According to the latest data, 20-40% of the total population of each country suffers from allergies. In fact, this is a protective reaction of the immune system to external factors that it perceives as sources of threat to the body. Allergens can be things that at first glance seem quite harmless. Few can perceive house dust as the cause of a sudden onset of a cough, runny nose or rash. However, improperly carried out wet cleaning indoors or even neglecting it can cause serious discomfort to a person.
Dust allergies are common among people with sensitive immune systems, and household dust is considered by scientists to be the most dangerous irritant. An aggravating circumstance is the habitation of tiny ticks in it, the size of which is less than a third of a millimeter. Especially a lot of them in bed linen. It is very difficult to get rid of dust mites using standard methods, since the parasites are not afraid of sub-zero temperatures and they can penetrate furniture by 30 centimeters, securely fixing on the surface with their paws usingpersistent adhesive. Unpleasant sensations can also appear from microscopic particles of wool, paint, fluff, viral microorganisms, bacteria.
Whether or not an allergy to household dust will occur depends only on your physiological personality. But if the first signs appeared, then in no case should they be ignored. A common dust allergy, the symptoms of which we will look at, can lead to more serious and severe diseases.
Symptoms: how to identify them
How does dust allergy manifest itself? There are several varieties of the disease, manifested depending on the characteristics of the body and its severity. Each set of symptoms characterizes a specific disease.
Asthma
The most dangerous symptom of an allergy that threatens a person's life. Immediately after a certain amount of dust enters the respiratory tract, the body begins to react violently: the nasal passage is filled with thick mucus, and its muscles begin to contract. It all starts with whistling sounds during inhalation and exhalation and a strong dry cough, accompanied by heaviness in the chest and shortness of breath. As a result, panic begins, the allergy sufferer does not have enough breath. Requires immediate rescue action.
Conjunctivitis
The most common disease, familiar to many firsthand. The adverse effect is on the eyes. Proteins turn red, eyelids swell, tears flow. Especially characteristic of conjunctivitis is burning and (or) itching in the eyes, and the entire surrounding space seemsblurry and distorted. It also happens that the eyes do not turn red, but turn pale, dots of a gray-yellow color appear around the edges. In a severe attack of conjunctivitis, the entire face swells up. If you wear contact lenses, then you need to be especially careful. Prolonged inactivity in the event of an attack is dangerous with a serious lesion of the cornea of the eye.
Allergic rhinitis
It manifests itself mainly during the day, its symptoms do not pose a serious danger to human life and he alth. The initial symptoms are a tickling sensation in the nasal passage. After a certain period of time, transparent mucus from the nose begins to stand out, there is a burning sensation and itching in the nasopharynx, complemented by sneezing, headaches and tearing. There is a possibility of transition of allergic rhinitis to bronchial asthma.
Eczema
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, affects the skin and appears gradually. It is characterized by itching immediately after contact with an allergen or stress, the formation of painless ulcers in children and unpleasant peeling of damaged skin in adults. In a child, allergies often occur in the area of \u200b\u200bthe joints, on the face or on the lateral parts of the lower leg, and in adults - in the upper body, back of the head, arms and neck. In eczema, the capillaries are damaged by inflammation, and the skin becomes dry. The lips and the skin around them may also become inflamed. To check if you have atopic dermatitis, it is permissible to use a regular transparent ruler. It is required to put pressure on the problematicskin area and wait 20 seconds. If the white mark from the ruler does not disappear after 2 minutes, then you have this allergic disease.
Angioedema
A rare disease from dust, but there have been cases. If the symptoms are identified in time, then the state of he alth is normalized within 20 hours. When exposed to dust, swelling appears on the face or hands. The inflamed areas turn red, and the skin over them becomes hot. The manifestation takes from several hours to a whole day. Angioedema can lead to hives. It is treated by taking special hormonal drugs.
Urticaria
When exposed to an allergen, blisters appear on the body, causing itching and burning sensation, swelling. The first symptom disappears no later than 30 hours, and the second - after three days. The pigmented variety of urticaria is characterized by the formation of brownish spots on the skin, which, after scratching, turn into blisters.
