Allergy to dust - symptoms, treatment and prevention

Where does dust come from?

Even in the home of the most pedantic housewife, who keeps her home in perfect order, there is house dust. Few people know, but approximately 30% of dust is formed in the process of human activity - these are particles of human skin and animal hair. 70% of dust flies into our homes from afar. Scientists believe that the main sources of dust on the planet are the Sahara Desert and the Japanese Sakurajima volcano.

Unbelievable but true…

Every year, about 20 kilograms of dust settles in an ordinary two-room apartment!

Dust can be domestic, that is, associated with human life, or industrial. Dust particles differ in composition and origin, but cause the same symptoms on the skin and mucous membranes in allergy sufferers.

Effective treatment of dust allergies in children and adults these days necessarily includes removing the allergen from the body with the help of a modern and safe enterosorbent - we are talking about the popular drug Enterosgel. It has been repeatedly proven that enterosorption is an excellent way to stop contact with an allergen, and this, as you know, is the very first thing to start treating allergies. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and figure out where allergies actually come from.

Method one: anti-allergenic medications

Official medicine has long worked out a treatment regimen for childhood allergies - a number of medications are prescribed, among which there are always antihistamines. Depending on the direction of the allergy “hit” and the severity of the symptoms, doctors can prescribe up to 8 different medications.

The features of this method are as follows:

• It does not fix the cause of the problem . Medicines help relieve symptoms, but some time after remission, the allergy makes itself felt again, and the course of taking medications must be repeated;
• It has negative consequences. Taking a large number of medications is harmful in itself (each drug has side effects, and together they “hit” the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys and liver);
• It is very expensive. The cost of medical consultations, diagnostics and medications can reach 20,000 rubles or more.

The last detail can be a heavy burden on the family budget. The point here is not even the amount, but the fact that these expenses become regular, as the allergy returns again and again. If you calculate the expenses for three years, the amount will be very impressive (60,000 rubles). At the same time, doctors are not fighting the cause of the problem (contact with dust), but only the symptoms of allergies, and there is no end in sight to this struggle.

Important! Here it’s worth remembering where a child’s allergies begin. The allergen accumulates in the body. When the amount of foreign proteins becomes critical, the body turns on the allergic reaction mechanism (the entire cascade of symptoms is launched). If you protect your child from contact with an allergen, then no medications will be required!

Causes of dust allergies

Why is not everyone allergic to household dust? Scientists have found that the tendency to such a disease is associated with hereditary predisposition. Unfortunately, children of parents with allergies are highly likely to also grow up with allergies - it's genetics!

Allergies to dust and mites living in the bed, allergies to the fur and saliva of cats and other pets are the most common types of household allergies.

Dust allergies in children and adults can also occur to feathers and fluff from pillows, particles of the chitinous skeleton of insects (cockroaches, flies), mold spores, pollen from house plants, or tiny waste from home renovations (wood dust).

The immune system's response to the penetration of dust particles into the upper respiratory tract or the mucous membrane of the eyes will follow immediately!

Instead of an afterword

Summarize:

• Installing a breather in the long term is much cheaper than regular visits to doctors and buying medications;
• The tandem of a breather and air washing allows you to solve the problem of “internal” and outdoor dust in the room;
• In addition to conventional breathers, there are devices with a recirculation function that protects the child from both indoor (household) and street dust. In terms of their functionality, individual devices can be called full-fledged climate stations.

Allergy and Enterosgel

In the development of allergies, the key factor is the contact of the allergen (some substance in the air, food, clothing, etc.) with the body. Accordingly, minimizing or eliminating such contact prevents the development of the reaction, which explains the effectiveness of Enterosgel.

It is known that the intestines play a critical role in the functioning of the immune system. Enterosgel removes allergens from the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, Enterosgel removes bacterial endotoxins, promotes the regeneration of damaged mucosa and normalizes the intestinal microflora.

Thus, the functioning of the intestines and immune system is restored, and allergic manifestations are reduced. At the first signs of a possible allergy, you can take Enterosgel in a standard dose. Then use the drug according to the instructions for 1-2 weeks.

Dust allergy: symptoms

How does a dust allergy manifest? The main “targets” for dust allergens are the mucous membrane of the nose, larynx and bronchi, the mucous membrane of the eyes (conjunctiva) and skin. Quite often, all mucous membranes are affected at once. Oh, this ubiquitous dust!

Allergic conjunctivitis

Dust allergens getting on the mucous membranes of the eyes cause inflammation. Externally, this is manifested by redness of the eyes and eyelids, a feeling of sand in the eyes, lacrimation, itching and swelling of the eyelids.

