Frenzied house dust mites Why suffer from allergies currently most

Headache, coughing, sneezing - but the "right" runny nose stays off? Then it may not be a cold, but it is the symptoms of a house dust mite allergy, which make everyday life difficult.

Around ten percent of Germans suffer from this allergy. In autumn, the burden of allergens is particularly high, because the mites multiply especially from May to October. When the heating season starts and the humidity gets lower, the little arachnids die off - and at the same time the allergy-causing substances in the bedroom and other living rooms reach the highest level.

Mites hide everywhere in the apartment. Image: Sebastian Kaulitzki-fotolia

Especially noticeable is the allergy in the morning
The house dust mite allergy is noticeable especially at night and in the morning after getting up. Because in mattresses, pillows and duvets feel the mites, which are responsible for the allergy, extremely well. This is because the tiny arachnids feed mainly on human dander.

In a mattress the mites find a lot of food. In addition, they benefit from the moisture and heat. All in all, ideal conditions for the microscopic little animals, which are actually harmless: they do not sting, do not bite and do not transmit diseases.

"The allergy is not triggered by the mites themselves, but by their excrement and decay products," says Prof. Dr. med. med. Martin Mempel, dermatologist from Elmshorn. "These allergens dry up, break down into microscopic parts and combine with the dust. If allergy sufferers inhale this mixture, it comes to the typical reactions that are very similar to a cold.

From protective measures to hyposensitization
The strength of the allergic reaction can be very different. If the reactions are less pronounced, some people with allergies can cope well by taking anti-mite measures and decimating the mite allergens in the breath.

This is achieved, for example, by washing the bed linen regularly for at least one hour at 60 degrees. In addition, you should not immediately make the bed after getting up, but hit back the blanket and ventilate vigorously - so heat and moisture can escape better. Anti-allergenic mattress covers, called "encasings", also reduce the allergenic potential in the bedroom. But: It is a mistake to think that mites live only in the bedroom, they are just as found in the living room and in many other rooms. In fact, the highest exposure occurs in public transport. Nevertheless, one should stick to protective measures in the home area: Smooth floors are only cheaper for allergy sufferers if they are wiped damp at least twice a week. Otherwise, more dust is thrown up on a smooth floor than on a short-pile carpet - and this is especially true in the heating season when the air is drier and contains more dust particles.

Allergy sufferers who have more severe symptoms where symptomatic drugs such as antihistamines or glucocorticoid nasal sprays do not significantly improve symptoms and / or want to prevent dangerous asthma from developing should opt for hyposensitivity. This is paid by the health insurance and is the only therapy that can be used to combat the cause of the allergy.

In hyposensitization, for three to five years, allergy sufferers receive tablets, drops or syringes containing fixed doses of the specific allergen. This is how the immune system learns to no longer perceive house dust mites as a danger. This treatment is successful in most people with allergies: the symptoms are less or completely absent, even without the use of symptomatic drugs.