ADVICE is being offered to pet allergy sufferers to help alleviate their symptoms this winter.

The most common form of pet allergy is an allergy to tiny particles of dead skin and saliva shed by animals, which subsequently become airborne.

These microscopic particles are known as ‘dander’. Cats are generally more allergenic than dogs, as the particles shed from them are smaller than the particles shed from dogs, which means that they become airborne more easily and are airborne for longer.

Airborne particles can easily fly up the nose, triggering symptoms such as sore, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and wheezing, and cold-like symptoms of a runny nose and sinus pain.

Airborne allergies expert Max Wiseberg said: “No home is 100 per cent allergen free, but there are some simple ways to minimise the allergens around you.”

He recommends sufferers to use an allergen barrier balm to help stop allergens getting into the body in the first place, and to keep pets off sofas and bed, or out of the bedroom together, to reduce exposure to allergens.

Damp dust surfaces and vacuum regularly and use allergy-friendly mattress covers and bedding. Keep cuddly toys and blankets in a cupboard to prevent the build-up of allergens on them.