6 Dust Allergy Symptoms: Causes and Treatments (2024)

If you are experiencing dust allergy 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.

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 and defend itself from the allergen.

You’re more likely to have a dust allergy if you:

• Have family members with dust allergies
• Come in contact with air pollution
• Smoke cigarettes or have exposure to second-hand smoke

Prolonged exposure to high dust levels may also increase your chance of developing a dust allergy.

6 Dust Allergy Symptoms to Recognize

Dust allergy symptoms tend to be milder than those from pollen allergies (hay fever). Even so, they can be severe and greatly impact your health.

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.

When you have an allergy, sneezing is also triggered by inflammation in the nasal passages. This is called allergic rhinitis. The sneeze may eliminate the irritants, but it doesn't help with the inflammation, so you may continue to sneeze after the dust and mites are gone.

Runny, Stuffed-Up, Itchy Nose

Part of your body’s defense against inhaled irritants is increasing the amount and flow of mucus to clear them out. The increased mucus is caused by histamine. The inflammation, not the mucus, often causes your nose to be stuffed up.

Histamine can also cause itchiness in the nose, mouth, and throat. Congestion and runny nose may also lead to postnasal drip and 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 a mast cell, which releases histamine.

Other eye symptoms can include:

• Redness
• Burning
• Excessive watering
• Puffiness

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 have asthma, dust-mite allergies may trigger asthma symptoms or attacks. Asthma symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath

While treating your allergies may help lessen asthma symptoms and make attacks less frequent, it’s important that you also get treatment for your asthma. It’s a serious condition that can have serious and even fatal consequences if left untreated.

Skin Symptoms

While rare, a dust allergy can cause skin symptoms such as a rash (redness, itchiness) and atopic dermatitis flares.

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 the morning because 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:

• Frequent ear problems, such as recurrent ear infections: Watch for crankiness, fussiness, and rubbing the ears.
• Congestion without a runny nose: Watch for breathing through the mouth, especially while sleeping.
• Poor sleep, fatigue, and impaired concentration: Watch for behavioral issues and a lack of focus.

If you suspect your child has allergies, see a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

Does All Dust Have Mites?

Dust is made up of many different particulates, including:

• Mites
• Mite feces
• Dead human and animal skin cells (dander)
• Soil
• Mold
• Pollen
• Other microscopic particles

The makeup of dust varies from one house to another and is affected by your lifestyle and environmental factors.

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:

• Antihistamines
• Corticosteroids
• Mast-cell stabilizers
• Leukotriene receptor antagonists
• Decongestant nasal sprays and drops
• Saline (salt water) nasal spray and washes

A hyposensitization or allergen-specific immunotherapy treatment 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:

• Using dehumidifiers or air-conditioning: Keep indoor humidity between 30% and 50%.
• Using HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters: The filters in your ducts or vacuum can help trap allergens.
• Damp mopping/dusting: Moistened cleaning products keep dust from getting into the air.
• Wash curtains, bedding, and stuffed toys in hot water: This kills mites better than cold water.
• Vacuum or steam clean upholstery: This removes dust mites from your furniture.
• Choose hard flooring: Carpet collects dust and traps moisture.
• Use mite-proof, zippered allergy covers: Suitable for a mattress, box springs, and 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 to allergies to shellfish, which contain a similar protein. These include:

• Shrimp
• Crab
• Lobster
• Snails
• Mussels

Severe dust-allergy symptoms increase your risk of sinus inflammation, called sinusitis. 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.

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.