Dust Mite Allergy

Dust mite allergy is an allergic reaction to tiny bugs that commonly live in house dust. Dust mites are microscopic bugs in the spider family. They can survive in all climates and at most altitudes. However, they thrive in house dust in warm environments, preferring the "70s"—70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 C) and 70 percent relative humidity. Dust mites, close relatives of ticks and spiders, are too small to see without a microscope. Dust mites eat skin cells shed by people, and they thrive in warm, humid environments. In most homes, bedding, upholstered furniture and carpeting provide an ideal environment for dust mites.

Dust mites feed on the dead skin cells people regularly shed. If that weren't creepy enough, dust mites also don't need to drink water—they simply absorb it from the moisture in the air. Dust mites not only prefer to live in dust, they also add to it by leaving behind tiny mounds of feces and decaying corpses. It's the proteins in this detritus that may be the only reason most people even know about these mini-monsters—that's because it causes a whole lot of allergies.

Symptoms:

• runny or itchy nose
• postnasal drip
• congestion
• sinus pressure (may cause facial pain)
• itchy, watery or red eyes
• scratchy throat
• cough
• swollen, bluish-colored skin beneath the eyes
• trouble sleeping

Diagnosis:

• Allergy skin test
• Blood test

Treatment:

• antihistamines, such as the prescription Allegra and the over-the-counter Claritin, can help relieve sneezing, runny nose, and itching by minimizing the immune system’s response
• nasal corticosteroids such as Flonase or Nasonex reduce inflammation while offering fewer side effects than their oral counterparts
• decongestants, such as Sudafed or Afrin, shrink tissues in nasal passages, making it easier to breathe for many allergy sufferers
• medications that combine an antihistamine and decongestant, such as Actifed or Claritin-D Statistics: In a study, a random sample of asthma patients between 16 and 60 years old was taken from general practices. Allergy was assessed with a radio allegro sorbent test (RAST). The sample was representative for the primary care asthma population. 48.8% of the asthma population was sensitised to HDM allergen. 25.6% of the HDM-allergic asthma patients were using HDM-impermeable bed covers. Thus, it can be concluded that almost half of the patients with asthma were sensitised to HDM allergen. Only a minority of the patients used HDM-impermeable bed covers.