Symptoms often improve or disappear after contact with the dust source is removed. If one of these diseases occurs in the morning or in the evening when you are in bed, then the signs of allergies are caused by mites.
Determination of allergies by laboratory methods
When the first symptoms occur, you should consult an allergist. The doctor will help you determine the cause. Initially, information is collected about hereditary predisposition, the patientexamined for external signs of an allergic reaction. To make sure of the alleged diagnoses, the necessary laboratory tests are carried out.
| Laboratory method | Method Description | Distinctive features of the method |
| Scarification allergy test |
The area of the skin in the forearm area is being examined. Several parallel strips are created by "scraping" the skin and each of them is exposed to an allergenic solution. Appropriate conclusions are made based on the symptoms of allergy manifested or not |
Probability of error 10-15% |
| Application allergy test | The examined area of the skin is treated with a disinfectant, various allergy pathogens are dripped onto it | Used for suspected atopic dermatitis with a pronounced moderate or severe form of its manifestation. Also prescribed for hypersensitivity of the patient to the allergen |
| Prick test |
The area of the forearm is wiped with alcohol. Next, 1-2 drops of a solution of a possible irritant are applied to the disinfected areas. An injection is made into the center of the drops with a special tool to a depth not exceeding one millimeter. Allergy is manifested by the appearance of a three-millimeter redness around the injection |
The most accurate and safe method |
| Influence directly | Dust is applied to the problem area of the body, depending on the type of disease. With conjunctivitis - in the eyes, with rhinitis - in the respiratory tract and so on | Used when other methods fail or if the patient has contraindications that prevent other laboratory testing. |
House dust allergy treatment
To avoid allergic diseases and improve well-being, it is necessary to act comprehensively. It is important to have the necessary impact on both the detrimental factors and the symptoms that have arisen. Only after passing the diagnosis and identifying the cause of the allergy, it is necessary to eliminate its source. If this is house dust, then you can minimize the amount of textiles and other things that accumulate the allergen, replace them, for example, with leather items. When the harmful effects of particles of a certain plant, it is necessary to get rid of the object itself.
What to do if you are allergic to mites? As already mentioned, it is impossible to get rid of such an allergen by cleaning. Therefore, you should get rid of the objects in which they live. Say goodbye to carpets, toys, bedding and furniture made of soft material with natural padding, curtains and fabric bedspreads.
Prevention
Regular activities suitable for both prevention and treatment of dust allergy:
- Purchasing new bedding at least a month and a half apart. Mattress replacement every three or four years. The use of special dust-proof covers.
- Purchasing synthetic sleepwear.
- Wash bedding in hot water every 2-3 days. In low temperatures, it is recommended to leave it outside for several hours.
- Use for cleaning vacuum cleaners with water filter only. Refusal of air conditioners, fans, vacuum cleaners, which only raise dust into the air.
- Frequent wet cleaning.
- Purchase of special devices that purify and humidify the air.
To eliminate the symptoms of house dust allergy and the possibility of complications, certain medicines are prescribed by the attending physician. With conjunctivitis, eye drops are prescribed to restore the damaged membrane. Rhinitis is treated with membrane stabilizing sprays or drops and drugs that block histamine receptors.
Combat the symptoms of eczema with antiseptic creams based on silver s alt and ultraviolet physiotherapy. In severe cases, it is recommended to use anti-inflammatory natural hormones - glucocorticoids. Steroid drugs can provide the necessary assistance to the body in dealing with severe stress.
A child is allergic to dust
Symptoms that occur in children do not have much distinguishing features from adult diseases. The same is true for treatment and diagnosis. Allergy to dust at a young age often occurs due to heredity orweakened immunity. In the second case, most likely, it will pass after a couple of years, but in order to avoid complications, the child should be observed by an allergist-immunologist. Self-medication is strictly not recommended! You can understand the presence of problems by the rapid reaction of the child to the stimulus. Most often, dust allergy in children is expressed by barking cough and frequent sneezing, which disappear with a change of scenery, for example, moving outside.
