Bird Allergy - A Three-Pronged Approach to Effectively Managing Bird Allergy
By Debbie Davis
Bird allergy is the result of your body’s over reacting to protein found in bird dander, bird dust that is a by-product of wing formation for many species, feathers, saliva, and even feces. The allergy can be triggered by inhaling small (in many cases sub-micron sized) particles that are constantly being produced by preening, wing flapping and other normal bird activities. You have about as much chance of stopping allergen production as you do of grabbing hold of a speeding train. So how do you mange a bird allergy and keep your pet birds too? Here are 3 ways to keep your bird and keep your bird allergy under control.
Clean the Cage Daily–Frequent cleaning of the cage will remove feathers, dander, dust, and feces-all of which contain thousand of allergens. Regular cleaning limits the number of contaminants that can be sent airborne, and will also improve your bird’s health by eliminating pollutants that cause your bird’s respiratory passages to become congested. Use a mask if you are allergic or ask someone else do the cleaning.
Clean the Floor around the Cage–Vacuuming the floor around the cage is as important as cleaning the actual cage. A high grade linoleum floor or a tile floor is an excellent choice for this area as opposed to carpet which tends to be harder to clean thoroughly and is more susceptible to stains. Vacuuming creates less dust, and does more to remove the particles as opposed to sweeping which often simply moves the pollutants around. Vacuuming also cuts down on the number of particles that are carried from one place to another in your home on the bottom of shoes, on socks, or even bare feet. Socks end up with other clothes, bare feet end up in bed or on a sofa, and suddenly you have tiny bits of bird dust, feathers that are hard to escape.
Use a HEPA Air Purifier to Filter Your Air–A high efficiency particle arresting (abbreviated as HEPA) air purifier is designed to remove bird dander, pieces of feathers, and wing dust for the dustier species. And even though your allergy may be caused largely by bird pollutants, a HEPA purifier will also remove other sub micron particles such as dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, pet dander from other pets, as well as bacteria and viruses–all of which are known to exacerbate symptoms for those who suffer from chronic allergy or asthma.
An excellent resource for a HEPA air purifier to remove bird allergens and other pollutants from your air is offered by PurerAir.com– the Bird Dander Air Purifier at http://purerair.com/bird_dander_air_purifier.html
