Dust mites Allergy:
Dust mites are extremely tiny bugs that belong to the spider family. They live in house dust and feed on the dead skin cells that people regularly shed. Dust mites can survive in all climates and at most altitudes. They thrive in warm environments, preferring those at 70°F (21°C) and 70 percent relative humidity.
When you breathe in the waste products of dust mites, your immune system kicks into high gear, producing antibodies against the normally harmless substances. This overzealous immune response causes the symptoms associated with a dust mite allergy, such as sneezing and runny nose.
Symptoms
Dust mite allergy symptoms can range from mild to severe. They may include the following:
- runny or itchy nose
- postnasal drip
- itchy skin
- congestion
- sinus pressure (may cause facial pain)
- itchy, watery, or red eyes
- scratchy throat
- cough
- swollen, bluish-colored skin beneath the eyes
- trouble sleeping
You may experience additional symptoms if you have asthma and are allergic to dust mites. These symptoms may include:
- chest pain or tightness
- difficulty breathing
- wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath
- difficulty talking
- severe asthma attack
Causes
An allergy is the immune system’s response to an unknown substance that’s not usually harmful to your body. These substances are called allergens. They may include certain foods, pollens, and dust mites. People who are allergic to dust mites have bad reactions to the remnants of the bugs. These remnants include tiny mounds of feces and decaying bodies.
You might have a relatively clean household, but it doesn’t take much to create an environment fit for dust mites. In fact, the average bedroom is often the ideal place for them. Bedding, carpeting, and furniture cushions all trap and hold moisture, allowing these tiny bugs to flourish. You could experience increased allergy symptoms over time as you continue to breathe in the dust mites’ waste particles. It’s important to note that dust can be a sneeze-inducing annoyance for anyone, but only certain people have the immune responses that actually constitute a dust mite allergy.
Risk Factor
The following factors increase your risk of developing a dust mite allergy:
- Having a family history of allergies: You’re more likely to develop a sensitivity to dust mites if several members of your family have allergies.
- Exposure to dust mites: Being exposed to high levels of dust mites, especially early in life, increases your risk.
- Being a child or a young adult: You’re more likely to develop dust mite allergy during childhood or early adulthood.
Complications
- Sinus infections: Ongoing (chronic) inflammation of tissues in the nasal passages caused by dust mite allergy can obstruct your sinuses, the hollow cavities connected to your nasal passages. These obstructions may make you more likely to develop infections of the sinuses (sinusitis).
- Asthma: People with asthma and dust mite allergy often have difficulty managing asthma symptoms. They may be at risk of asthma attacks that require immediate medical treatment or emergency care.
Treatment
The first treatment for controlling dust mite allergy is avoiding dust mites as much as possible. When you minimize your exposure to dust mites, you can expect fewer or less severe allergic reactions. However, it’s impossible to completely eliminate dust mites from your environment. You may also need medications to control symptoms.
Allergy Medications
- Antihistamines: Reduce the production of an immune system chemical that is active in an allergic reaction. These drugs relieve itching, sneezing and runny nose. Over-the-counter antihistamine tablets, such as fexofenadine (Allegra Allergy), loratadine (Alavert, Claritin,), cetirizine (Zyrtec) and others, as well as antihistamine syrups for children, are available. Prescription antihistamines taken as a nasal spray include azelastine (Astelin, Astepro) and olopatadine (Patanase).
- Corticosteroids: Delivered as a nasal spray can reduce inflammation and control symptoms of hay fever. These drugs include fluticasone propionate (Flonase Allergy Relief), mometasone furoate (Nasonex), triamcinolone (Nasacort Allergy 24HR), ciclesonide (Omnaris) and others. Nasal corticosteroids provide a low dose of the drug and have a much lower risk of side effects compared with oral corticosteroids.
- Decongestants: Can help shrink swollen tissues in your nasal passages and make it easier to breathe through your nose. Some over-the-counter allergy tablets combine an antihistamine with a decongestant. Oral decongestants can increase blood pressure and shouldn’t be taken if you have severe high blood pressure, glaucoma or cardiovascular disease. In men with an enlarged prostate, the drug can worsen the condition. Talk to your doctor about whether you can safely take a decongestant. Over-the-counter decongestants taken as a nasal spray may briefly reduce allergy symptoms. If you use a decongestant spray for more than three days in a row, however, it can actually make nasal congestion worse.
