Is Everyone Allergic To Dust Mites
Although most people experience the irritation which comes with dust in the surrounding, only some people show a true allergic reaction to dust mites.
The allergic sensitivity varies from one person to another and that explains why not everyone will get an allergy when exposed to dust mites.
According to medical practitioners, these microscopic creatures prefer to feed on the skin of hypersensitive individuals because the lipids in their skin are different from those of non-allergic people.
Risk Factors Of Mold Allergy
Mold allergy can happen to anyone. However, being affected by any of these below- mentioned factors, puts you more at a risk of developing a mold allergy, as compared to others-
History
If you have a history of mold allergies, any other allergies or asthma running in your families, you are more prone to developing mold allergy
Workplace
If you work in an occupation that exposes you to mold, including farming, dairy work, millwork, baking, greenhouse work, carpentry, wine making etc., this exposure may make you prone to mold allergy
Humidity
- If you live in a place which is high in humidity, you may be at an increased risk of getting a mold allergy
- Make sure that the humidity level in your house should not be more than 50%, in order to discourage mold development
- Mold can grow anyplace that holds moisture. Hence, it is recommended to get any leakages or seepages treated away immediately
- Excessive moisture helps mold to flourish
Ventilation
- A living place that lacks proper ventilation, may be a harbor house for mold. Improper ventilation traps moisture and create a perfect condition for mold to grow
- Damp areas like bathrooms and basements, kitchens are at the most risk
- These areas can be properly ventilated using exhaust fans in them
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Boost The Health Of Your Skin From Inside
The manner in which you react to exposure to allergens may be triggered by the state of health of your health.
Nutritional deficiencies make it hard for your body to fight any foreign materials. You may need to change your diet just to be sure it is a diet which takes care of the nutritional requirements of your skin.
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What Causes Allergies To Dust Mites
Dust mite allergies really are caused by a byproduct of the mites: their feces and decaying bodies. These proteins in mite debris are the primary culprit when it comes to causing allergic reactions.
When your immune system reacts to foreign substances like dust mite debris it produces antibodies to protect you. You also experience an inflammatory response that can affect your lungs and nasal passages. With ongoing exposure to a triggering allergen, you can develop the chronic inflammation thats related to asthma.
Our patients frequently ask, What can I do about my dust mite allergy? Here are three strategies you can use to evict the allergy-inducing intruders from your home and reduce your allergy symptoms.
1. Cover and Clean
Consider having your home and especially your bedroom cleaned by someone who does not suffer from allergies. If you must clean on your own, be sure to wear a mask that can filter dust. To clear out as many mites and their debris as possible:
2. Reduce Humidity and Dust in the Air
To keep the moisture in the air low, use your air conditioning or a dehumidifier. Humidity levels below about 50 percent are necessary for keeping mites to a minimum consider using a hygrometer to measure.
A HEPA filter with a high MERV rating around 11 or 12 will help trap a significant amount of dust and keep it out of the air. And be sure to change your filters every three months for maximum effectiveness.
3. Eliminate Hiding Spots
What Is The Saharan Dust Plume
While the Saharan dust plume is getting a lot of attention, its not a new phenomenon. The Saharan dust plume, aka Sahara Air Layer , is a mass of very dry, dusty air that forms over the Sahara Desert during the late spring, summer, and early fall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . The plume moves over the North Atlantic every three to five days, and it usually occupies a stretch of atmosphere up to 2.5 miles thick, with the base starting about a mile above the ground.
The Saharan dust plume usually becomes heavier in mid-June, peaks in late June to mid-August, and peters out toward the end of the summer, NOAA says. But, during its peak period, the Saharan dust plume can cover massive areas of land.
The Saharan dust plume can weaken a tropical cyclone and suppress the formation of clouds, leading to higher temperatures.
While the Saharan dust plume happens every year, this years plume is getting attention because of how large and thick it is. According to NASA satellite imagery, the dust cloud has spread over 2,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.
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Effective Treatment And Home Remedies
While there are many over-the-counter antihistamines to treat pollen allergies and symptoms, there are also many home remedies that are just as effective in providing Mesa allergy relief. While these remedies are not scientifically proven, time has shown them to be effective and beneficial. Here are a few examples:
Pollen allergies are a manageable, but highly frustrating, issue to deal with for people of all ages. Trying some simple home remedies and making new habits, especially during allergy season, can go a long way in effectively managing your pollen intake and reducing your bodys allergic response. If home remedies simply are not cutting it, visit San Tan Allergy & Asthma to consult with one of our professional Mesa allergy doctors. We provide testing and treatment services for a wide variety of allergic conditions and asthma, and can help you improve your quality of life. While these are chronic issues, our allergists and asthma specialists at San Tan Allergy & Asthma can help you effectively manage your symptoms so that your daily life can continue as usual. Dont let pollen and allergies hold you back, visit our caring and response doctors today!
