Wintertime allergies and quiet monsters: Dust mites

• “Oh, Winter, what a beautiful and cold weather! What can be a good afternoon activity?”

• “Building a snow pal with your kids in the garden!”

But after a frozen day, there is nothing better than to gather in the living room and peek into a glass of steaming tea or hot chocolate and spend the evening together. Unfortunately, allergies can ruin this too!

Exposure to indoor allergens is a common trigger for so-called “winter allergies”. As people spend more time inside, especially now it's cold outside, they may face more exposure to these allergens, which then may bring about symptoms of “winter allergies”.

Symptoms are similar to those of other seasonal allergies, and certain symptoms may also resemble those of a cold. Spring, summer, and fall allergies are seasonal, which means that they appear when certain allergens, such as tree pollen or ragweed, are more abundant in the air, but “winter allergies” are less dependent on season than on lifestyle. This is because most “winter allergies” are reaction to the indoor allergens. People are more likely to notice this allergy when they spend more time inside, especially in poorly ventilated spaces. “Winter allergy” is mostly caused by dust mites.

• “Oh, dust mites? What can we do to prevent dust mite allergy?”

• What can you do? First, there are ways to reduce your exposure.

Concentrating on the bedroom is most important, as people spend more time in their bedrooms over a 24-hour period than any other room in the house. The dust mite concentration is the biggest in humid, warm areas. If possible, all carpeting and drapes should be removed. Levels of mites in the bedroom can be reduced by using small area rugs, blinds or window shades, all of which can be easily cleaned.

Medications can help control symptoms. There are several over-the-counter treatments such as non-sedating antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroids which may give some relief to your nose and eyes. If these treatments are not effective, or if every time you stop using them your symptoms return, you may want to see a board-certified allergist for further management. There are excellent prescription treatments, and you may be a candidate for immunotherapy for allergies. But why we want to use medication to ease the symptoms, if we focus on prevention, we can prevent the development of so-called winter allergies.

With dusting and cleaning you can do a lot for the dust mite free environment, but you can do much more. With using Miteless ultrasonic dust mite repeller, you can reduce the concentration of these pests. This revolutionary product can be a long-term solution against dust allergy. It combats the presence of dust mites, the most common trigger of year-round allergies and asthma. Use it in every room where the dust-allergic person makes a long stay, except in the living room, because there are “twice as many mites were found in sofas as compared to beds, while much lower numbers are isolated from wardrobes and carpets” - said by Professor Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Herbrew University of Jerusalem.

Prevent winter allergies and avoid medication! Use Miteless!