- Leukotriene modifiers: Block the action of certain immune system chemicals. Your doctor may prescribe the leukotriene modifier montelukast (Singulair), which comes in tablet form. Possible side effects of montelukast include upper respiratory infection, headache and fever. Less common side effects include behavior or mood changes, such as anxiousness or depression.
Other Therapies
- Immunotherapy: You can “train” your immune system not to be sensitive to an allergen. Immunotherapy is delivered either through a series of allergy shots or tablets taken under the tongue (sublingually). One to two weekly shots or tablets expose you to very small doses of the allergen ― in this case, the dust mite proteins that cause the allergic reaction. The dose is gradually increased, usually during a three- to six-month period. Maintenance shots or tablets are needed every four weeks for three to five years. Immunotherapy is usually used when other simple treatments are not satisfactory.
- Nasal irrigation: You can use a neti pot or a specially designed squeeze bottle to flush thickened mucus and irritants from your sinuses with a prepared saltwater (saline) rinse. If you’re preparing the saline solution yourself, use water that’s contaminant-free ― distilled, sterile, previously boiled and cooled, or filtered with a filter that has an absolute pore size of 1 micron or smaller. Be sure to rinse the irrigation device after each use with contaminant-free water, and leave open to air-dry.
Prevention
Avoiding exposure to dust mites is the best strategy for controlling dust mite allergy. While you can’t completely eliminate dust mites from your home, you can significantly reduce their number. Here’s how:
- Use allergen-proof bed covers: Keep your mattress and pillows in dustproof or allergen-blocking covers. These covers, made of tightly woven fabric, prevent dust mites from colonizing or escaping from the mattress or pillows. Encase box springs in allergen-proof covers.
- Wash bedding weekly: Wash all sheets, blankets, pillowcases and bedcovers in hot water that is at least 130 F (54.4 C) to kill dust mites and remove allergens. If bedding can’t be washed hot, put the items in the dryer for at least 15 minutes at a temperature above 130 F (54.4 C) to kill the mites. Then wash and dry the bedding to remove allergens. Freezing nonwashable items for 24 hours also can kill dust mites, but this won’t remove the allergens.
- Keep humidity low: Maintain a relative humidity below 50% in your home. A dehumidifier or air conditioner can help keep humidity low, and a hygrometer (available at hardware stores) can measure humidity levels.
- Choose bedding wisely: Avoid bedcovers that trap dust easily and are difficult to clean frequently.
- Buy washable stuffed toys: Wash them often in hot water and dry thoroughly. Also, keep stuffed toys off beds.
- Remove dust: Use a damp or oiled mop or rag rather than dry materials to clean up dust. This prevents dust from becoming airborne and resettling.
- Vacuum regularly: Vacuuming carpeting and upholstered furniture removes surface dust — but vacuuming isn’t effective at removing most dust mites and dust mite allergens. Use a vacuum cleaner with a double-layered microfilter bag or a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to help decrease house-dust emissions from the cleaner. If your allergies are severe, stay out of the area being vacuumed while someone else does the work. Wait about two hours before going back in the vacuumed room.
- Cut clutter: If it collects dust, it also collects dust mites. Remove knickknacks, tabletop ornaments, books, magazines and newspapers from your bedroom.
- Remove carpeting and other dust mite habitats: Carpeting provides a comfortable habitat for dust mites. This is especially true if carpeting is over concrete, which holds moisture easily and provides a humid environment for mites. If possible, replace wall-to-wall bedroom carpeting with tile, wood, linoleum or vinyl flooring. Consider replacing other dust-collecting furnishings in bedrooms, such as upholstered furniture, nonwashable curtains and horizontal blinds.
- Install a high-efficiency media filter in your furnace and air conditioning unit: Look for a filter with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 11 or 12 and leave the fan on to create a whole house air filter. Be sure to change the filter every three months.