San Tan Allergy & Asthma
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Clear Signs You Have Seasonal Allergies
Dont confuse allergies with a head cold.
For some people, just the thought of being outside during spring or summer makes them want to sneeze.
Some people love spring and summer: Blooming flowers, warm sunshine and chirping birds are a welcome arrival for many people after the dark and cold winter months. For about 8% of American adults, though, the change of seasons spells misery.
Those 20 million people deal with allergic rhinitis, or seasonal allergies, a condition caused when your immune system reacts to something in the environment. In most cases, that something is pollen from trees, grasses and weeds.
Commonly called hay fever, seasonal allergies actually have nothing to do with hay or fevers. That misnomer comes from a long-gone era when symptoms would strike during hay harvests in late summer and early fall, before medical professionals knew what allergies were.
Think you might have seasonal allergies? See how your symptoms match up against these four big signs.
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How Common Are Allergies To House Dust Mite And Pets
Allergies to house dust mite and pets are common. Also, in some countries, particularly in the developed world, atopic diseases affect up to 1 in 3 of the population. About 1 in 2 adults with asthma, and about 8 in 10 children with asthma, have an allergic component to their disease.
House Dust Mite and Pet Allergy
- Loss of sense of smell and headache can happen, but less commonly.
What Are Dust Allergy Symptoms
The most common symptoms of dust allergy are:
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Sneezing
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Red and/or itchy skin
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Itchy throat
People with a dust allergy will typically have symptoms all year round, so this is how you can distinguish it from hay fever. Hay fever is typically seasonal and will coincide with spikes in your local pollen count.
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Can Dust Cause Allergies
Dust is everywhere and can irritate anyones airways even if they have no known allergies. If you have bad allergy symptoms and suspect dust is the cause, you may want to look deeper because dust contains many things, including:
- insect parts from dust mites and cockroaches, as well as their waste
- mold
- pet dander from fur or feathers
What Are The Complications Of Having Red Eyes
Red eyes are not usually due to a serious condition. In cases of conjunctivitis, complications may arise, such as not being able to work or go to school, or having to replace linens and cosmetics daily.
If the red eyes are due to a serious condition such as glaucoma or trauma, treatment must be sought to avoid complications and permanent damage to the eye. For example:
- Infection could spread to other parts of eye and body
- Loss of vision may occur, possibly leading to blindness
- Scarring of the eye
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Triggers Of Nasal Allergies
- Cause. An allergic reaction of the nose and sinuses to an inhaled substance. The medical name for this is allergic rhinitis. The allergic substance is called an allergen.
- Most allergens float in the air. That’s how they get in the nose. Here are the common ones:
- Pollens. Trees, grass, weeds and molds are the most common pollens. Tree pollens come in the spring. Grass pollens come in the summer. Weed pollens come in the fall. Pollens cause seasonal allergies. You can’t avoid pollens because they are in the air. Most nasal allergies continue through the pollen season. They can last 4 to 8 weeks. Pollens cause seasonal allergic rhinitis. This is also called hay fever.
- Pets. Allergens can also be from cats, dogs, horses, rabbits and other animals. Most people don’t keep a pet that they are allergic to. They only have sporadic allergy symptoms when they are exposed to that specific animal. These symptoms will usually last a few hours. If someone with a cat visits you, they will bring cat dander with them. This will cause brief symptoms. If you own the pet, though, your child will have symptoms all the time.
- House Dust. House dust contains many allergens. It always contains dust mites. If your humidity is high, it will contain mold. House dust causes year round, daily symptoms. The medical name for this is perennial allergic rhinitis.
Home Remedies For Dust Allergy Stop Them Sneezes
How often do you end up sneezing your lungs out while you are out in a dusty area? If the answer is quite often, chances are that you are suffering from dust allergy. There are several home remedies for dust allergy that work wonders and if you are here wondering what you can do get rid of the problem for good, you are in for a ride.
Dust allergy can definitely be a lot irritating if not managed with medication or natural treatment. The constant string of sneezes and the scratchy throat is most definitely not something anyone prefers having.
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What Is A Natural Remedy For Dust Allergies
There are a few home remedies for dust allergy you can explore. A dust allergy will trigger your immune system and cause your body to fight itself, trying to remove the threat. To remedy this, you can either remove the allergen from your environment or stop the reaction.
A daily antihistamine will help you to control the symptoms, but not everyone will consider this to be a long-term solution. You should instead look for ways to prevent dust mites from being able to thrive in your home.
