. Accessed Sept. 16, 2008.
  16. Tips to remember: What are "allergy shots"? American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatareallergyshots.stm. Accessed Sept. 16, 2008.

DS00859

Nov. 22, 2008

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