There are various causes of allergies, one of which is dust allergy. Do you often sneeze with red nose and eyes, runny or runny nose, and itching? If so, you may have a dust allergy.
Dust can be seen floating when exposed to sunlight. Dust can consist of dead skin, pet dander, mold spores, dead body parts of cockroaches, or even tiny animals called mites. The carcasses and droppings of these mites are capable of causing an allergic reaction in a person.
When a person who has allergies breathes air that is mixed with allergens (allergy triggering substances), such as dust or mites, his immune system produces an immune reaction to these generally harmless objects or substances. This excessive immune response is what causes sneezing and a runny nose.
Symptoms of Dust Allergy
Symptoms of a dust allergy can include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, red and itchy eyes, cough, facial pain, swollen and bluish skin under the eyes, as well as itching of the nose, roof of the mouth, or throat.
Symptoms of dust allergy can be mild or severe. Mild dust allergies can cause runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezing. Meanwhile, in severe dust allergies, sufferers can experience continuous sneezing, coughing, nasal congestion, shortness of breath, or severe asthma attacks.
Minimize Dust Allergies
Staying away from dust is the main step to prevent the appearance of dust allergy symptoms. Reactions due to dust allergies can be prevented or at least minimized in various ways, such as:
- Regularly clean various furniture in your home, especially places that usually become dust collectors and tend to be neglected, such as the top of the picture frame, the top of the head of the bed, or under the sofa.
- Clean carpets and floors every day. For better results, use a vacuum cleaner. Don't forget to vacuum under the bed too, because mites gather in that area.
- Wash sheets, blankets and curtains in water above 50°C to kill mites.
- Use furniture made of wood, plastic, leather, or vinyl as they can be easily cleaned.
- Do not put too many objects such as dolls, toys, wall hangings, books, and artificial flowers in the house, so as not to become a gathering place for dust.
- Avoid using wool blankets.
- Use a protective mask when cleaning the house and furniture, so that dust is not inhaled.
To protect your child who is sensitive to dust or suffers from dust allergies, in addition to the above, you can also store toys that have the potential to collect dust and remove them from the child's bedroom. Don't buy stuffed toys that are soft and fluffy. We recommend choosing toys that are easy to wash and try to store toys in closed containers.
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if you or your child has an allergy or a cold. This is because dust allergy symptoms, such as sneezing, are similar to the signs of a common cold. However, if the symptoms have lasted more than a week, it is likely that the cause is an allergy. To determine the trigger of allergies, you can do an allergy test.
Call your doctor right away if you or your child experience allergy symptoms, such as nasal congestion, difficulty sleeping, or wheezing. Go to the emergency room at a hospital immediately if you have wheezing or shortness of breath that gets worse, or if you have trouble breathing.