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Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis From Inhaling Drywall Dust
Inhaling drywall dust can bring on a lung disease called hypersensitivity pneumonitis. It causes coughing and shortness of breath in a patient. This is an allergic reaction that is caused due to dust particles, including drywall dust.
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis can be treated by following the steps below.
- Reducing exposure to dust can cause health improvements.
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is one kind of inflammation caused by the lung sacs. Steroids can be taken to curb the inflammation.
- Keeping the surfaces clean and dry wont cause dust to enter the lungs, which will improve the condition in the long run.
- You should give up on the habit of smoking if youre a smoker.
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Instant Allergy Relief Tips
Experts advise you to start treating allergies before you feel anything. Spritz a saline solution into your nose daily to wash away pollen. This method is not a substitute for medication, but it can significantly reduce your need for drugs. A research study found that individuals who rinsed their sinuses twice a day for three to six weeks noted less nasal congestion than those who didnt.
You can use a netipot to alleviate congestion, facial pain, and pressure. Using saline solution can help increase the speed and improve the coordination of the cilia, the tiny hair-like structures inside the nasal and the sinus cavities. Due to this action, the cilia may remove the allergens and other irritants that cause sinus problems.
Does Vitamin C Help With Allergies
A potent antioxidant, vitamin C protects your cells from damage, reduces the severity of allergic reactions and helps your body to fight infections. When taken during allergy season, vitamin C can slow down the overreaction of your body to environmental triggers by decreasing your bodys histamine production.
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An Air Purifier Can Help
Now that you know what the top symptoms are for dust allergies, you may be thinking, Im pretty sure I have it. What can I do about it?
If possible, the best thing for you to do is perform a deep cleaning of the area thats causing you the most problems. Then, add an air purifier to the space.
What this product does is constantly strips the air of any dust particles and dust mite waste that may try to make their way back into the room.
Take a look at our article on the best air purifiers for dust mites and why they work so well.
If you have a dust allergy, this simple device can help you eliminate dust particles and dust mites from your home.
Having an air purifier in the space that collects the most dust can drastically reduce your allergy issues.
About Katherine Dyson
Katherine is the lead Staff Writer. She conducts in-depth research and interviews with industry experts in order to produce a wide range of content for the site. Her main role is to write helpful articles that aid people who are seeking to improve their indoor air quality and comfort.
Dust Mite Allergy Prevention
Bedding is the ideal breeding ground for dust mites. Its usually the perfect temperature and humidity for them, and the people curled up at night provide an unlimited food supply.
Fortunately, its not a losing battle for those with dust mite allergies. You can take the following steps to help make sure your bed stays free of dust mites:
- Use allergen-proof bed covers on the mattress, box spring, and pillows. Zippered covers are best. Their tightly woven fabric prevents dust mites from getting into beds.
- Wash all bedding in hot water at least once a week. This includes sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and bed covers. Dry in a hot dryer or in natural sunlight during summer months.
There are more ways to manage dust mites. Unlike with outside allergens such as pollen, you can keep dust mites under control with a few key steps:
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How To Treat Seasonal Allergies
In most cases, an over-the-counter antihistamine and decongestant will do the trick. If you have severe allergies, however, your doctor may prescribe nasal steroid spray or allergy shots to dampen symptoms.
It’s always a good idea to try your best to avoid your triggers, but that doesn’t mean you have to hole up inside with a box of tissues. To get less exposure to your allergens:
- Keep your windows shut when your allergies are active
- Use an air purifier if you’re sensitive to indoor allergens
- Wear a dust mask while doing yard work
- Check your local weather network for pollen forecasts
- Take a shower and wash your hair at the end of each day to get rid of pollen that attached to your clothes, hair and skin
How Can I Stop My Allergies From Getting Worse
You cant avoid the triggers. Change the filter in your homes heating and cooling systems often. Keep doors and windows closed. Stay indoors when its dry and windy or at the times of day when pollen counts are highest. Run the air conditioning in your car and at home. Try a dehumidifier in rooms that get swampy.
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How Can The Saharan Dust Plume Impact Your Respiratory System
The Saharan dust plume can be difficult for anyone to breathe in, Raymond Casciari, MD, a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA, tells Verywell. If the air descends, it will be difficult for the respiratory tract, he says. It is very dry air and, the drier the air, the harder it is to breathe.
The plume can be especially difficult for people with allergies. People with allergies should be aware that dust particles may be more prevalent in the coming days with accumulation increasing both indoors and outdoors, Irum Noor, DO, an allergist/immunologist at ENT Allergy Associates, tells Verywell.
The dry, dusty air can serve a trigger for an increase in allergy symptoms, says Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist and immunologist with the Allergy & Asthma Network, and a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. If you struggle with allergies, you may experience the following symptoms if the Saharan dust plume comes to your area:
- Difficulty breathing
- Nasal congestion
