How to Recognize Dust Mite Allergy Symptoms

Dust mites are microscopic organisms that reside in dust, bedding, furniture, clothing and pets. Since dust mites are perhaps the single biggest causes of allergies, it's important to recognize the symptoms of a dust mite allergy, and to differentiate those symptoms from similar respiratory ailments such as asthma.

Things You'll Need

• Allergy testing

Instructions

1. Recognize the symptoms of a dust mite allergy, which will include sneezing, itchy and runny eyes, coughing, wheezing and dry, irritated skin. Since dust mites tend to thrive on dead skin cells from humans, they tend to proliferate in areas where you spend a lot of time, especially if your skin is not properly moisturized.

2. Differentiate the symptoms of a dust mite allergy from other types of allergies by noting whether the frequency and severity of the symptoms increase when your environment becomes more dusty. Experiencing sneezing or coughing fits while you are dusting around your home may indicate you have a dust mite allergy, as opposed to asthma or a pollen-based allergy.

3. Pay attention if you experience symptoms while you are sleeping, or just before you awaken in the morning. Since dust mites need warmth to survive, you will find concentrations of them in your bedding, especially inside mattresses and pillows. You may suffer from even more intense symptoms of a dust mite allergy if your mattress and pillows are particularly old.

4. Recognize the fact that you might have a dust mite problem if you experience symptoms right after opening up all the windows to your home. Air flow from outside will cause increased dust mite circulation in your house, as many of them will take to the air by floating within dust particles.

5. See whether the symptoms of a dust mite allergy increase when you are laying on a carpeted floor, as opposed to hardwood flooring. Dust mites congregate on the floor, since there are plenty of dead skin cells to be found there, thanks to gravity.

6. Visit your doctor or allergist to find out whether or not you are experiencing symptoms of a dust mite allergy. A health care specialist will conduct a series of tests to isolate the source of the allergy. If dust mites are found to be the culprits, don't get too defensive about your housekeeping skills--dust mites are literally everywhere.

Tips & Warnings

• When you see dust particles floating in the sunlight, more often than not these are the dead bodies of dust mites, and their waste products.