Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWho Gets Them?SymptomsDust MakeupTreatmentAvoiding SymptomsSecondary Complications
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Who Gets Them?
Symptoms
Dust Makeup
Treatment
Avoiding Symptoms
Secondary Complications
If you are experiencing dustallergy symptoms, you may be surprised the dust itself does not cause them. Dust mites, tiny creatures that live in the dust, trigger the allergic reaction. The bulk of the allergens come from their feces.
Dust allergy symptoms may include sneezing, stuffy or runny nose, watery eyes, and more.
This article discusses dust allergy symptoms, treatment options, and how to prevent them.
Carol Yepes/ Getty Images
Who Gets Dust Allergy Symptoms?
Dust mites are one of the most common year-round allergy triggers.They’re especially prevalent in warm, humid environments. No matter where you live, avoiding all contact with dust and dust mites is almost impossible.
When you inhale dust in the air, your immune system misidentifies it as a harmful substance and releases chemicals called histamine. That histamine leads to symptoms as your body tries to flush out anddefend itself from the allergen.
You’re more likely to have a dust allergy if you:
Prolonged exposure to high dust levels may also increase your chance of developing a dust allergy.
Additional Allergens in DushOther allergens in dust include:Cockroach body parts and wasteMoldPollenDander from pet fur and feathers
Additional Allergens in Dush
Other allergens in dust include:Cockroach body parts and wasteMoldPollenDander from pet fur and feathers
Other allergens in dust include:
What Is an Immunologist?
6 Dust Allergy Symptoms to Recognize
Dust allergy symptoms tend to be milder than those frompollen allergies(hay fever).Even so, they can be severe and greatly impact your health.
Can Humans Get Ear Mites From a Pet?
Sneezing
During a sneeze, your body violently expels air, particulate matter, spit, and mucus. This is an effort to get rid of whatever is irritating it.
Runny, Stuffed-Up, Itchy Nose
Histamine can also cause itchiness in the nose, mouth, and throat.Congestion andrunny nosemay also lead topostnasal dripand sinus pressure or pain, which can cause headaches.
Eye Symptoms
Histamine also causes itchiness in your eyes. That’s due to the allergen coming into contact with amast cell, which releases histamine.
Other eye symptoms can include:
These symptoms can also occur with some eye diseases, so be sure to bring them up with your primary healthcare provider or eye doctor.
Asthma Symptoms
If you haveasthma, dust-mite allergies may triggerasthma symptoms or attacks. Asthma symptoms include:
While treating your allergies may help lessen asthma symptoms and make attacks less frequent, it’s important that you also gettreatment for your asthma. It’s a serious condition that can have serious and even fatal consequences if left untreated.
Different Types of Asthma: Which One Do You Have?
Skin Symptoms
While rare, a dust allergy can cause skin symptoms such as arash(redness, itchiness) andatopic dermatitisflares.
Sleep Problems
Allergy symptoms can make it hard to fall asleep or can even wake you up, leaving you tired the next day.Dust-mite allergies are often worse at night or in themorningbecause you’re exposed to mites in your bedding and pillows.
Recognizing Symptoms in Young Children
Allergies most often come on during childhood and adolescence. Pay close attention to their symptoms and report them to your child’s healthcare provider.
Children’s allergy symptoms tend to be very similar to those of adults. Some are easy to spot, such as sneezing and a runny nose. Less obvious signs include:
If you suspect your child has allergies, see a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Are Allergies Hereditary?
Does All Dust Have Mites?
Dust is made up of many different particulates, including:
Still, no matter how clean your home is, you likely have dust mites in your bedding, curtains, carpet, and upholstery. They thrive in places that are dark, warm, and humid.
Dust mites primarily eat dander. Rather than drinking water, they absorb moisture from the air. That makes them less prevalent in dry places, but they’re still found in most homes.
How to Treat Dust Allergy Symptoms
Several types of medications are available for treating allergies, including dust allergies. They include:
A hyposensitization orallergen-specific immunotherapytreatment involves shots that expose you to small amounts of an allergen. Over time, this controlled exposure may reduce your sensitivity but generally takes about three years for full effect.
House Cleanup: Avoiding Dust Allergy Symptoms
An important part of managing your allergies is controlling your exposure to the allergen. When it comes to dust, this primarily means cleaning your house.