Allergic rhinitis

Many people know firsthand how dust allergies manifest themselves. After all, damage to the nasal mucosa is perhaps the most common form of household allergy. In response to the ingress of an allergen, the nasal mucosa begins to react violently to “strangers”, and trying to get rid of dust allergens, it activates protective reflexes: sneezing and copious watery discharge from the nose. The mucous membrane swells, which is manifested by nasal congestion and difficulty in nasal breathing. Allergic rhinitis can occur in response to a specific allergen: for example, many patients complain of such a phenomenon as an allergy to house dust mites.

Allergic dermatitis

Skin damage from dust allergens is accompanied by redness, itching, peeling and rashes similar to nettle burns. With constant contact with dust allergens, erosions and ulcers can occur on the skin, causing psychological and cosmetic discomfort to a person. Favorite places for allergic dermatitis are the joints, shins, and upper torso. Allergies on the face and neck also occur.

Dry skin, microcracks and the addition of bacterial inflammation to allergies also cause discomfort. Allergies on the face are also manifested by inflammation of the lips - cheilitis.

Bronchial asthma

Alas, in addition to the above, household dust provokes symptoms of irritation of the mucous membrane of the trachea and bronchi. This is manifested by a dry cough, shortness of breath and attacks of suffocation.

Quite often, bronchial asthma occurs due to occupational hazards. Dust allergies in adults can occur when working with animals - for example, grooms, pet store workers and veterinarians. Working in a hair salon or nail studio can lead to such an unpleasant thing as an allergy to nail dust.

In such cases, doctors recommend changing your field of activity so as not to aggravate the disease.

An allergy to house dust in a child can also be accompanied by symptoms of bronchial asthma. In the absence of contact with the allergen and appropriate treatment, atopic asthma can be eliminated.

A few more examples of dust allergies...

We built and built and...

Everyone knows the phrase that repairs cannot be completed: they can only be suspended. This is what folk wisdom says. But, if you are allergic to construction dust, you need to complete the repairs as quickly as possible. In response to construction dust getting on the mucous membranes, coughing, lacrimation, runny nose, sneezing, itchy skin and other “delights” of allergies appear.

And I went to the library and...

Despite advances, many of us still enjoy reading real books more than e-books. Enjoying the smell of fresh printing ink and paper sheets, in our imagination we go on exciting journeys and distant worlds. However, this pleasure is not available to everyone: many people suffer from allergies to paper dust.

This problem often arises when reading old books that have microscopic mold in them.

What symptoms occur when you are allergic to library dust? Respiratory symptoms include dry cough, sore throat, runny nose, redness of the eyelids and conjunctiva.

Allergy to cement dust

Most often, builders or “victims” of home renovations encounter this form of allergic reaction. In this case, cement dust acts as an allergen. Treatment must begin immediately - after all, when fine particles of cement get into the bronchi and lungs, they can cause not only bronchial asthma, but also the proliferation of connective tissue - pneumofibrosis. Doctors recommend that builders work in special respirators that prevent dust from entering the respiratory system, and also regularly cleanse the body of this allergen using Enterosgel.

Allergy to street dust

Signs of allergies to outdoor dust and plant pollen are quite varied. The exacerbation of the disease begins in the spring and ends only in late autumn, when dust and pollen are washed away by rain and covered with snow. With this form of allergy, as a rule, all target organs are affected. Symptoms of dermatitis, conjunctivitis, bronchial asthma and rhinitis occur. With an allergy to plant pollen (hay fever), cross-reactions with food allergens often occur and food allergies develop.

Allergy to house dust in a child

It is most difficult to identify such an allergy at an early stage in infants and young children - older children may complain of coughing and nasal congestion if there are soft toys, carpets and other “dust collectors” in the house.

Air washers: solving the problem of “internal” dust

Air cleaners will help remove house dust from the atmosphere of the room. This simple device includes a fan, a container of water and a drum. The fan supplies air to the device. The air flow passes through the humidified drum, while dust particles, under the influence of the liquid, bind and settle inside the device body, and the purified air is returned to the atmosphere of the room.

To combat dust, the most effective way is to combine a breather with a HEPA filter and an air cleaner. In this case, the breather acts as the first line of defense: it prevents street dust from entering the apartment, and the sink “deals” with house dust.

To summarize: Tandem breather and air washer are an effective solution to the problem of dust allergies. The cost of a multifunctional and economical breather is about 20,000 rubles. The average price of air washing is from 5,000 to 8,000 rubles. These expenses are one-time, in contrast to the ongoing costs of visiting doctors and buying medications.

Diagnosis of allergies

A doctor can make a diagnosis of allergies based on complaints, medical history and tests to identify individual sensitivity to allergens. For this purpose, general clinical examinations of blood and urine are carried out. The state of immunity is examined - analysis for specific antibodies Ig E and IgG, skin tests with allergens are carried out. They are produced as follows: a small amount of allergen is applied to the skin, and after some time the body’s reaction is studied. If there are signs of an inflammatory reaction (swelling, redness appears), then the test is considered positive. In addition to skin tests, prick tests and prick tests are used.

