Allergies, asthma, and dust Things that make allergies or asthma worse are called triggers. Dust is a common trigger. When your asthma or allergies become worse due to dust, you are said to have a dust allergy. Very tiny insects called dust mites are the main cause of dust allergies. Dust mites can only be seen under a microscope. Most dust mites in your home are found in bedding, mattresses, and box springs.House dust may also contain tiny particles of pollen, mold, fibers from clothing and fabrics, and detergents. All of these can also trigger allergies and asthma. You can do many things to limit your or your child's exposure to dust and dust mites. Replace blinds that have slats and cloth draperies with pull-down shades. They will not collect as much dust. Dust particles collect in fabrics and carpets. If you can, get rid of fabric or upholstered furniture. Wood, leather, and vinyl are better.Avoid sleeping or lying on cushions and furniture that are covered in cloth.Replace wall-to-wall carpet with wood or other hard flooring.

Since mattresses, box springs, and pillows are hard to avoid: Wrap them with mite-proof covers.wet vacuum cleaner rentWash bedding and pillows once a week in hot water (130 °F to 140 °F). upright vacuum cleaners hooverKeep indoor air dry. ge vacuum cleaner manualDust mites thrive in moist air. Try to keep the moisture level (humidity) lower than 30 to 50%, if possible. A dehumidifier will help control humidity.Central heating and air-conditioning systems may help control dust.The system should include special filters to capture dust and animal dander.Change furnace filters frequently.Use high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. When cleaning:Wipe away dust with a damp cloth and vacuum once a week. Use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter to help control the dust that vacuuming stirs up.

Use furniture polish to help reduce dust and other allergens.Wear a mask when you clean the house.You and your child should leave the house when others are cleaning, if possible. Keep stuffed toys off beds, and wash them weekly.Keep closets clean and closet doors closed.Allergic rhinitis - dust Dust mite-proof pillow coverIn: Adkinson NF Jr., Bochner BS, Burks AW, et al., eds. In: Middleton's Allergy Principles and Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; Allergy treatment: environmental control strategies. Otolaryngol Clin N Am. 2011;44:711-25. Updated by: Stuart I. Henochowicz, MD, FACP, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Georgetown University Medical School. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.High concentrations of dust mite allergens are a significant risk factor for the development of allergies and related diseases such as asthma and rhinitis (hay fever).

Eighty percent of children and young adults with asthma are sensitive to dust mites. And studies at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) suggest that more than 45 percent of U.S. homes have bedding with dust mite concentrations that exceed a level equated with allergic sensitization. Dust mites are microscopic creatures (smaller than 1/70 of an inch) that thrive in warm, dark, moist places with temperatures of 68° to 84°F and humidity levels at 75 to 80 percent. They thrive in bedding because that is where they find their biggest meals: They thrive on sloughed-off human and animal skin. Under the microscope, dust mites appear as sightless, spider-like arachnids. They breathe through their skin, and while in dormancy, they are impervious to poisons, so insecticides are worthless if you choose to use them. You can also find dust mites in dust ruffles and bed curtains (because they trap dust easily) and on feathers, furs, protein-based textiles, and other organic fibers.

Polyester bedding is also a well-known haven for dust mites because it traps moisture from perspiration. It’s the feces and body parts from the dust mites that are the allergens, so simply killing the mites won’t remove the allergen, although reducing populations is always a considerable help. To minimize mite populations, you need to make changes in your daily living and cleaning routines. While you may not be able to do all of these things, just implementing a few of these techniques will reduce the number of mites in the bedroom. Direct sunlight kills dust mites, so hang bedding in the sun whenever possible. (Be mindful, though, that outdoor allergens can collect on bedding hung outside.) Dust mites die when the humidity falls below 40 to 50 percent; use a dehumidifier if the weather is humid. Wash bed linens once a week in hot water — the water temperature should be 130°F or higher — to kill mites. Steam-cleaning carpets considerably lessens dust mite populations and deters population growth.

A study in Glasgow, Scotland, found an 87 percent drop in the concentration of dust mites per gram of dust after carpets were steam-cleaned. Vapor steam-cleaning (using a small machine that heats surfaces with dry steam) kills fungus, dust mites, bacteria, and other undesirables. This is a good way to clean bedding that you can’t launder, such as mattresses. Vapor contains only 5 to 6 percent water (conversely, most steam cleaners use lots of warm water to clean), so the vapor steam doesn’t contribute to a moist environment. Vapor steam deeply penetrates whatever it is cleaning, and it is great for upholstery, couches, carpets, and mattresses. The natural lanolin in wool repels dust mites — another reason to buy wool bedding. Studies at NIEHS found significant reduction of dust mites when allergen-proof covers were combined with properly laundered bedding, dry steam-cleaning, and vacuuming. Vacuuming alone didn’t work as well as the combination of vacuuming with dry steam-cleaning of carpets and upholstery.

Buy a new pillow every 6 months (dust and dust mites live in pillows). Eliminate wall-to-wall carpet (especially over concrete floors because concrete generates moisture/humidity). Decorate with washable throw rugs instead. Freeze stuffed animal toys in the freezer (in a tightly closed plastic bag), and shake vigorously outside after removing them from the freezer. Or, wash stuffed toys often. Keeping a bedroom clean is important for mite control. Use a HEPA vacuum in the room, and run a HEPA air filter near the bed when the room isn’t occupied. Make sure the bedroom curtains or window coverings are washable. Horizontal venetian blinds can be wiped clean with a damp cloth (but they do collect a lot of dust), and if you have shades that can’t easily be washed, they should be of a type that’s easily vacuumed. Be sure to avoid fuzzy fabrics and bed linens and fluffy pillows; they’ll attract and capture dust.It is very hard to dust well when surfaces are covered with dust-collecting objects.