Could you have a Dust Allergy?Do you sometimes wonder if you have a dust allergy?
1. Do you wake up with nasal stuffiness or congestion and/or headaches? You might feel clear at bedtime, but notice these symptoms are worse by morning time. 2. Are your eyelids or face more puffy or swollen in the morning, or do they itch during the night or morning? 3. Do you sometimes feel a mild or moderate itching sensation throughout your skin or body? Or do you have fine bumps or skin rashes with small flat or slightly raised bumps? Does it seem worse at night? 4. Do you cough or sneeze more in your bedroom and notice more of these symptoms during the night or in the morning? Do you have increased mucous in the lungs or nose? 5. Do you have asthma? If you have any or all of these symptoms, you might possibly have a dust allergy. This is actually an allergy to dust mites and their excrement! The above mentioned symptoms can also be caused by any number of other allergens, or from foods as well. But if you have eliminated most of these other possibilities (including scented laundry soaps, fabric softeners, pet danders, irritating
carpets
, or bedding materials such as old
mattresses
or
comforters
and symptoms still persist, dust mites could very well be the problem. Some people are extremely sensitive to them.
Allergy tests can be done to determine whether or not you are allergic to dust mites, and if you’re very sensitive to them (like I am) you may have all of the above symptoms until you take steps to eradicate them! It is so worth the effort to wake up feeling clear and free of these irritating symptoms. It is also beneficial for your overall health, because anytime your body is fighting allergic symptoms, it’s using up important minerals and energy that can leave you depleted in many other ways if the problem continues or is not improved.
As our skin sheds over time while sleeping, it accumulates in our mattresses, bedding and pillows. Dust mites are tiny microscopic mites that live in dust and feed on human skin that sheds while we’re sleeping. The mites thrive on this “diet” of shedding skin. It makes for a great feeding ground! Then their excrement accumulates in bedding (carpets and upholstered furniture too) and subsequently can cause symptoms in humans. Many of these symptoms are more noticeable or bothersome by morning. This is due in part to the fact that dust mite exposure has occurred over several hours all night long so by morning, you’ve had a good amount of exposure making the symptoms much worse or more noticeable.
The major culprits which support and increase dust mites and a dust allergy are mattresses, bedding, pillows, fabric upholstered furniture, stuffed animals and carpets. High humidity in the room as well as dark areas (closets, corners, etc.) also help dust mites to thrive.
There are powders and products on the market which kill dust mites, but many of them contain harmful or questionable chemicals. Some advise leaving the room or area after application, so it’s good to know there are other very effective and natural ways to remove and prevent dust mites. Use wool mattresses, bedding, or wool carpets or rugs. Use good quality mattress and pillow protectors designed specifically to keep dust mites out and will help significantly with a dust allergy. Avoid carpets in the bedroom and you will greatly reduce dust mite exposures as well as other common and potentially harmful irritants. Wool inhibits the growth and life of dust mites because of the lanolin oil which naturally occurs in wool fibers. Keep the humidity in the room below 60% . This helps to prevent and kill dust mites in carpets and dark corners of the room. Wash all bedding once a week using water temps of 140 degrees F. This effectively kills dust mites as well as using a hot dryer to dry your bedding. Drying sheets, comforters and mattress pads in the sun also kills mites as does freezing temperatures overnight (for pillows or stuffed animals). It’s a good idea to do this every 2-3 months if you have items which cannot be washed. Avoid dry cleaning whenever possible, as this leaves behind harmful chemicals which offgas for several months. If you’re able to use a high quality organic dry cleaner, that is much healthier, but there are few available as it is much more costly to provide this type of dry cleaning.
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