Dust mites are microscopic, insect-like creatures that are members of a subclass of the spider family.
They’re responsible for many common household substances, often called “allergens”, that cause asthma and allergic reactions in people. They’re so small that hundreds of thousands of them can live in the drapes, furniture, and bedding in your home.
They’re not parasites though. They don’t live off on humans as bed bugs or mosquitoes do.
The reactions people have to them come strictly from their fecal pellets and discarded body fragments. Studies show that nearly 4 out of 5 homes in America have detectable levels of dust mites in them.
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Where do Dust Mites Come From?
Dust mites are always found in and around human habitations because they feed on dead human skin cells that we shed every day.
Areas with low humidity, below 60%, such as deserts, are almost completely devoid of dust mites. Furthermore, they need temperatures of 70ºF and above in order to survive. Consistent temperatures below that point are inhospitable for them.
The foregoing should make it clear that human homes, heated to 70º and above for the most part, and with generally high levels of humidity, are nearly perfect for them.
Did You Know
Areas that are high in humidity (70% and above) are perfect for them because they don’t drink water. Instead, they absorb it directly from the air around them.
This is why so many houses in America (and the rest of the world) have detectable levels of dust mites in them.
What Are The Symptoms of Dust Mite Allergies?
There are a lot of different symptoms of dust mite allergies. Here are most of them in no particular order.
- Nasal congestion
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Chest tightness or pain
- Itchy, red or watery eyes
- An audible whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling
- Itchy nose, roof of mouth or throat
- Postnasal drip
- Facial pressure and pain
- Swollen, blue-colored skin under your eyes
- Bouts of uncontrollable wheezing
- Difficulty breathing
- Coughing
- Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
As you can see, many of these symptoms are identical to what you’d expect for a cold or flu. The difference will be that these symptoms will continue for months at a time. They might disappear during the day when you’re away from the house, then return within minutes of your return.
This is when you know you have dust mites and you’re allergic to them.
Read Also: What’re the top dust mite vacuums?
How Do You Treat Dust Mites?
The first and foremost approach to these critters is to eliminate dust mites from your home. However, you won’t be able to get rid of them 100%. But still, you can lower their number enough to give you some relief from their allergens.
- Vacuum the house, furniture, drapes, and mattresses with a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filtration system on it. This ensures that all the mites, eggs, dust, fecal pellets, and other allergy-causing particles stay in the vacuum cleaner instead of escaping back into the house with the exhaust. Once you’re finished vacuuming, take it outside to empty it so you don’t recontaminate your home.
- Spray all your beds and bedding with dust mites sprays. There are a lot of them available. They will begin killing any dust mites that avoided the vacuum cleaner. They’re perfectly safe for humans, but mites are so small that almost any product you select will kill great numbers.
- Encase your pillows and mattresses with hypoallergenic mattress covers and pillow covers. Many of them are waterproof, some of them tout the fact they “breathe”, but share the goal of completely encasing your mattresses with a material that dust mites can’t penetrate – either plastic or such a tightly woven thread count that there isn’t any room for dust mites to crawl between the threads.
- Treat the baseboards and feet of your bed with regular pesticide that kills spiders. Remember, dust mites are part of the spider family so any pesticide that kills spiders will kill them too. There are a great many pesticides in this category. Find the one you like best and spray away.
How do You Treat Dust Mite Allergy Symptoms?
There are a number of over-the-counter medicines that can provide relief from dust mite allergies. The best treatment option is to eliminate the dust mites to the greatest extent possible.
We can tell you how to do that. But if medicine is what you need right now, here are some that can help you.
- Antihistamines can relieve itching, runny nose, and sneezing
- Nasal corticosteroids can reduce inflammation caused by dust mite allergies. There are very few side effects with these medicines compared to others.
- Decongestants can shrink the swollen tissues in your nasal passages. This makes it easier for you to breathe.
Best 5 Medicines for Dust Mite Allergies
Check out our list below for a summary of our results. Keep on reading to learn more about each medicines for dust mite allergies.
- Flonase 24hr Allergy Relief Nasal Spray (stops allergens before they enter your body)
- ValuMeds Allergy Medicine (generic Benadryl at a lower price)
- Zyrtec 24hr Allergy Relief (works fast)
- Benadryl Ultratabs Antihistamine
- Allegra Adult 24hr Allergy Tablets
Flonase 24hr Allergy Relief Nasal Spray
This is the full prescription strength spray, with enough in the tube for 120 sprays. Flonase works by stopping dust mite allergens (and others) from entering the nasal passages in the first place, rather than trying to deal with them later.
It will take several days to realize the full effect, but once you begin using it, keep on going and the benefits will become obvious once enough of it has built up in your system.
There will be some effects right away, but the full benefits come after a few days.
Plus, as a number of people have noted, there is no “rebound effect” unlike with other popular brands. Once it takes full effect, the dust mite allergy symptoms will be almost completely eradicated.
ValuMeds Allergy Medicine
There are 600 tablets of antihistamine medicine in this medicine, with the same active ingredients as Benadryl Allergy. It works for both children and adults (read the label for dosage amounts) to relieve itchy eyes, runny noses, and sneezing.
With 600 tablets per bottle, the price per pill is hard to beat. It provides relief from most dust mite allergy symptoms.
For years it’s been well-known that Benadryl has the side effect of making people drowsy. That same side effect is present here so it becomes a good sleep aid at night, and it’s cheaper than most sleeping pills.
Be careful about taking it during the day though if you have to operate heavy machinery. It makes you just as drowsy between the wheel of a 2000 pound car as it does when you’re sitting in your recliner.
Benadryl Ultratabs Antihistamine
This is a stronger version of Benadryl Allergy, even though the box says otherwise. It has all the same pros and cons as regular Benadryl, including the fact that it makes you drowsy with 30 minutes to an hour of taking it.
Do not take this during the day!
Take it at night just before going to bed. That way you’ll get all the benefits without becoming a hazard to everyone around you when you’re driving.
The allergy symptom relief is terrific, especially with the rashes and inflammation that can result from dust mites.
Allegra Adult 24hr Allergy Tablets
This is a long-lasting antihistamine tablet that begins working in just a few hours and doesn’t make you feel drowsy or “foggy” as some people put it. Like most of these products, it takes several days for the full effects to really kick in.
One particularly interesting story we discovered was one woman who was advised by her ENT to cut these 180mg tablets in half, and take half in the morning and half at night to get even better results than normal.
The 70 tablets in the bottle give a good price per pill and provide fast relief from allergies caused by dust mites and other allergen sources.
Zyrtec 24hr Allergy Relief Tablets
The tablet begins working within hours of taking them and provide long-lasting relief.
To achieve the full effect though may take 2-3 days, then continue taking one pill every day for a long-term maintenance benefit. The price per pill isn’t bad either.
More than one pill per day will probably cause drowsiness, so you need to be careful about that.
They eliminate almost all sneezing, itching, coughing, and wheezing caused by dust mite allergies. If you can’t get rid of the dust mites in your house, this is a good long-term alternate solution that will let you get some rest.
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