What If My Child Is Allergic To Dust?
If your child is allergic to dust, it is important to know that this is a reaction caused by dust mites.
Certainly, they are present in our daily lives and play a significant role in diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and possibly eczema.
Dust allergy is a sensitivity to substances present in waste particles and body fragments of mites that are in household dust.
Some signs and symptoms of dust mite allergy, such as a runny nose or sneezing, are similar to those of the common cold. So it’s sometimes difficult to tell if it’s a cold or an allergy.
Be aware that if symptoms persist for more than a week, it could be a dust allergy.
You should keep in mind that mites avoid light and need at least 50% relative humidity to survive.
Therefore, they are abundant in soft materials, such as pillows, mattresses and blankets, where they can hide in the fabric to escape the light.
What to do if my child is allergic to dust?
If your child is allergic to dust, keep in mind that homes located in dry climates tend to have more dust than homes located in cooler climates.
To minimize the presence of mites in the home, your efforts should focus on the bedroom, where the number of mites is highest and where most children spend a third of their days.
In addition, some steps should be prioritized: first those actions that are relatively easy, but that produce large reductions in dust exposure.
Therefore, we advise you to consider the following tips:
- Steam clean or remove all carpets. If you wash carpets with soap, residual moisture can increase mite growth.
- Clean the house when the allergic child is not present.
- Wash plush toys regularly and place them in the freezer overnight once a week to kill dust mites.
- Wash and dry clothes frequently, and store them in a closet with the door closed.
- Eliminate stuffed animals, pillows, ornaments, upholstered furniture, and other items that cannot be washed.
- Cover mattresses and pillows with a protective microfiber cover.
- Avoid large temperature changes in all rooms. This can cause condensation and therefore favor the growth of the dust mite.
- If you have bunk beds, prevent the child from sleeping on the bottom, as he will receive a shower of mites from the bed above.
- Use a good quality vacuum cleaner that traps the allergen and prevents it from escaping through the air outlet.
What are the symptoms of dust allergy?
A dust allergy is often mistaken for a cold or flu.
So let’s give you some tips for recognizing if your child is allergic. These are the main symptoms:
- sneezing
- Stuffy nose
- Nasal congestion
- Annoyance and itchy eyes
- Itchy nose, mouth and throat
- Cough
How to protect a child’s room if he has a dust allergy?
Although mites live in almost all fabrics, they grow much more in bedding and pillows. Therefore, it is vital to protect the child’s room.
The most effective way to protect the room is to use plastic protectors on mattresses and pillows.
This will help reduce dust mites that stay on the mattress or pillow.
Also, you should make sure to use blankets instead of thick comforters. Mites usually don’t accumulate as much on blankets.
Another tip is to remember to wash the sheets with hot water at least once a week.
Also, if your child has plush toys, you should remove or wash them like the rest of your clothes.
All in all, it ‘s a good idea to follow these tips if your child is allergic to dust, as they will help reduce the chances that your child will suffer an allergic reaction.
If symptoms persist, consult a physician.
