YES. You can develop an allergy at any point in your life. Sadly, this one I am familiar with. Same can happen with medication. You can take a medication for years without incident, and suddenly one day.... boom. Reaction.
We had a lovely long hair orange tabby... just beautiful in appearance and temperment.
After THREE years, I started to become very ill. I never even noticed the stuffy nose and itchy eyes part because I had lived my entire life with hayfever type symptoms.
But, I started having horrible coughing fits upon arriving home from work. I was waking to a terrible internal feeling trembling that is hard to explain, I itched head to toe, felt flaming hot, and the coughing spells had me sleeping sitting up~ coughing up mucous and vomiting nightly. This went on for months. I was a zombie. I was sick all the time with every cold and flu that went through the office. I'd get to work, and feel better...so, I kept putting off making appointments, until I really could not go on one day longer.
Diagnosis: Asthma, due to cat allergy.
We had to find a new home for our cat
. By this point, we had two, and I did always wonder if adding the second cat tipped the scale for me. I loved my Toni cat, and it was heart breaking, but I was SO SICK by this point, I couldn't even consider keeping her. It took a year or so to bring the asthma under control (well under control, meaning not needing daily medication). For a long time I couldn't be in a home with cats for more then ten minutes without the asthma flaring. Now, I rarely get a hint of it, but I try to refrain from overindulgence.
A trip to the allergist wouldn't hurt. Early intervention might make the difference...maybe allergy shots would help? Maybe limiting exposure by making certain areas off limits to the cat, especially your sleeping quarters.
I do believe the 'load' theory, and the doctor told me the fact I was getting sick all the time was a result of the underlying allergy, and my immune system just being overworked. It all just sort of spirals.
I don't really even suffer spring and fall allergies anymore...no sinus infections for over three years now. I have to believe my load is less with the gluten out!
Cara