Williamsburg Sun

As the spring season approaches, pet owners who suffer from seasonal allergies may be wondering if they are allergic to their pets.

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, more than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies. If your allergy symptoms tend to worsen around pets, you probably have a pet allergy.

In the U.S., as many as 30% of people with allergies have reactions to cats and dogs, according to Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Suffering a reaction to cats is about twice as common as suffering a reaction to dogs.

Scientists at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found that more than half of U.S. households have a dog, a cat or both.

Unfortunately for sufferers, the idea of "hypoallergenic pets" is a myth. Mayo Clinic reports that there is no true allergy-safe pet. Even hairless cats and dogs can trigger a reaction. It would be more accurate to say that sufferers are probably more allergic to some breeds of dog or cat than others.

A 2011 study by the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy found that the level of dog allergens in homes with hypoallergenic dogs was no different than the levels in homes with other types of dogs.

In adults, chronic sinusitis most often is linked to nasal swelling, which can cause facial pain and is caused by allergens, according to Harvard Medical School.

"In the United States, there are three ways to treat patients," Dr. John Ditto of Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told the Williamsburg Sun. "Yes, allergy shots is one way or what we call subcutaneous immunotherapy. Second is sublingual therapy, which is drops. It's the allergy drops given just like the shots, except you put it under your tongue. And then there are sublingual tablets that are approved in the United States by the FDA."

If you're interested in evaluating your allergy or sinus symptoms and are considering seeing a doctor, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.