DUST MITES AND DUST ALLERGY

Not an allergy to dust per se, it’s a reaction to the proteins found in the feces and bodies of dust mites - microscopic creatures that love warm, humid areas like bedding and pillows. Don’t worry though, if you don’t have an allergy, dust mites won’t be harmful at all. For many airborne allergens like house dust mite, the higher the level of exposure, the higher the likelihood of a person producing "allergic" antibodies. High allergen levels also increase a person's risk of becoming allergic and developing asthma. It’s thought that many asthmatics also have an allergy to dust mites.

Dust mite allergy is an allergy to a microscopic organism that lives in the dust found in all dwellings and workplaces. House dust, as well as some house furnishings, contains microscopic mites. Dust mites are perhaps the most common cause of perennial allergic rhinitis. House dust mite allergy usually produces symptoms similar to pollen allergy and also can produce symptoms of asthma.

House dust mites, which live in bedding, upholstered furniture, and carpets, thrive in summer and die in winter. In a warm, humid house, however, they continue to thrive even in the coldest months. The particles seen floating in a shaft of sunlight
Include dead dust mites and their waste products. These waste products, which are proteins, actually provoke the allergic reaction.

When an allergen enters the body of a person with a sensitized immune system, it triggers antibody production. Histamine and other chemicals are released by body tissues as part of the immune response. This causes itching and swelling in affected tissues, mucus production, and in serious cases, hives and rashes, as well as other symptoms.

Symptoms of dust allergy vary in severity from person to person. Most environmental allergens contact the skin or eyes, or are inhaled. Therefore, most symptoms affect the skin, eyes, or the breathing passages. Allergies are relatively common. Heredity, environmental conditions, number and type of exposures can affect a predisposition to allergies. For reasons that are not fully clear to scientists, allergies are on the rise, particularly in so-called "Westernized" regions such as the United States and Europe.


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