Mite allergy causes problems such as red, itchy eyes, nasal congestion, repeated sneezing. and runny nose. Mites are very small spiders found in the home. They are so small you can’t see them. In mite allergy, you react to allergenic substances that mites produce. They thrive in humid, dark and warm climates and are often difficult to get rid of.
The type of mites that cause problems in the home is called house dust mites. They are mainly in bed.
Symptoms of mite allergy
You usually have the most symptoms in the morning, because mites thrive on moisture and heat and are often in bed.
In mite allergy it is common for you to have one or more of these symptoms:
- You have a snout running.
- Your eyes are red and itchy.
- You sneeze.
- You are stuffy in the nose.
It is unusual, but sometimes you may have a more severe reaction which causes you to have asthma. Watch movies about allergic reactions.
Mite allergy can also aggravate eczema.
You can develop mite allergy at any time during your life, but the discomfort often decreases with age.
Can the symptoms be due to something other than allergy?
Sometimes nasal polyps can cause you problems similar to allergies. Usually, you get stuffy in the nose.
You can also have asthma without being allergic.
Nasal congestion and nasal congestion can sometimes be due to the mucous membranes in your nose being hypersensitive.
What can I do for myself?
It can be difficult to completely get rid of the mites. You can avoid trouble by breathing, keeping cool in the bedroom and avoiding dust.
Here are some examples of how to avoid mites in the bedroom:
- Mites thrive where it is quite humid and warm. Therefore, you should ensure that you have good ventilation. Weather often to lower the humidity. It also lowers the room temperature. Do not use humidifiers.
- The bedroom should be easy to clean. If possible, avoid vacuuming yourself, as the mite allergy swirls in conjunction with vacuuming.
- Do not vacuum the bedroom just before you go to bed.
- A dust analysis can show if there are mites in the home. Contact an allergy clinic if you want the dust to be analyzed.
- Wash the bedding for at least 60 degrees. The sheets should be washed every fourteen days. Pillows, blankets, and bedspreads should be washed every two months. It does not help to put textiles in the freezer or in the sauna. Then the mites die but the allergenic substances remain.
- Protect the mattress and pillow with a fabric that does not pass mites. The fabric prevents you from inhaling allergy particles from mites.
- The home can sometimes have problems with moisture and ventilation if you find that there are many mites in the home. This type of moisture and ventilation problem as a cause of mite occurrence is more suspect the further north you live.
Investigations
You can tell your doctor about your problems. Tell as accurately as possible so that the doctor can form an idea of how much trouble you have and what causes the trouble. It is important to work together to determine if the problems are related to the fact that you may be exposed to mites. Tell your doctor if you have any problems on special occasions and for example in any special environment.
Sometimes you can also do one or more of these tests :
- SPT
- RAST test
- Pulmonary function tests
- dust analysis.
Patch test
Sometimes a dot test is done. It shows if you have allergy antibodies, also called IgE antibodies in tissues, such as the skin.
The test does not tell you that you have an allergy that causes symptoms but only shows that you have allergy antibodies to a certain substance. This may be, for example, because you previously lived in a house with mites.
RAST Test
The RAST test is a blood test that shows if you have allergy antibodies to a certain substance. You can be tested for allergy to significantly more substances using RAST tests than with dot tests. The RAST test does not show what you have of the allergy-causing substance. The test response only shows that you have allergy antibodies in the blood for a certain substance. The doctor evaluates the result along with what you have told about your complaints.
Phadiatop is a RAST test but where you test if you have IgE antibodies to any of the about ten most common respiratory allergens. The test can show if you have allergy antibodies or not. If positive, the lab will then investigate exactly which of the allergenic substances in Phadiatop you have antibodies against.
Pulmonary function tests
A lung function test is done to investigate how the lungs function. You may do so if your doctor suspects you have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD.
Lung function tests can be done in several ways, but the most common methods are called PEF measurement and spirometry. You can do both surveys at most health centers.
Dust allergy Analysis
You can have antibodies against mites in your blood even if there are no mites in your home. For example, you may have been exposed to mites in a former residence and formed antibodies.
