Although they may lead to rashes and other allergy symptoms, dust mites do not really bite. They may be eliminated by routinely washing your bedding and cleaning your floors, while antihistamines, decongestants, or allergy injections may help to reduce itching and discomfort.
One of the most frequent indoor allergens and asthma triggers is the presence of dust mites.
Dust mites don’t really bite your skin, despite the fact that they seem like tiny beetles. But they may also result in skin rashes. Additionally, you’re more prone to have additional allergy symptoms including post nasal drip and sneezing.
Not to be confused with bed bugs, which are a different species and produce visible bite marks on your skin.
If you have ongoing allergy symptoms all year long, it could be worthwhile to discuss the possibility of dust mite allergies with your doctor. There are techniques to control dust mite populations in your house while simultaneously managing your allergies, even if they are challenging to totally eradicate.
What do dust mites do?
Due to their tiny size, dust mites may be difficult to find. It is believed that these minuscule arthropods are barely 1/4 to 1/3 millimeters long. They only seem to be little, white spider-like animals when seen under a microscope.
While female dust mites may live up to 90 days, male ones can survive for over a month.
Dust mites feed on dead skin cells, which is why they are so common in people’s houses. One individual may lose 1.5 grams of dead skin cells every day, which may provide up to one million dust mites with food at once.
Dust mites live in areas like beds, furniture, and carpets where dead skin cells are most prone to collect. They like residing in rugs and plush toys.
They are common around the globe, although they seem to prefer hot, humid areas. They can go with you when you relocate or go on a vacation or business trip since they can scurry deep into textile fibers.
Allergies may be brought on by dust mites since they are allergic. Additionally, they leave behind skin and feces, both of which may cause allergies.
What do ‘bites’ resemble?
Dust mites themselves do not really bite your skin, however other insects you may come into contact with may. Skin rashes, however, might result from an allergic response to these bothersome critters. These often have an itchy, red appearance.
Inhaling the skin and feces of dust mites may result in allergic responses, which are rather frequent.
An allergy to them may cause symptoms all year long. You could also observe that your symptoms are at their worst in the sweltering summertime. An allergy to them often manifests as:
- sneezing
- Coughing
- Nasal drip
- Runny or congested nose
- Watery, itching eyes
- Itching, rosy skin
- A sore throat
Dust mite allergies may potentially cause asthma, depending on how severe they are.
As a consequence, you can have chest discomfort, coughing, and wheezing. When you’re laying down at night, your symptoms can be severe. You may be more susceptible to dust mite problems the more time you spend inside.
How is an allergy treated?
Eliminating the underlying cause is the best course of action for allergies. However, depending on how severe your symptoms are, you could want quick relief.
Discuss the following allergy treatments for dust mites with your doctor:
- Antihistamines sold without a prescription (OTC). These function by preventing histamine from being generated when your immune system comes into contact with an allergen. Brands of common antihistamines include Benadryl, Claritin, Allegra, and Zyrtec.
- Decongestants. An OTC or prescription decongestant to break up the mucus may be helpful if your allergies consistently result in stuffy nose, postnasal drip, and sinus headaches.
- Prescription drugs for allergies. Oral leukotriene receptor antagonists and nasal corticosteroids are potential treatments.
- Injections for allergies. These function by slowly introducing a particular allergen into your system in order to build up your immunity. The greatest candidates for allergy injections are those with severe allergies who haven’t found relief from medicine. Allergy shots are given once a week over the course of many months or even years. Before receiving allergy injections, you must pass an allergy test.
How are dust mites removed?
Although it is difficult to eradicate dust mites from your house, doing so entirely may help you avoid allergic responses.
Targeting the locations where they reside and grow is the best method to get rid of them. These consist of:
- Bedding
- Pillows
- Carpets
- Rugs
- Pet furniture and bedding
- Furniture
- Curtains and blinds
- Stuffed animals and toys
Dust mites may be treated with frequent vacuuming, wet mopping, dusting, and washing. You don’t need any specialty goods. Simply be sure to wash bedding in hot water and clean with damp towels that can effectively capture dust.
How can dust mites be stopped from returning?
Dust mite allergies may be avoided by being proactive. Although it may be difficult to completely avoid them, you may take the following actions to reduce the number of dust mites in your home:
- As much as possible, stay away from carpets in your house.
- As frequently as you can, vacuum and thoroughly clean any carpet and rugs.
- Maintain a regular dusting schedule, giving special attention to blinds, furniture crevices, and other tiny spaces where they may collect.
- To prevent the conditions they like, keep the humidity in your house below 50%.
- For complete dust mite and feces collection, use certified allergen-capturing filters in all air conditioners and vacuums.
- Each week, wash all the bedding in boiling water.
- For your mattress and pillows, use zipped covers to keep dust mites out of your bed.
- It’s crucial to understand that insecticides cannot eradicate them.
The lesson
Even while they cannot attack people, dust mites may cause itchy allergy symptoms, such as skin rashes, in your house.
Since they are common in most houses, frequent cleaning and other preventative actions are essential to reducing their population while also reducing allergy symptoms.
Consult an allergist for assistance if your allergies persist despite your efforts to avoid dust mites.