{"id":2599,"date":"2021-09-16T18:40:10","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T22:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlestonent.fm1.dev\/?p=2599"},"modified":"2021-09-16T18:40:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T22:40:12","slug":"what-are-dust-mite-allergies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/what-are-dust-mite-allergies\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are Dust Mite Allergies?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Many people mistakenly believe that allergy season lasts only during the spring and summer. But for people with dust mite allergies, allergy season is year-round. Below we review everything you need to know about dust mite <a href=\"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/allergy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allergies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are Dust Mites?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/house-indoors-dust-allergies.jpg\" alt=\"A couch next to a window inside of a home.\" class=\"wp-image-2601\" width=\"252\" height=\"210\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/dust-mites\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20352173\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dust mites<\/a> are microscopic bugs that belong to the arachnid family along with ticks and spiders. They feed on dead skin cells found in dust and absorb moisture from their environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dust mites can live in all climates and most altitudes; however, they thrive in conditions around 70 degrees and 70% humidity. They can mostly be found in bedding, carpeting and drapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do Dust Mites Cause Allergies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not actually the dust mites themselves that trigger <a href=\"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/allergy\/allergy-symptoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allergy symptoms<\/a>, but the proteins in their waste and decaying bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you inhale these proteins, usually when cleaning or spending time in the bedroom, your immune system overreacts by releasing antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE), which tells your cells to release histamine. Histamine is responsible for increasing inflammation and mucus production, leading to symptoms such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Itchy, red, watery eyes.<\/li><li>Sinus pressure.<\/li><li>Nasal congestion.<\/li><li>Runny nose.<\/li><li>Sneezing.<\/li><li>Itchy throat.<\/li><li>Postnasal drip.<\/li><li>Cough.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Dust mites can also trigger asthma symptoms such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Chest pains.<\/li><li>Tightness.<\/li><li>Shortness of breath.<\/li><li>Wheezing.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to See an Allergist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You should see an allergist for your symptoms if they interfere with your daily life. An allergist can perform testing in order to confirm your allergy to dust mites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common type of allergy test is a skin prick test, where allergen extracts are placed on the forearms or back and then the skin underneath is pricked. If a red, raised bump known as a wheal appears, it means you\u2019re most likely allergic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treating Dust Mite Allergies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, there are many treatment options available for dust mite allergies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can practice avoidance by keeping your home clean and as dust-free as possible. You can purchase cleaning supplies from <a href=\"https:\/\/locations.harristeeter.com\/sc\/charleston\/277\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a store like Harris Teeter<\/a>. Be sure to vacuum and dust regularly and wash your sheets weekly in hot water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also take over-the-counter medications such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Antihistamines.<\/li><li>Nasal corticosteroids.<\/li><li>Decongestants.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Immunotherapy is another option. This long-term treatment option works by introducing harmless amounts of allergen extracts into the body so the immune system can build up a tolerance. If you\u2019re spending more time indoors due to the cooler weather and noticing your allergy symptoms increasing, it may be because you have a dust mite allergy. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Charleston ENT &#038; Allergy today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many people mistakenly believe that allergy season lasts only during the spring and summer. But for people with dust mite allergies, allergy season is year-round. Below we review everything you need to know about dust mite allergies. What Are Dust Mites? Dust mites are microscopic bugs that belong to the arachnid family along with ticks&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Many people mistakenly believe that allergy season lasts only during the spring and summer.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","locid":"","rating":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2599"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2603,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599\/revisions\/2603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}