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Dust mite allergy ? any advice

Posted , 13 users are following.

liauq
liauq

Hi;

Joined the wonderful world of allergies in my early twenties with allergy to sunbathing; I'd had prickly heat before, but this skin rash was much worse, the only relief was lying in a bath of cold water.

This was followed by an allergy to skin products which turned me into the incredible hulk but red instead of green...including, ironically, sun allergy specific suntan lotions.

Later came a mild hayfever and the incredible hulk came back when I slept at my sister's house in my niece's and her (very furry) cat's bed!

I'm now getting all the classic allergy signs( itchy skin ,swollen eyelids,pink eyes, sore throat, cough and snivels) from sleeping in my own bed.It came on after three weeks holiday abroad.

I use feather/down pillows and duvets, and first noticed swollen eyelids after buying new pillows but buying new pillow protectors seemed to solve this problem and I take this pillow on holiday with me!

Can anyone advise me on what worked for them in reducing this problem?

I always thought that getting rid of feather products was required, but I read on this site that they might be better than synthetic pillows, so now I'm confused!

Thanks.

 

0 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

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  • brown45840
    brown45840 liauq

    Posted

    Hi Liauq,

    You could buy Dust Mite- and Allergen-Proof Pillow Encasings. That would solve your pillow problem. You could put these over any pillow. Good luck!

  • amkoffee
    amkoffee liauq

    Posted

    I do not believe a feather pillow is better than a synthetic filling. Too many people are allergic to the feathers. And the synthetic stuff is from all different kinds of material.

    You might consider taking a daily allergy pill. They worked for me for years and before they stopped working. And I was off of them for several months and then I started them back up and they started working again. You might also want to read up on allergies so you can allergy proof your home. There are certain things that are just more allergy prone than others. For instance nut trees in your yard might bother you when in the spring when they are shedding.

    And finally you really ought to consider getting an allergy test done. And if you live in the US I think it's very important for you to choose an ear nose and throat doctor to do your allergy test rather than an allergist. The allergy test done by the ear nose and throat doctor is so much more comprehensive than the one the allergist actually does. Seems contradictory but it's the case. I can explain why if you want me to.

    • Deemac7949
      Deemac7949 amkoffee

      Posted

      As a five year sufferer I would love to hear why an ENT allergy test is better. My allergy test were done by my Allergist 
    • amkoffee
      amkoffee Deemac7949

      Posted

      Okay when an allergist does their type of allergy test they give you a minut amount of the allergen and see if you have a reaction. If you have no reaction they assume you're not allergic to it. But an ENT gives you the allergen and if you do not have a reaction they give you a little bit more to see if you react to a higher amount of the allergen. If you then react to the higher amount they consider it and allergy. They also put the allergen in by injection just under the skin. Where as an allergist does a scratch test. So there you have it. :-)

    • Deemac7949
      Deemac7949 amkoffee

      Posted

      Thank you I have recently switched allergist because I felt my first Allergist was not doing enough. The second Allergist  did a blood test instead of the scratch test  and found three different allergen that I am allergic too.  the first  Allergist refused to send me for a blood,  and the results from the scratch test came back negative for my three new allergen. My first three were grass, dust mite and cockaroach. The blood test revealed that I was also allergic to trees, weeds and mold. All three came back negative with the scratch test. So once again thanks for ur information. Mybe I will also reach out to my ENT.
  • amkoffee
    amkoffee liauq

    Posted

    I would suggest you do that because I insisted to my allergist that I had an allergy to animal dander. I had had the allergy on an an ENT allergy test many years ago and I was reacting when I was around my daughter-in-law's cat. And I have two dogs in the house which was why I was taking a regular OTC allergy pill and that was working fine until all of a sudden things changed. Anyway I got off track so I told the allergist I knew I was allergic to animal dander so she did a blood test on just that and said I was not allergic even with the blood test. That's when I knew I had to go back to an ENT. Even she suggested I see an ENT. She had me on two pills and three nose sprays and I was not getting any relief. I'm saying this as if it's past tense but I have not yet had an allergy test done by my ENT. It's scheduled in November. I'm really looking forward to see what comes up on that test.

    • Deemac7949
      Deemac7949 amkoffee

      Posted

      I gotcha I am on allergy shots now to see they can provide any consistent relief to my symptoms  . I am in NY And I have not heard of ENTs performing allergy testing  My ENT always recommends that I  go back to my Allergist.  R he will say what did the allegerist say.. this can be very frustration especially because   my sinuses also take a beating,,  which then causes  pain. due to the mucous build up Maybe next time I visit my ENT I will mention testing..  r  try another ENT which will be my fifth one. Lol  thanks again 
    • amkoffee
      amkoffee Deemac7949

      Posted

      Be sure to mention your sinuses to the ENT it might be that you need sinus surgery. It's a very simple procedure you go home the same day. It was a miracle cure for me and my sinus headaches. But one word of warning it hurts horribly because they pack your nose with like 6 ft of gauze and that's in each nostril. But once they remove the gauze the pain is gone. And in my case it was just a few days until they removed my gauze.

    • Deemac7949
      Deemac7949 amkoffee

      Posted

      My ENT knows about my sinsus .my first ENT mentioned surgery but I have stayed away from that option. I do not have polyps  and I have  a mild deviatation in my septum. So besides from the inflammation cause by my rhitinis there is really nothing blocking my sinsuses. what turned me off to that the idea of surgery is that the ENT could only give me a  50-50 success rate.i thought  that would be to evasive not to have a better success rate . The ENT stated he was going to shave down my turbinates and other area of the nose so that I can have better drainage. I was not cool with 50-50. I have had the ballon procedure done and that only provided minimal relief but have been told that, that particular procedure can be done a second time. Thinking of going that route if the shots do not help with symptoms . At this time ENT number 4 has not mentioned surgery, although he did state that there were several option available and I am sure surgery was one of them.
    • amkoffee
      amkoffee Deemac7949

      Posted

      Well obviously that's your choice and we have to make choices for our own bodies. I hope you get some relief for these allergy shots.

  • amkoffee
    amkoffee liauq

    Posted

    I'm sorry liauq that message about my allergist and ENT was meant for deemac7949.

  • Guest
    Guest liauq

    Posted

    hi.

    do you took citrizine?

  • priya456
    priya456 liauq

    Posted

    Dust mites are extremely tiny bugs that belong to the spider family. They live in house dust and feed on the dead skin cells that people regularly shed. Dust mites can survive in all climates and at most altitudes. They thrive in warm environments, preferring those at 70°F (21°C) and 70 percent relative humidity.

    When you breathe in the waste products of dust mites, your immune system kicks into high gear, producing antibodies against the normally harmless substances. This overzealous immune response causes the symptoms associated with a dust mite allergy, such as sneezing and runny nose.

  • priya456
    priya456 liauq

    Edited

    Dust allergies also make it difficult to breathe and may trigger asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. Dust also just makes some people itchy.

    People with dust allergies often suffer the most inside their own homes or in other people’s homes. Oddly enough, their symptoms often worsen during or immediately after vacuuming, sweeping and dusting. The process of cleaning can stir up dust particles, making them easier to inhale.

  • Su2
    Su2 liauq

    Posted

    Hi

    To quote my GP, once you start with allergies, you become a collector. He was right! Hoovering the bed/base can help but it needs to be a Hoover that says it's designed to deal with dust mites and the like. Hope you find a way to sort the allergies

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