House dust mite allergy

Beechwood Surgery

What is a house dust mite?

The mite is a very small insect - so small that we can only see it with a powerful microscope. It lives in materials and soft furnishings, especially in mattresses, curtains, carpets and seats. You will find the mite in all houses, not just yours. An allergy to "house dust mite" is likely to be causing your symptoms. Your asthma or rhinitis will improve if you can reduce the amount of house dust mite that you breathe in.

Where do I start?

We spend a lot of our time in the bedroom, so this is the best room to concentrate on:

• Remove all woollen blankets, feather pillows and feather quilts from the bedroom. Wool and feathers can cause similar allergic reactions to house dust mite.
• Replace bedding with man-made or cotton materials.
• Hoover the carpet regularly. Also hoover the mattress, curtains and chairs in the room.
• Dust regularly with a damp cloth to collect the dust
• The mattress can be sealed off inside a plastic mattress cover, which you can order from any chemist's shop. You can then damp-dust the plastic mattress cover. A blanket under the bottom sheet will stop sweating at night.

It is best to hoover and damp dust every day. Leave the damp dusting until last. Shake the bedding outside as often as you can, and wash the bedding every two weeks (including pillows and quilt)
Don't forget - other beds in the room should be treated in the same way.

What about other rooms?

You can use the same measures in other rooms. Damp-dust, and hoover curtains, carpets and seats at least twice a week. If you follow these measures regularly, you will find that your asthma or rhinitis improves and that all the hard work is worthwhile

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