Does your child often wake up with a stuffy nose? Or suffer from continuous cold symptoms? This collaborative post may be useful…
If so, a dust mite allergy might be to blame. These tiny creatures live in bedding, cuddly toys, carpets, furniture…or anywhere they can find their favourite food (human skin cells). You can’t see them and they don’t bite, but your upholstery could be home to millions.
Aside from being an unpleasant thought, dust mites usually aren’t dangerous. Some people, however, are allergic to mite faeces and body parts. Mites can even trigger asthma attacks in severe cases. As your child probably spends a lot of time inside, the symptoms can be almost continuous and easy to mistake for a cold.
So how do you identify a dust mite allergy? The most common symptoms are sneezing, congestion, headaches, sinus pain, sore throats and a blocked nose. Asthma symptoms can include coughing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing.
According to Spotless Vacuum, reactions are often worse after cleaning or vacuuming. This is because dust is stirred up into the air – especially if your vacuum has poor filtration. Symptoms are also common at night, as dust mites thrive in mattresses and pillows.
The good news is that it’s often simple to relieve your child’s dust allergy symptoms. The key is to eliminate areas that dust mites thrive. You can’t get rid of all mites in your home – there are too many. But reducing their number can provide quick relief.
The infographic below shows six tips for relieving a dust allergy. Some of the tips are quick and easy, so it’s best to start with these. Others, such as removing carpets, can make a big difference to your child’s allergies but take more time and effort. By minimising your child’s exposure to mites, symptoms should quickly improve.
