Dust mite allergy: symptoms and diagnosis
Allergies to dust mites are increasing. This is primarily due to modern building measures for thermal insulation: sealed windows reduce air exchange and increase humidity in the room. This creates the best living conditions for dust mites. We inhale the largest amount of allergens during sleep. Typical symptoms of dust mite allergy therefore appear mainly at night or in the morning.
In children, these problems often worsen after jumping in bed, pillow fights, playing with stuffed animals, etc., and in adults, especially during housework, such as changing the beds or vacuuming. Dust mites live in every home and cannot be completely removed by common cleaning methods. They are found in particularly large numbers in hotel rooms, in damp rooms or in rarely used beds (for example, in cottages, cottages, etc.).
The cause of hypersensitivity is mainly dust mites , especially the dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) and the American dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) , more rarely also storage mites. Among the warehouse mites are the cheese fungus (Tyrophagus putrescentiae) , the downy mildew (Lepidoglyphus destructor) and the mealybug (Acarus siro) . These are small creatures from the class of arachnids (Arachnida) , which are invisible to the naked eye.
One gram of dust can contain up to 2,000 mites. Their main food is human skin scales . About 1.5 grams of them are released from an adult person daily, which is enough to feed about 100,000 mites. Mites live for approximately 3–4 months, and produce 300–400 times their body weight in excrement during their lifetime ; a single gram of house dust contains approximately 25,000 pellets of their excrement. These initially stick mainly to the textile fibers, later they disintegrate into tiny particles. These particles mix with the dust in the dwelling, float in the air, and people do not even notice that they are inhaling them. In this way, allergens come into contact with the mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory tract .
Note: There are no known 100% effective measures to prevent dust mite allergy .
What symptoms can occur?
Common difficulties include:
- difficulty breathing through the nose ,
- chronic rhinitis , vasomotor rhinitis and sneezing attacks,
- conjunctivitis with watery, burning and red eyes and stuck eyelids,
- itching around the eyes, inside the nose, in the ear canals or in the throat,
- excessive amount of mucus in the nose and bronchi ,
- dry, irritating cough,
- feeling of pressure in the chest,
- whistling or grunting sounds when breathing, shortness of breath ,
- skin itching, eczema , rarely urticaria .
The symptoms are visible for the entire time of contact with the allergen!
For people with dust mite allergies, the beginning of the heating season is usually a big burden: when the heating is turned on, the dust blows up, and in addition, there is less wind in the cold season. Mites feel especially at home in a warm and humid environment (25 °C and higher than 50% air humidity) – i.e. especially in beds (duvets, sheets, mattresses, pillows), but also in curtains, upholstered furniture, carpets or plush toys .
Danger of confusion with a cold
The clinical picture resembles a cold or flu-like illness . Therefore, in many cases, an allergic reaction is considered a harmless “cold”. However, an untreated dust mite allergy can have serious consequences: over time, it can move to the lower respiratory tract and cause allergic asthma there . Children with dust mite allergy have up to five times higher risk of developing asthma! Allergy to dust mites can also trigger or worsen episodes of atopic eczema .
Tip: If the symptoms persist for more than four weeks, see a doctor, as only he can reliably clarify their cause.
How is the diagnosis made?
The sooner allergic airway disease is recognized, the sooner treatment can begin. Early diagnosis and initiation of treatment can prevent further worsening of problems or the development of a chronic disease . The symptoms of dust mite allergy are varied and it is quite easy to confuse them with the symptoms of another disease. Therefore, you should pay close attention to when and where symptoms appear.
The first important steps in diagnosis are the patient’s anamnesis and a thorough examination by an allergist . During the anamnestic interview, the doctor will find out the connections between the perceived difficulties and possible allergy triggers . He will also be interested in whether there is a genetic predisposition to allergies in the patient’s family. This will be followed by an allergological examination, e.g. prick test or provocation test . The diagnosis can be made more precise by the determination of specific IgE antibodies , which is carried out as part of a blood test . You can read more information in the article Allergies: diagnosis .
Who can I contact?
Allergists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies in general (i.e. not just allergies to dust mites). If necessary, your general practitioner will issue you an application .
