Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Eczema Treatment: Avoiding Triggers - Dust Mites
Many people with eczema are allergic to house dust mite. If you are allergic, you have to greatly reduce the number of house dust mite for any chance that symptoms may improve. However, it is impossible to clear house dust mite completely from a home, and it is hard work to greatly reduce their number to a level which may be of benefit.
Therefore, if your eczema is mild to moderate, and can be managed by the usual treatments of emollients and short courses of topical steroids, it is usually not worthwhile doing anything about house dust mite.
However, if you have moderate or severe eczema which is difficult to control with the usual treatments, you may wish to consider reducing the level of house dust mite from your home. (A skin prick test may help to confirm the allergy before embarking on the following measures which are hard work.)
To greatly reduce the number of house dust mite:
Remove carpets (where possible) from the bedroom. Avoid soft furnishing in the bedroom.
Use dust tight ('mite proof') covers for mattress, duvet, and pillow (a good bed retailer will be able to advise). This can be left in place for several months. The usual covers can be put on top of the special covers, but should be washed every 1-2 weeks at 60 degrees centigrade.
Use feather rather than synthetic pillows (this is the opposite to what used to be thought).
Wet-dust the bedroom furniture every 1-2 weeks. Some people advise dusting even more frequently - even daily dusting.
Vacuum or clean the bedroom floor regularly. Use a vacuum cleaner with a good filter (this removes the mite and prevents small particles coming out through the vacuum exhaust).
Vacuum the mattress once a week.
Regularly ventilate the bedroom (open the door and a window for a while on most days).
Keep soft toys to a minimum. Put them in the freezer in a plastic bag for 24 hours now and again. This kills any mites on them. If the toys are washable, wash them at 60 degrees centigrade after putting them in the freezer.
Try to keep humidity low (for example, do not dry washing on the radiator). An electric blanket decreases humidity in the bed which helps to keep mite numbers down in a mattress.
Therefore, if your eczema is mild to moderate, and can be managed by the usual treatments of emollients and short courses of topical steroids, it is usually not worthwhile doing anything about house dust mite.
However, if you have moderate or severe eczema which is difficult to control with the usual treatments, you may wish to consider reducing the level of house dust mite from your home. (A skin prick test may help to confirm the allergy before embarking on the following measures which are hard work.)
To greatly reduce the number of house dust mite:
Remove carpets (where possible) from the bedroom. Avoid soft furnishing in the bedroom.
Use dust tight ('mite proof') covers for mattress, duvet, and pillow (a good bed retailer will be able to advise). This can be left in place for several months. The usual covers can be put on top of the special covers, but should be washed every 1-2 weeks at 60 degrees centigrade.
Use feather rather than synthetic pillows (this is the opposite to what used to be thought).
Wet-dust the bedroom furniture every 1-2 weeks. Some people advise dusting even more frequently - even daily dusting.
Vacuum or clean the bedroom floor regularly. Use a vacuum cleaner with a good filter (this removes the mite and prevents small particles coming out through the vacuum exhaust).
Vacuum the mattress once a week.
Regularly ventilate the bedroom (open the door and a window for a while on most days).
Keep soft toys to a minimum. Put them in the freezer in a plastic bag for 24 hours now and again. This kills any mites on them. If the toys are washable, wash them at 60 degrees centigrade after putting them in the freezer.
Try to keep humidity low (for example, do not dry washing on the radiator). An electric blanket decreases humidity in the bed which helps to keep mite numbers down in a mattress.
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