Allergy to house dust: symptoms and treatment

Modern doctors admit that every year there are more and more allergic people. This is due to the development of technologies and means of protection. That is, we shelter a child from infancy from various external pathogens and render him, thereby, a disservice. The body does not collide with various particles, does not learn to resist them. As a result, the child develops an allergy. Living in a sterile environment is very dangerous for his health and immunity. It has long been proven that people living in rural areas suffer from allergies several times less. But urban residents are prone to allergic reactions much more. Today we’ll talk about dust allergies - how and why it manifests itself, what to do with it and how to protect yourself from an allergen.

Symptoms of an allergy to house dust

An allergy is difficult in its diagnosis, because often parents associate coughing, snot and sneezing with the colds of the disease. So, how does dust allergy manifest itself?

1. Nose. Very often, the manifestation of allergies begins with a banal flow from the nose. The discharge is clear and liquid. Rhinitis is manifested by frequent sneezing, nasal congestion, itching and tickling in the nasal passages.
2. Eyes. In some cases, an allergic reaction is manifested by conjunctivitis. At the same time, active lacrimation is observed, the whites of the eyes turn red, the eyes pinch, itch, the eyelids swell, the person experiences a burning sensation, cannot look at the light. Sometimes a patient may be diagnosed with a temporary decrease in visual acuity.
3. Leather. Often, allergies are manifested by various rashes on the skin, which can itch, swell. There is redness of some sections of the epidermis, blisters may appear.
4. Lungs. Most often, an allergy to dust is manifested precisely by coughing, wheezing, bronchial spasms. If you do not take timely measures, an allergic cough develops into asthma, which is much more difficult to deal with.

Allergic manifestations of house dust can be separate or cumulative. Someone has an allergy manifested only by coughing, but someone is tormented by the whole complex of these symptoms. But where does the disease come from?

Why is a person allergic to dust?

In general, dust is not a single substance. This is an accumulation of various particles, which include microscopic pieces of the epidermis (people and animals), dead insects, the remains of their excrement, particles of tissue and hair fibers, pollen from plants and many other components that form house dust. But most often an allergic reaction occurs if there are dust mites in the house that feed on uncleaned dust. A dust mite can live everywhere - in books, pillows, blankets, textiles, etc. High humidity and heat are the main conditions for the development and reproduction of these parasites. An allergic reaction of a person arises not because of the tick itself, but because of the products of its vital activity.

Too many parents cannot distinguish the allergic nature of the disease from other diseases with characteristic symptoms. If a child coughs and sneezes, and mucus flows from his nose, do not rush to treat him for a cold.Pay attention to his throat - as a rule, with an allergy, the throat does not redden, and with viral diseases it inflames almost always. Next, pay attention to the temperature - if it has risen, this is most likely an ARVI. An allergy goes away with a change in localization, that is, the symptoms subside as soon as you leave the house. Often, with an allergy to dust, symptoms intensify in the morning and evening, when a person is in bed. If all the symptoms are very blurry, and you cannot be sure of the proposed diagnosis, be sure to consult an allergist. He will prescribe a patient a blood test for Immunoglobulin E. If allergic reactions occur in the body, this indicator will be significantly overstated. You can also test for allergens and find out what exactly can be the reaction - dust, pollen, animal hair or something else.

How to get rid of an allergen

The most important thing in the treatment of allergies is getting rid of the main pathogen, in our case - dust. It can accumulate anywhere. To reduce the symptoms of allergies, a thorough cleaning is necessary.

1. Clean the apartment of any dust. It can accumulate in curtains and drapes, in bookcases, on carpets, in pillows and soft toys. If possible, get rid of carpeting and toys - they serve as excellent dust collectors. All textiles must be washed thoroughly at high degrees.
2. Be sure to use professional pest control services to get rid of ticks - it is very difficult, almost impossible to remove them yourself.
3. Thoroughly rinse all hard surfaces. By the way, wet cleaning should be done daily.
4. Change pillows and blankets once a year, and a mattress once every 3-4 years. After all, one gram of mattress dust can contain thousands of ticks.
5. Be sure to install humidifiers and air purifiers - they will help get rid of flying dust in the air.
6. Change your regular vacuum cleaner to a washing model. The fact is that the vacuum cleaner sucks in only large particles of dust and debris, and small, on the contrary, throws it into the air, spreading throughout the apartment. But water vacuum cleaners perfectly collect even the smallest dust, while doing wet cleaning.
7. Change bedding at least once a week, wash it at high temperature. In winter, take pillows and blankets outside to kill possible ticks with frost. In summer, on sunny days, leave pillows in direct sunlight. Bed linen must be ironed before use.
8. Choose synthetic fillers for pillows and blankets that will not be food for ticks, like feather or down.
9. Clean the cartridges in the air conditioner in a timely manner, invite the master for preventative cleaning.
10. If there are dry flowers at home, they should also be disposed of. Books are best kept in plastic containers that can be dust-wiped.

