Allergy Treatment Begins At Home (cont.)
How can dust covers help?
People with allergies to dust mites and molds are well
served by encasing their pillows, mattress, and box springs
in zippered, allergen-impermeable encasings. These covers
provide the patient with a protective barrier against dust
mites, their fecal particles, and mold antigens. This is
critical in reducing your dust mite exposure especially if
you take into account that most people spend at least one-
third of each day in the bedroom. The bedroom is also a
haven for dust mites due its warmth and humidity and to the
abundant food source from human skin flakes and
secretions.
Formerly, dust covers were only available in plastic.
Fortunately, the technology has improved to the point that
the newer fabrics allow airflow but completely prevent the
passage of antigens through the impermeable fibers. The
flow of air and perspiration through the fabric provides
excellent comfort without the clammy feel associated with
plastic. These products are increasingly available through
various allergy catalogs, allergy supply houses, home
supply stores and an ever-increasing number of online
computer sites. Grocery store chains are increasingly
carrying these products as awareness of their effectiveness
has grown. Be sure to examine the samples available so you
will be comfortable with your product choice. There is a
range of prices for these products, so be sure to compare.
Your allergist will typically have an array of catalogs and
order forms to assist you in your search.
When people invest in dust covers, they sometimes omit
the purchase of the box spring cover in an effort to
economize. Since the body is not in direct contact with the
box spring, people might think it is not important enough
to bother with. Unfortunately, it's not that simple.
Several years ago, a study compared the dust mite counts of
beds with partial versus complete coverings. It was quite
clear that unless all parts are covered, the entire bed
becomes reinfested with dust mites in a short period of
time. The good news is that you can use a less expensive
vinyl cover on the box spring since it does not touch the
skin. The investment in complete dust covers is well worth
the money.
Allergy
Fact
Researchers in Spain recently found that children
sleeping in the bottom and top bunks of bunk beds were
equally likely to develop allergy to dust mites. However,
the child sleeping on the bottom bunk was at a
significantly higher risk of developing asthma than the
child on the top bunk. It may be that the health aspects
of bunking together should be considered when planning
children's room designs, especially for families with
asthma and allergy histories.
Next: What are carpet powders? Can they help? »
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