Pet allergies make hay fever worse, study shows

Millions of people suffer from seasonal allergies -- ragweed, which strikes suffers most in the summer and early fall, causes itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, runny nose, and fatigue making life miserable. And if that's not bad enough, a new study seems to show that those of you who are also unlucky enough to be allergic to pets are struck by seasonal allergies even harder.

Anne Ellis, assistant professor in the department of medicine and microbiology and immunology, and her research team at Queen's University discovered hay fever symptoms developed more quickly in people who were also had pet allergies or dust mite allergies.

Dr. Ellis describes the process at work as "pre-priming":

If you have ongoing symptoms from perennial allergies, as soon as you add another allergen into the mix your symptoms develop much faster, and you may have a harder time dealing with it than others.

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By: Bambi Blue

Bambi Blue is a freelance writer, editor, and codemonkey living in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She moonlights as a jazz musician, a social butterfly, and most apparently a weisenheimer. Loves to cook, hates to clean, and can easily be found on Twitter.