What are house dust mites and how can I tell if I am allergic to them?

People often think they have an allergy house dust. But with 20% of Australians Allergy sufferers, many of them are actually allergic to microscopic house dust mites.

House dust mites belong to the same family as spiders and ticks. They measure only 0.2-0.3 mm, and there are 50 pieces on one pin head. They live for 65–100 days, and females lay 60–100 eggs during their lives.

House dust mites love moderate climates and humidity. They feed on skin cells that we and animals shed, as well as mold, which they digest using special enzymes. These enzymes are excreted in the feces 20 times a day. They also shed pieces of their exoskeletons.

All of these fragments trigger allergies in people suffering from this type of allergic rhinitis (also known as hay fever).

What are the symptoms?

When people allergic to house dust mites inhale the allergens, they penetrate the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eyes. Their body recognizes allergens as a threat, releasing chemicals, including one called histamine.

This causes symptoms such as a runny nose, itchy nose, eyes and throat, sneezing, coughing and a feeling of mucus in the back of the throat (so-called postnasal drip).

People with this type of allergy usually breathe through their mouths, snore, rub their nose constantly (creating a nasal wrinkle called the “mite greeting”), and have obscure circles under their eyes.

Allergy to house dust mites can also cause penniless sleep, constant fatigue, decreased concentration at work or school and lower quality of life.

For people suffering from eczema, a damaged skin barrier can allow house dust mite proteins to enter the skin. This stimulates the skin’s immune cells release chemicals which make already dilated skin redder, more painful and itchy, especially in children.

Symptoms of allergy to house dust mites occur all year round and often worsen after going to bed and waking up in the morning. But people allergic to house dust mites AND In spring, pollen allergy symptoms intensify throughout the year.

How is it diagnosed?

Dust mite allergy symptoms often worsen for months or even years before people seek lend a hand. However, an true diagnosis means that not only can you access appropriate treatment, but it is also imperative to minimize exposure.

Doctors and nurses can order: blood test to check for allergies to house dust mites.

Alternatively, healthcare providers with specialized allergy training can perform skin tests. This involves placing drops of allergens on your arm along with positive and negative “controls”. After 15 minutes, people who test positive will have a mark that looks like a mosquito bite.

How is it treated?

Treatment options include one or a combination of:

• daily non-sedating antihistamines
• steroid nasal spray
• allergy eye drops.

Your health care professional will work with you to develop it rhinitis (hay fever) treatment plan. to reduce symptoms. If you exploit a nasal spray, your doctor will do this show you how to use itbecause people often exploit it incorrectly.

If you have too asthma or eczema aggravated by mites, your doctor will adjust your treatment asthma action plan Or eczema care plan appropriately.

If severe symptoms occur, there is a long-term option immunotherapy. This is intended to gradually disable the immune system’s ability to recognize house dust mites as a harmful allergen.

Immunotherapy involves taking a daily sublingual tablet under the tongue or a series of injections. Injections require monthly visits for three years, after an initial weekly preparation phase.

They are effective, but exorbitant (and time-consuming). Therefore, it is critical to weigh the potential benefits and drawbacks with your doctor.

How to minimize the risk of house dust mites?

There are also critical allergy minimization measures you can take to reduce the amount of allergens in your home.

Every week wash bedding and pajamas in sizzling water (over 60°C). This deletes House dust mite eggs and remains.

Choose blankets, covers or duvets that can be washed in sizzling water at a temperature above 60°C. Alternatively, inexpensive waterproof or airtight covers can protect against dust mites.

If you can, favor blinds and wooden floors over curtains and carpets. Dust blinds and surfaces weekly with a damp cloth and dust with a mask or have someone else do it, as dust mites can become airborne during cleaning.

However, beware of exorbitant products with huge marketing budgets and little evidence to support their exploit. For example, a novel mattress will always be free from house dust mites. But as you continue to sleep, the dust mite life cycle may begin.

Mattress protectors and toppers are commonly described as “hypoallergenic”, “anti-allergic” or “allergy-free”. However, their pore size is not tiny enough to prevent dust mites and their excrement from entering or exfoliating the skin.

Sprays that are intended to kill dust mites require just enough spray to penetrate the product, which is likely to get humid, may smell like a spray, and, if not dried properly, may develop mold.

Finally, the claim that exorbitant vacuum cleaners can remove all house dust mites is unfounded.

More information can be found on the website healthdirect.gov.au or Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy.