4 Precautions To Avoid Mite Allergy
While it is impossible to keep a home completely free of mites, we can see improvement if we follow these tips.
If we are suffering from dust mite allergy, we need to be extra careful in cleaning the house and in other daily chores. While it is impossible to keep a home completely free of mites, you can see improvement if you follow a few tips.
Dust mites are found in carpets, beds, upholstery, curtains, etc. This is why people who suffer from dust mite allergies often experience the bothersome symptoms of this condition, including sneezing and runny nose.
Dust mite allergy problems
Allergies to various environmental factors are increasingly common in our society. They are usually characterized by symptoms such as rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma and dermatitis. One of the problems is the complexity of the different species of mites and other allergens, a factor that makes diagnosis and treatment difficult.
Dust mites are very diverse and cause allergies in more than 10% of the population. In addition, their treatment can be expensive and must be maintained continuously to relieve symptoms. In some cases, this allergy can also cause side effects.
Symptoms of dust mite allergy
A dust mite allergy is characterized by certain symptoms. The most common are sneezing and a runny or stuffy nose. In addition, it can also affect the eyes, with itching, tearing and swelling of the eyelids, as well as causing coughing and difficulty breathing.
Symptoms can get worse at certain times of the day, such as at night and in the morning, as this is when we come into most contact with dust mites. In times of crisis, this allergy can also cause fatigue and weakness.
4 precautions to take to avoid dust mite allergy
1. The bedroom, the main place
As we said at the beginning of the article, it is impossible to completely avoid dust mites. However, we can do our best to reduce our contact with them because we know where they are most abundant.
First of all, the most important thing is to focus on the bedroom. In this room we can mop the floor with a damp mop or cloth and use mite proof bedspreads. In addition, we will avoid anything that attracts them, such as upholstered furniture or curtains.
2. Washing of fabrics
Second, it is essential to regularly wash sheets, curtains or any other fabric with which we come in contact. When you select the program in the washing machine, always set the temperature above 60 ° C.
If the type of fabric does not allow hot washing, we have another alternative. We can choose to put first in the dryer for at least 15 minutes at 60 ° C. After that, we can proceed with the usual washing.
3. The vacuum cleaner is essential
Third, the vacuum cleaner will be our inseparable companion. We have already said that it is important to try to avoid tissues and all those places where mites accumulate. But if we still have it, we should use the vacuum cleaner regularly.
However, the mites still do not go away. We therefore recommend supplementing our vacuum cleaner with a High Efficiency Particulate Filter (HEPA) or a double layer micro filter. This will allow us to reduce dust emissions.
4. Anti-dust mite essential oils
Finally, we can complete these treatments with the help of essential oils. Some of them can help us get rid of dust mites more easily, while also flavoring our home in a very pleasant way.
Here are some of the essential oils that we can use in case of dust mite allergy:
- Clove
- Rosemary
- Eucalyptus
- Fennel
As we do not recommend the use of a humidifier, we can dilute these oils in alcohol and spray the surfaces before vacuuming. We can also add a few drops of any of these to the fabric softener in your washing machine.
Now we have some tips for preventing dust mite allergy and reducing its bothersome symptoms. Unfortunately, unlike hay fever which is seasonal, people who suffer from a dust mite allergy live with this disease year round.