These are simple but irreplaceable rules that will help you reduce the likelihood of an allergen affecting the human body. But what if the allergic reaction is in full swing? How to help the patient?

Allergy Treatment - First Aid

The first thing that may come to mind is taking an antihistamine. Indeed, such tools will help to quickly and efficiently get rid of allergic manifestations. However, this is not always enough, especially if the reaction is violent.

1. For rhinitis, it is important to clean the nasal mucosa of dust particles. To do this, it is most effective to rinse the nasal passages with warm salt water. This can be done with a small kettle, a syringe, or simply draw fluid from the palm of your nostrils. If the nose itches, sneezes and there is no time to prepare a solution, you can use ready-made nose-wash products, such as Aqualor.Put vasoconstrictor drugs in your nose that will not only open your breath, but will also be effective against the allergic nature of the common cold. Among such funds, Vibrocil can be distinguished.
2. Conjunctivitis can be cured with plain cold tea. Rinse your eyes or attach wet tea bags to them. This will relieve itching and redness, relieve tearing and burning. In difficult cases, when there is an acute manifestation of conjunctivitis, you can drip antibacterial drops into the eyes - Levomycetin. The composition will eliminate the formation of purulent lumps after sleep. If you have an allergy and you have nowhere to take iced tea, just use special drops to help relieve inflammation, redness and itching. Among them are Okumetil, Allergodil, Vizin, etc.
3. Rash. If you have an allergy with a skin rash, taking an antihistamine will help stop itching. The main thing is not to scratch the skin, so as not to injure it and not cause infection. Hormonal ointment - Hydrocartisone will help relieve swelling and itching. It quickly removes puffiness and redness, cools and soothes. Fenistil, Flucinar, Psilo-balm, etc. will help get rid of severe itching. If there are no suitable ointments and gels on hand, just take a cold shower - this will help you get rid of itching until the allergy medicine starts to work.
4. Cough. This is the most serious and dangerous manifestation of an allergic reaction. After all, with a bronchial spasm or an asthma attack, a person can suffocate if he does not receive appropriate assistance on time. It is necessary as soon as possible to stop the patient’s contact with the allergen, to seat him and soothe him. After all, it is nervous overexcitation and anxiety that enhance the attack. The patient should sit on a chair and throw his head back a little, a pillow is placed under his head. In this position, the lumen of the larynx is maximally open, so breathing is much easier. Be sure to give the person an antihistamine, provide an influx of fresh air - open the windows. If the attack did not occur for the first time, there is probably an inhaler in the bag or pocket of the patient to expand the bronchi, in the form of a spray. As a rule, these are Salbutamol, Brikanil, etc. You can make an injection against an asthma attack - Ephedrine. The injection will begin to act much faster. If the patient is not feeling better, be sure to call the ambulance team.

Together with any ongoing activities, it is mandatory to take antihistamines. Among them are Zirtek, Zodak, Diazolin, Allergid, Lordes, Tsetrin, etc. There are a lot of them, by trial and error you will find one that will help you.

An allergy to house dust is a serious disease that you cannot close your eyes at while taking an antihistamine. Over time, the body's sensitivity to the drug will decrease, getting rid of attacks will be increasingly difficult. The most dangerous complication of an allergy is the development of bronchial asthma, asthma attacks, even death. It is necessary to be treated by an allergist, possibly taking course drugs to reduce the intensity and frequency of seizures. Well and, of course, to exclude contacts with house dust. Be on the alert, treat allergies, do not leave her any chance of survival!

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