How do you know if you are sensitive to the pets in your home? There are a multitude of different causes, and sometimes it's hard to discern which allergen might be the culprit to your allergies. It might take quite a bit of trial and error to find out, but here are several things to look out for.

You will realize that you have an allergy to dogs or cats because when you get near them, you'll start to experience nasal congestion as well as a runny nose. The symptoms are quite similar to viral symptoms such as the flu. With the flu the symptoms persist for about a week, but with allergies they disappear rather rapidly.

Other reactions that are common are sore eyes. If you experience these symptoms, wash your eyes immediately with water and refrain from rubbing them as that will only make things worse. The dander from animals can cause mild to serious allergic reactions in many people.

If you've never heard of the word "dander" before, I'll explain it. Dander is similar to dandruff on human scalps but they're much smaller flakes of skin, so small that it isn't obvious to the naked eye.

Pet pollen can easily spread through any household environment, and they can sit around a home for several weeks or months if not cleaned thoroughly. This is why people can still get reactions when entering a home even without the dog or cat being present.

Does this mean that allergy sufferers cannot own a dog or a cat? No, in fact, they can. If you decide that you really want to have a pet at home, you will need to select specific breeds of dogs or cats that are hypoallergenic - yes there is really such a thing. The Maltese and Australian Terrier are just 2 examples of hypoallergenic dogs.

If you already have a pet and you really don't want to give it away, consider installing an air cleaner in your home to reduce airborne contaminants such as pet dander. The best types are ones that get installed into an existing cooling or heating system and they efficiently clear the air of your entire house so it will continue to remain free of dander.

In case you are browsing to get an answer for allergen hypersensitivity and also to cleanse the air of pollutants, here's additional information for whole house air purifiers together with other quality brands of allergy air cleaners

Debbie Foster is the owner of Pet Beds Unlimited and an avid animal lover. You’ll find a wide selection of quality pet beds, dog crates, dog carriers, dog pens, cat beds, cat carriers, small dog beds, large dog beds, pet strollers and more at http://petbedsunlimited.com.