Dust allergy

Living with a dust allergy raises many questions, whether you or a family member suffers from allergies. For example, could allergies be the cause of your child's chronic cold symptoms? Here are some answers to questions and information about dust allergies from symptoms to treatment.

Why is there so much dust in the house?

Every home has a few dusty corners. Even the cleanest mansion won't pass the white glove test. Dust particles settle quickly and easily under the bed or high up on the chandelier. Vigorous cleaning and heating systems lift dust particles into the air, constituting problems for people with dust allergies. Even a few minutes in a dusty room can cause symptoms such as sniffling and sneezing in an allergy-prone person.

Where dust comes from

Dust is made up of different particles. Its composition depends on the type of furniture in the house, the presence of pets, the location of the house and other factors.

A single speck of dust can consist of dead human or animal skin cells, fabric and down particles, food residue, dead cockroach particles and even living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, mould spores and small living things called house mites. A quantity of dust that is the same weight as a paper clip contains approximately 19,000 household mites.

Household mites

Household mites are spider-like creatures that live in warm, moist environments. They cannot be seen with the naked eye, but they can cause a lot of problems if you are allergic to them. Household mites live in environments where the temperature is above 20C and the humidity is 75%-80%. They can't stand cool and less humid environments, and have not been seen in Antarctica or countries with dry climates. In the United States, allergies to house mites peak in July and August, when their population increases due to rising temperatures.

Household mites feed on dead human and animal skin cells. Because humans discreetly lose dead skin cells every day, mites do not suffer from starvation. The average adult human loses up to 1.5 grammes of skin cells every day, enough for a million house mites. Mites settle on carpets, beds and furniture, thus attracting these insects. Most mites reside in mattresses, bed linen and furniture panelling.

Causes of dust allergy

Most people with dust allergies have a reaction to a protein that is part of the waste products of house mites. Approximately 20 million Americans are allergic to these microscopic insects. They are the leading cause of chronic symptoms of allergic rhinitis and asthma, especially in children.

Some people have an allergic reaction to cockroach particles found in dust. This reaction is caused by protein found in cockroach waste, saliva, and insect body parts. This problem is common in many older homes, especially in the southern part of the United States.

If you are allergic to house mites and cockroaches, you may experience allergy symptoms such as sniffling or sneezing after inhaling dust that contains allergenic particles. People who suffer from pet allergies experience symptoms if the dust contains dead animal cells, and those who suffer from mould allergies experience symptoms if there are mould spores in the dust.

Symptoms

The symptoms of dust allergy are similar to those of pollen allergy, they include:

• Redness and irritation of the eyes.
• Runny or stuffy nose.
• Sneezing.

Some people may also experience asthma symptoms, these include:

• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• wheezing

How can you recognise if you are allergic to dust?

Allergy symptoms can be confused with a cold. But if you have a runny nose and sneezing for a long period of time, you should see a doctor. If you are allergic to house mites, you may also be allergic to pets.

Your doctor may suggest that you have a blood test for specific immunoglobulin E to determine the cause of the allergy. Treatment

There are three types of treatment for dust allergies:

• Targeted avoidance
• Use of medication
• Allergy injections

Targeted avoidance involves avoiding or limiting contact with specific allergens that dust contains. This method is effective if the test has determined an allergy to particles that are found in dust, such as animal hair or household mites.

Some medicines can manage your symptoms. Your doctor may suggest:

• Antihistamines. These medications relieve symptoms such as itching, sneezing and watery eyes, and are available without a prescription.
• Anti-inflammatory medications. They reduce the swelling of the nasal passages.
• Topical nasal steroids. These are anti-inflammatory drugs that stop the allergic reaction, they are available by prescription.

 Allergy injections can be effective in some cases. Discuss with your doctor the possibility of using them in your case.

How to reduce dust

Here are some tips to help control dust accumulation in the bedroom:

• Do not use stuffed mattresses.
• Put airtight covers on pillows, mattresses and mattress springs.
• Use pillows filled with polyester fibre, not kapok (vegetable down) or feather down.

Wash your bed linen once a week in very hot water (at least 60C). This temperature is necessary to get rid of house mites. You can set your water heater to this temperature. Be careful, this water temperature is dangerous for children. If you do not want to set up a heating system, use a public laundry service.

To control dust accumulation in other rooms, follow these guidelines:

• Damp-clean all surfaces regularly.
• Bedrooms should be on upper floors and should not have concrete flooring (as in the basement). Concrete pavement stays wet and creates a damp environment that is favourable for house mites.
• Make sure that the humidity in your home is below 55%. For this you may need a device called a hydrometer, available at any building shop.
• Remove the curtains and use blinds. If curtains must still remain, wash them every week in hot water.
• Remove all soft and stuffed toys that accumulate dust.
• The house should have wood or vinyl flooring. Carpeting accumulates dust.
• Use a high-efficiency dry air filter, and remember to change it every three months.
• Use an air conditioner or humidity eliminator. High humidity is favourable for mites to breed.
• Vacuum once or twice a week. Use a hoover with a high-efficiency dry air filter.
• Vacuum the panelling of furniture. Choose wood, leather, plastic or metal furniture.
• Wash the doormat, which is located at the entrance, in hot water.

When choosing a new home, remember the following tips:

• If you are severely allergic to dust, you should replace your carpeting with wood or vinyl. But first discuss this issue with your doctor. You can clean your carpets with a special chemical solution that destroys all harmful particles.

We would like to remind you that you can get allergy diagnostics (more than 400 allergens), including allergens of house dust and pet mites, at any time in the OLYMP branches of laboratories.