Steps you can take to reduce the dust mite population include:
The 7 Best Hypoallergenic Pillows
Secondary Complications From Dust Allergy Symptoms
Most people develop dust allergies during childhood and have them for the rest of their lives. The longer you live with an allergy, the more likely you will eventually develop allergy-related asthma.
A dust allergy may also lead toallergies to shellfish, which contain a similar protein. These include:
Severe dust-allergy symptoms increase your risk of sinus inflammation, calledsinusitis. The constant irritation of the mucous membranes lining your airways can also lead to a heightened sensitivity to irritants, such as air pollution and dry air.
Shellfish Allergy? What to Avoid
Summary
Dust contains many allergens, but dust mites and their feces are chief among them. Symptoms include sneezing, runny or stuffed-up nose, itchy and watery eyes, rashes or hives, asthma, and sleep problems/fatigue. Dust mites are found in almost all homes, usually in bedding, carpet, upholstery, and curtains. Frequent cleaning and allergy mattress covers can help minimize mite exposure.
Prescription and OTC medications are available for treating dust-mite allergies. Nasal sprays may also help. Immunotherapy may lower your sensitivity, but it’s a long-term treatment. Dust allergies can lead to asthma, chronic sinusitis, and shellfish allergies.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Dust mite allergies: Overview.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Dust mite allergy.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Dust allergies.Henry Ford Health.Why do I sneeze so much? An ENT expert explains.National Health Service: NHS Inform.Allergic rhinitis.Cedars-Sinai.Rhinitis.Allergy & Asthma Network.What is a dust mite allergy?American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Eye allergy.World Health Organization.Asthma.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Children.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Seasonal allergies: Keeping symptoms in check.University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.House dust mites.Harvard University, Science in the News.Tracing the origins and components of a universal household nuisance: Dust.Stanford University Health Care.Understanding dust mite allergies.Additional ReadingAmerican Lung Association.What are dust mites?Nationwide Children’s Hospital.Allergy to dust mites.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Biotechnology Information.Dust mite allergies: Overview.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Dust mite allergy.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Dust allergies.Henry Ford Health.Why do I sneeze so much? An ENT expert explains.National Health Service: NHS Inform.Allergic rhinitis.Cedars-Sinai.Rhinitis.Allergy & Asthma Network.What is a dust mite allergy?American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Eye allergy.World Health Organization.Asthma.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Children.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Seasonal allergies: Keeping symptoms in check.University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.House dust mites.Harvard University, Science in the News.Tracing the origins and components of a universal household nuisance: Dust.Stanford University Health Care.Understanding dust mite allergies.Additional ReadingAmerican Lung Association.What are dust mites?Nationwide Children’s Hospital.Allergy to dust mites.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Center for Biotechnology Information.Dust mite allergies: Overview.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Dust mite allergy.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Dust allergies.Henry Ford Health.Why do I sneeze so much? An ENT expert explains.National Health Service: NHS Inform.Allergic rhinitis.Cedars-Sinai.Rhinitis.Allergy & Asthma Network.What is a dust mite allergy?American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Eye allergy.World Health Organization.Asthma.American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Children.Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Seasonal allergies: Keeping symptoms in check.University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.House dust mites.Harvard University, Science in the News.Tracing the origins and components of a universal household nuisance: Dust.Stanford University Health Care.Understanding dust mite allergies.
National Center for Biotechnology Information.Dust mite allergies: Overview.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Dust mite allergy.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Dust allergies.
Henry Ford Health.Why do I sneeze so much? An ENT expert explains.
National Health Service: NHS Inform.Allergic rhinitis.
Cedars-Sinai.Rhinitis.
Allergy & Asthma Network.What is a dust mite allergy?
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Eye allergy.
World Health Organization.Asthma.
American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: Allergist.Children.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Seasonal allergies: Keeping symptoms in check.
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.House dust mites.
Harvard University, Science in the News.Tracing the origins and components of a universal household nuisance: Dust.
Stanford University Health Care.Understanding dust mite allergies.
American Lung Association.What are dust mites?Nationwide Children’s Hospital.Allergy to dust mites.
American Lung Association.What are dust mites?
Nationwide Children’s Hospital.Allergy to dust mites.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