What does VERAMED offer?

We have been successfully treating various types of allergies in our patients for a long time. Experience allows us to talk about the success of therapy in most cases. In clinics in Odintsovo and Zvenigorod you can get help from immunologists, allergists, dermatologists and any other specialized specialists.

In our centers you can visit a doctor, get tested, undergo allergy tests and receive specific therapy, taking into account the individual characteristics of the allergic disease.

Make an appointment by phone and ask your questions to qualified doctors.

How to cure dust allergies?

Any allergy treatment should begin with eliminating the allergen. You should deal with household dust in the most active way: remove carpets, soft toys, carry out wet cleaning daily, and leave the apartment during repairs.

At the same time, the doctor selects a suitable allergy medicine for the patient and prescribes medications that will help relieve the symptoms of asthma, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis. As a rule, these are antihistamine tablets for dust allergies, products in the form of sprays, ointments and drops, and the gel enterosorbent Enterosgel.

People suffering from household allergies need to always have an allergy remedy prescribed by a doctor on hand. In severe cases of the disease, hormonal pills for dust allergies are prescribed strictly according to the regimen.

Nowadays, enterosorbents play an important role in the treatment of household allergies. Today, the most popular of them is the time-tested Enterosgel. The drug absorbs toxins that are formed in the body during allergic reactions and removes them from the body. In addition, Enterosgel reduces the level of IgE, reducing sensitization of the body.

Treatment of dust allergies in children and adults should be aimed at changing the immune response to the allergen. In order for the body to stop accepting household dust with hostility, nonspecific immunotherapy is carried out. This treatment is also effective for people with allergies to insect bites and hay fever.

Prevention: reduce contact with the allergen to a minimum

The most effective preventative measure in this case is to stop contact with dust. For this purpose it is necessary:

• carry out wet cleaning at least once a day;
• ventilate the room every 2-2.5 hours;
• get rid of all things and interior items that accumulate dust (fabric curtains, drapes, soft toys, books, carpets and rugs);
• replace blankets and pillows filled with down and feathers with accessories filled with hypoallergenic synthetic materials;
• isolate the child from contact with pets.

The difficulty here is that life makes its own adjustments: no matter how strict the “anti-allergenic regime” may be at first, over time it weakens and the allergy returns with renewed vigor. Again I have to spend money on visiting doctors and buying medicines.

How to treat dust allergies with folk remedies?

For mild allergies, treatment with infusions and decoctions of medicinal plants can be used. For this purpose:

• bearberry;
• mint;
• Oak bark;
• chamomile;
• juniper.

Turns out…

In addition to deserts and volcanoes, there is a lot of dust... oceans and seas. During evaporation, they make their “dust contribution”, forming entire clouds. In addition, the atmosphere contains a significant amount of meteorite and comet dust - and not only: when analyzed, you can even find particles of penguin feces from distant Antarctica! What’s most amazing is that all these tiny particles are in your apartment! Dust is very insidious and poses a danger even to people living thousands of kilometers from its source.

Clinical researches

Conducted clinical studies prove the high efficiency, safety and tolerability of the products. It has been empirically proven that La Cree cream for sensitive skin:

• reduces itching and irritation;
• relieves skin redness;
• moisturizes and gently cares for the skin.

Sources:

1. Reken Martin, Schaller Martin, Sattler Elke, Burgdorf Walter, Atlas of Dermatology, MEDpress-inform, 2021.
2. Yagodka Valentina Stepanovna, Medicinal plants in dermatology and cosmetology, Naukova Dumka publishing house, 1991.
3. Molochkova Yulia Vladimirovna, Dermatology. Brief reference book, GEOTAR-Media, 2021.

Photos of allergies in children

What can a household allergy lead to?

With constant irritation of the skin by allergens, eczema can develop, and allergic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes can aggravate the inflammation of the cornea and other tissues of the eyeball.

Due to constant irritation by dust allergens, the nasal mucosa thickens, polypous growths occur and external respiration is impaired. In children, this can lead to academic failure and even mental retardation.

Bronchial asthma can be complicated by an asthmatic condition - this is the name for an attack of suffocation as a result of prolonged narrowing of the bronchi in response to the intake of an allergen.

Anaphylaxis, a violent allergic reaction of the body, also poses a threat to life. Of course, we should not forget that dust is not only an allergen, but also a substance that provokes malignant processes - for example, lung cancer. Scientists believe that the high incidence of this disease is associated not only with the large number of smokers, but also with the degree of air pollution from exhaust gases, industrial waste and substances formed during the decomposition of garbage. Remember, dust is serious!