For allergy sufferers, the thing they want to discover is dust mites lingering around their homes. They feed on animal and human skin shedding. They may also cause allergies and other respiratory illnesses.
If you worry about dust mite infestation in your home, keep reading and learn more about these insects, how to prevent them, and treat dust mite allergies. Let’s get started!
What are Dust Mites
Dust mites are microscopic insects. This means they are not detectable by the naked eye. They belong to the spider family. Millions of them live and feed inside fabrics at home, including beds, clothes, carpets, and soft furnishing.
A dust mite tends to produce approximately 200 times its body weight in the waste product throughout its lifespan. Beware that the dropping can trigger allergic reactions and different health problems, including watery eyes, itching, nasal congestion, coughing, and difficulty in breathing.
The health problems caused by dust mites can affect your sleep. So, you end up waking up several times at night.
What are Dust Mite Allergies
Dust mites live in house dust, and the dead skin cells that are regularly shedding are their food source. They can survive at most altitudes and in all climates. These microscopic insects can thrive in warm environments.
Once you breathe in the dust mites’ waste products, your immune system produces antibodies against the harmless substance since it kicks into high gear. This response causes symptoms related to dust mite allergy.
Dust mite allergies affect millions of people in the US alone. Besides the allergy symptoms, if you have a long-term exposure to these allergens, you can experience asthma and sinus infections.
What Causes Dust Mite Allergies
If you are allergic to dust mites, it means that you have bud reactions to the bugs’ remnants like decaying bodies and tiny feces mounds.
Furniture cushions, carpeting, and bedding trap and hold moisture. As a result, they flourish. If you leave them unattended, they cause more allergic symptoms over time since you will continuously breathe in their waste particles.
What are the Dust Mite Allergy Symptoms
The symptoms range from mild to severe, including:
- Trouble in sleeping
- Bluish-colored, swollen skin beneath eyes
- Cough
- Scratchy throat
- Red, itchy, watery eyes
- Sinus pressure
- Congestion
- Itchy skin
- Postnasal drip
- Itchy or runny nose
If you are already allergic to dust mites and have asthma, you can experience additional symptoms, including:
- Severe asthma attack
- Difficulty in talking
- Shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
- Difficulty in breathing
- Chest tightness or pain
What are the Treatments for Dust Mites
You may need medications or therapies to control the dust mite allergy symptoms.
Medications
Antihistamine
This medication reduces the immune system’s chemical production. It relieves runny nose, sneezing, and itching.
Corticosteroids
This medication is delivered as a nasal spray that can control hay fever symptoms and reduce inflammation. These drugs include triamcinolone, mometasone furoate, and fluticasone propionate.
Decongestants
Taking decongestants helps shrink the swollen tissue in the nasal passages while making it easier for you to breathe. Talk to your doctor before taking this medication, as it can increase blood pressure.
Leukotriene Modifiers
With this medication, immune system chemicals are blocked. Beware that it comes with possible side effects, such as fever, headache, and respiratory infection.
Therapies
Immunotherapy
One way to treat the allergy is by training your immune system not to be sensitive to the allergens. The immunotherapy involves 1-2 weekly shots that expose you to a minimal dose of allergens. During the 3-6 months period, the dose increases. Maintenance shots are necessary every four weeks for 3-5 years.
Nasal Irrigation
In this therapy, you will use a specially designed bottle or a net pot to flush irritants and thickened mucus from the sinus with a prepared saltwater rinse. Ensure to rinse well the irrigation device after every use and leave it open to air-dry.
How to Prevent Dust Mite and Dust Mite Allergies
No matter how clean your living space is, you cannot eliminate these bugs. However, you can try several ways to prevent them, including:
Set Ideal Temperature
Keep humidity low, ideally, below 50% in your home. An air conditioner or humidifier helps to keep humidity low. You can also use a hygrometer for measuring the humidity levels.
Use Allergen-Proof Pillow and Mattress Covers
Keep all your pillows and mattresses in allergen blocking or dust-proof covers. They are made from tightly woven fabrics, which helps to prevent dust mites.
De-clutter
If clutters collect dust, they also collect dust mites. Another way to prevent these bugs is by cutting clutters, such as newspapers, magazines, books, stuffed toys, table ornaments, and knickknacks. It will not only keep your home dust mite-free but also organizes your things.
Wash Bedding Regularly in Hot Water
Ensure to wash all your bedcovers, pillowcases, blankets, and sheets in hot water at least 54.4˚C weekly. That water temperature helps kill the dust mites while removing allergens. If you cannot wash them hot, you can put them in the dryer for at least 15 minutes and set them above 54.4˚C to kill dust mites.
Vacuum Regularly
Your vacuum is a beneficial tool to prevent dust mites and allergens. So, vacuum your upholstered furniture and carpets to remove surface dust. Since vacuuming alone is not very effective, you can use the vacuum alongside a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter or a double-layered micro-filter bag to reduce the house-dust emissions.
Meanwhile, if you suffer from a severe allergy, stay away from the area being vacuumed. Wait up to two hours before you go back to that room.
Jackson, MS Pest Control Company – Synergy2 Pest Control
Homeowners exert extra effort and time keeping their living spaces clean and healthy. However, dust mites are very hard to spot. So, you may breed and feed in your home unknowingly until you experience dust mite allergies.
If you want to ensure that your home is free from dust mites and allergens, contact Synergy2 Pest Control will handle everything for you. So, you can stay at home without worrying about dust mites and health problems.
If you’re looking for the right team to handle the issue for you, Synergy² is here to help. We provide trusted services throughout the area, so contact us for the best pest control services around.
Feel free to read more about us and decide if Synergy² is the right company for you. We have over 270 Five-Star Google reviews for pest control service in the Jackson metro area (Jackson/Madison/Brandon/Ridgeland). Check out our newest location reviews for pest control service in Jackson, MS here at Synergy² Jackson Pest Control!