Discover when dust mite allergies are at their worst and how you can effectively manage your symptoms. Dust mites are tiny, white, insect-like creatures that measure between a quarter and a third of a millimeter.
You can only see them with a microscope. They have eight legs, making them an arthropod like a spider, but they have no eyes or respiratory system. Unlike many insects, they are not parasites, and they do not sting, bite, or invade people’s bodies.
The main habitat of mites is a person’s bed, where ideal conditions for their reproduction are created: high humidity, comfortable temperature, an abundance of food. Mites feed on microparticles of human skin, dandruff, nails and hair. Mites also live in carpets, upholstered furniture, soft toys, fabric products. They are the ones that cause allergic rhinitis and asthma. It is possible to create conditions to reduce the number of mites, but it is impossible to completely avoid their presence in the house. A small number of mites is enough to cause an allergic reaction in sensitive patients.
When are Dust Mite Allergies the Worst?
In general, dust mite allergies tend to worsen during the fall and winter months when people spend more time indoors and close windows to keep warm. Additionally, periods of high humidity can also exacerbate dust mite allergy symptoms.
Symptoms of a dust mite allergy may include sneezing, runny and/or stuffy nose, and postnasal mucus drip. Red or watery eyes, coughing, and an itchy nose, mouth, or throat may be other symptoms of a reaction. Dust mite allergies are often worse at night and in the morning because of time spent near mattresses, bedding, and pillows where mites often live.
Symptoms of allergic asthma: difficulty breathing, asthma attacks, dry cough, shortness of breath, wheezing. Allergy to mites can also cause atopic dermatitis and eczema. Their manifestations: redness, itching of the skin of the face, scalp, in the folds of the skin. There is also a cross allergy. A patient with an allergy to mites may also have manifestations of allergy to certain types of food: shrimp, lobsters, crabs, crayfish and snails. The reason is the biological similarity of allergen molecules.
In 80% of cases, the main allergen contained in household dust are mites. These microscopic creatures are invisible to our eyes, but they are always with us! Saprophytic mites feed on epidermis particles. Although their size reaches only 100-300 microns, they can cause great harm to a person.
These invisible inhabitants gather in the following places:
- Sofa, armchair, chairs – all upholstered furniture.
- Bedding: duvet cover, pillowcase, sheet, blanket.
- Pillows, blankets and mattresses.
Each such tick produces hundreds of times more waste products than its own weight. All these wastes and the dead ticks themselves are in the air of any home.
When are Dust Mite Allergies the Worst;Preventive measures against dust mites.
- Do not allow humidity in the apartment to rise above 50% – this creates conditions for the reproduction of mites.
- Do not keep carpets and rugs in the apartment. It is possible to use doormats that can be washed in hot water.
- Do not keep upholstered furniture in your apartment. Furniture with vinyl or leather covering, wooden or plastic interior items are preferable.
- There should be no massive curtains made of fleecy fabrics in the rooms. Curtains should be smooth, cotton or synthetic and washed at least once a month. It is good to use blinds.
- Keep your baby’s soft toys in a closet or in plastic containers. Avoid using anything that can collect and accumulate dust – macrame, tapestries, decorative pillows, etc.
- Replace feather and down pillows, feather beds and blankets with those made of padding polyester, other synthetic material or cotton wool. It is necessary to purchase pillows and blankets that can be repeatedly cleaned or washed in hot water. Replace the old mattress. The use of special mattresses with chemical additives prevents the reproduction of mites in them.
- Use hypoallergenic covers for pillows, mattresses and blankets. It is possible to use thick fabric for pillowcases.
- Use blankets made from easy-to-wash, lint-free fabrics.
- Wash bed linen, pillows, blankets and bedspreads at 60-70 degrees C and dry well. Take the linen out into the cold.
- Store clothes in a closed closet. Do not use mothballs or other strong-smelling substances.
- Don’t store things under the bed. There shouldn’t be a lot of furniture in the room, as this makes it difficult to clean the room and promotes dust accumulation.
- Do wet cleaning of the room daily, especially the bedroom. Do not do the cleaning yourself or use a respirator (for example, “petal”). Do not allow humidity to increase, ventilate the room well after cleaning.
- Keep the humidity in the apartment as low as possible, especially in the autumn-winter period – this is the period of reproduction of ticks. The optimal humidity is 40-50%. This can be achieved with the help of an air conditioner.
- Use air purifiers, vacuum cleaners with special filters (HEPA filters). Be careful when choosing an air conditioner: mold fungi settle and grow inside some air conditioners – a strong allergen. Use an air conditioner with filters to clean the air at the outlet.
- Keep books on closed shelves (behind glass).
- When covering walls, it is preferable to use washable coverings (washable wallpaper or painted walls).
- You should not have pets, including an aquarium with fish: the presence of an aquarium increases the humidity in the apartment, and dry food for aquarium fish (daphnia, gomarus, bloodworm) is a strong allergen.
- Conduct a fight against cockroaches. It is better to use “non-aerosol” means (traps).
- Do not grow house flowers: they are a source of pollen and mold allergens.
If you suspect that you have an allergy to mites, consult an allergist. A doctor’s consultation is necessary to correctly identify the allergen causing the allergic reaction and to choose the optimal and effective treatment.