You can sometimes do a dust analysis. It goes so that you get special vacuum cleaner bags sent home from a laboratory. You use your own vacuum cleaner and place the bags one at a time in the vacuum cleaner tube. Then soak up dust from the bed and the living room in each bag. These are then sent by mail to the laboratory where they are examined to see if there are mites in the pond.
Treatment
It can sometimes be difficult to get rid of mites if you have a lot of mites in the home. You need advice on how best to keep the mite quantity in the home down. But sometimes the remedies don’t help, but you can still have major problems with your allergy. You may then need to treat your problems with drugs. You can also be treated with allergy vaccination, also known as allergen immunotherapy.
Prescription-free drugs
At the pharmacy, you can get advice on appropriate prescription drugs for treating eye and nose problems. Often, you can manage the treatment yourself and become symptom-free with the help of prescription drugs. Consult a doctor unless prescription drugs help.
Allergen immunotherapy
You who have major problems with your allergy can get allergen immunotherapy. Usually, you will receive the treatment with syringes for a few years. In the case of mite allergy, you can also be vaccinated with a method in the form of tablets that are placed under the tongue.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
You can use eye drops, cortisone spray, and some antihistamine tablets if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. It is important that you do not stop your asthma treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Ask your doctor to discuss the medication.
Do not start an allergy vaccine if you are pregnant. But if you have already done so when you become pregnant, you can continue.
What is an allergy?
An allergy means that you are hypersensitive to any substance through an immune reaction. The substance is called an allergen. It is a protein that is completely harmless to most, but that causes some people to have allergic problems. These substances lead to the allergic reaction: runny nose, sneezing, itching of the nose and eyes, asthma.
Why do I become allergic?
It is not entirely clear why some people become allergic, but the risk is greater if someone in the family is allergic. In addition, the environment you live in can affect the risk of allergy.
What is dust?
What is commonly called dust is a mixture of several different materials that can be found in the home. Dust can include mites, small textile debris from clothes and furniture, food and paper debris, particles from the outside such as pollen and soot. It can also depend on substances that come from humans or pets, such as skin flakes and hair.
What are mites?
Mites are small animals that have eight legs and are related to spiders and ticks, among other things. The mites are smaller than one millimeter in size and cannot be seen with the naked eye. There are thousands of different mites in the world. There are proteins found in the mite’s stool that cause you to have allergic problems.
These mites usually cause allergic disorders:
- house dust mite
- storage mites
- predatory mite.
house dust mites
House dust mites are found in our beds but sometimes also in carpets, upholstered furniture and other textiles. The mites live on the skin flakes we humans constantly release from us. The mites thrive best where it is moist, warm and dark, as it is mainly in our beds.
Where are household dust mites?
Household dust mites in housing are most common where the climate gives a high humidity. It can create a more quality-friendly environment in modern houses. They are energy efficient, but perhaps less well ventilated.
Storage room Squalane Rochester
Storage mugs are usually found in dust from logs and barns, but can also be found in homes. Stock mites are one of the most common causes of allergic disorders in farmers.
Predatory mites
Predatory mites are used to biologically control other pests in some greenhouses where vegetables are grown. Surveys show that predatory mites can cause greenhouse workers allergic problems.
Influence and participate in your care
In order for you to be able to participate in the care and treatment, it is important that you understand the information you receive from the healthcare staff. Ask questions if you don’t understand. For example, you should get information about treatment options and how long you may have to wait for care and treatment.
You have the opportunity to get help from an interpreter if you do not speak English also have the opportunity to get help from an interpreter if you have a hearing loss.
You can get regular health care contact
If you have contact with many different people within the care, you can have permanent care contact. It is a person who among other things helps to coordinate your care.
Children should be able to participate
There is no age limit for when a child can have influence over their care. The child’s ability to participate in related to the child’s maturity.
The older the child, the more important it is for them to be involved in their care. In order to be active in the care and to make decisions, it is important that you as an adult and the child understand the information you receive from the care staff.