Is your sleep often disturbed? Do you wake up with a runny nose or itchy eyes? Are you scratching in bed or coughing in your sleep? It sounds like you could have a dust mite allergy. Unfortunately, a dust mite allergy can cause an uncomfortable, interrupted night’s sleep. But fear not! At Woolroom, we’re dedicated to ensuring you have the perfect sleep environment. That’s why we’ve created this blog all about dust mite allergies, including the dust mite allergy symptoms, treating dust mite allergies naturally and how to stop dust mites ruining your sleep.
A dust mite allergy is an allergic reaction to tiny bugs that commonly live in household dust. Even some of the cleanest houses still have dust, so escaping dust mites is pretty impossible for those who suffer with allergies.
Where do dust mites live? Unfortunately, dust mites are everywhere. They live in carpets, sofas, soft furnishings, pillows and beds – anywhere there is a warm, humid environment. Dust mites feed on their chosen foodstuff – fungus – which has been created from flakes of human skin. Gross, right?
For dust mite allergy sufferers, the one place where they are most susceptible is the bed – as this is a favourite haunt of the dust mite. Your dust mite allergy can lead to a disrupted night’s sleep as you scratch, sneeze and cough throughout the night. You may be wondering how you can prevent dust mites and how to stop dust mite allergy symptoms. We have good news. Follow our top tips below to help prevent dust mites in your home and you’ll be sleeping through the night in no time.
Dust mites like warm, moist environments. This is where they thrive, building colonies of tens of thousands. To reduce the amount of dust mites in your home, the key is to reduce the number of places where they can thrive. At the thought of bugs, you may be tempted to leap straight to the harsh chemicals to get rid of them. However, we recommend treating your dust mite allergy naturally, and below are a number of steps you can take to do this, including:
While these measures will help with reducing dust mites in your home, you’ll never be able to eradicate them completely. The good news is that you can take steps to make your home less pleasant for them – and improve your dust mite allergy symptoms in the process.
If your dust mite allergy is keeping you awake at night, then eliminating dust mites from your bedroom and bedding is the key to getting a better night’s sleep. If you’ve already taken the steps above and dealt with flooring and curtains, there are a few more things you can do to keep the mites away:
Take these steps to lessen your dust mite allergy and sleep better.
Learn more about your dust mite allergy from the comfort of your own home. Watch our video with Dr. Christian Jessen and discover how you can overcome the little critters.
What is a dust mite allergy?
A dust mite allergy is an allergic reaction to tiny bugs that commonly live in household dust. Even some of the cleanest houses still have dust, so escaping dust mites is pretty impossible for those who suffer with allergies.
Where do dust mites live? Unfortunately, dust mites are everywhere. They live in carpets, sofas, soft furnishings, pillows and beds – anywhere there is a warm, humid environment. Dust mites feed on their chosen foodstuff – fungus – which has been created from flakes of human skin. Gross, right?
Dust mite allergy symptoms
Common dust mite allergy symptoms include sneezing, coughing, and irritated eyes. But do dust mites make you itch too? Unfortunately, a common symptom of a dust mite allergy is the dust mite rash. This produces a raised, itchy, red rash on the skin that has been in contact with the bugs. Dust mite rashes can be painful and easily aggravated by scratching. Other dust mite allergy symptoms include shortness of breath, swollen eyes, lips or face, and stomach ache in more severe cases. If you are experiencing severe reactions and are concerned, then we recommend booking an appointment with your GP.For dust mite allergy sufferers, the one place where they are most susceptible is the bed – as this is a favourite haunt of the dust mite. Your dust mite allergy can lead to a disrupted night’s sleep as you scratch, sneeze and cough throughout the night. You may be wondering how you can prevent dust mites and how to stop dust mite allergy symptoms. We have good news. Follow our top tips below to help prevent dust mites in your home and you’ll be sleeping through the night in no time.
How to stop your dust mite allergy taking over your sleep
Dust mites like warm, moist environments. This is where they thrive, building colonies of tens of thousands. To reduce the amount of dust mites in your home, the key is to reduce the number of places where they can thrive. At the thought of bugs, you may be tempted to leap straight to the harsh chemicals to get rid of them. However, we recommend treating your dust mite allergy naturally, and below are a number of steps you can take to do this, including:
- Opt for 100% wool carpets or hard floors over synthetic carpets: Wool maintains a drier environment while hard floors are a difficult space for dust mites to settle and have a lower opportunity to be a food source for dust mites.
- Choose venetian blinds over fabric drapes: Again, the hard surface is less inviting for mites.
- Reduce unnecessary soft furnishings: That doesn’t have to mean ditching all the scatter cushions, but reducing the number will make your home less mite-friendly.
- Damp-wipe surfaces rather than dusting them: This traps the mites and removes them. Remember to pay extra attention to unseen surfaces too, such as pelmet tops, windowsills, and the tops of cupboards and doors. If there is dust, then there’s a good chance there are dust mites too.
- Vacuum all upholstered furniture, such as sofas and chairs, regularly: To keep colonies at bay, keep dust levels as low as possible by vacuuming soft, upholstered furniture.
- Keep your home well ventilated: This will help reduce humidity.
While these measures will help with reducing dust mites in your home, you’ll never be able to eradicate them completely. The good news is that you can take steps to make your home less pleasant for them – and improve your dust mite allergy symptoms in the process.
How to stop your dust mite allergy keeping you awake at night
If your dust mite allergy is keeping you awake at night, then eliminating dust mites from your bedroom and bedding is the key to getting a better night’s sleep. If you’ve already taken the steps above and dealt with flooring and curtains, there are a few more things you can do to keep the mites away:
- Choose wool bedding: Wool is a natural fibre that wicks moisture away from the body and then desorbs (releases) it from the bedding, creating an environment too dry for dust mites to survive in. This makes it the ideal hypoallergenic bedding for helping with allergies at night. What’s more, unlike other materials, wool bedding doesn’t need to be washed at extremely high temperatures to stay allergy-friendly. Its natural anti-bacterial properties mean that it doesn’t really need to be washed at all, but if there is a spill our Chatsworth range can be washed at 30°C, making it kind to the environment too.
- Hot wash teddies: Just like soft furnishings and cushions, toys can harbour dust mites too. Fortunately, dust mites don’t like hot water. So, for children’s rooms, make sure that stuffed toys are washed frequently in water that is above 60°C .
- Freeze favourite toys: If a favourite bear is unlikely to withstand a hot wash, then place it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for 12 hours as dust mites don’t like the extreme cold either.
Take these steps to lessen your dust mite allergy and sleep better.
Learn more about your dust mite allergy from the comfort of your own home. Watch our video with Dr. Christian Jessen and discover how you can overcome the little critters.
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