It’s not easy to live with dust allergies – whether you’re at home or away. Just making the beds can put you in a tizzy with bouts of sneezing. Being around someone sweeping the floor for only two minutes can have you sniffling for a week. Some common symptoms of dust allergies include red, itchy and watery eyes; wheezing and sneezing; tightness in the chest or shortness of breath; and an itchy, stuffy and runny nose. Dust allergies are mainly a result of dust particles in the air and dust mites – things you just can’t avoid – unless you live in a vacuum. Cockroaches, mold, pollen and pet hair, fur or feathers might also trigger a dust allergy.1
Let’s face it; dust allergies are a daily nuisance, unlike seasonal allergies that only bother us a couple of times a year. Those with dust allergies end up popping pills on a regular basis to keep the allergy symptoms at bay. But that’s not the only solution. There are plenty of dust allergy home remedies that you can try. From natural decongestants to lifestyle changes and home management tips, there is a lot that can help. Take a shot at a couple of them to find out the best treatment for dust allergy that works for you.
1. Nettle Leaf
A natural anti-histamine, nettle leaf can be used as a dust allergy cure in many ways. Nettle leaf tea or tincture is widely used for this purpose. Some people also swear by capsules with nettle leaf extract or dried nettle leaves. According to a study, nettle leaf extract helps immensely in cases of allergic rhinitis or hay fever, a common dust allergy reaction. It reduces allergic and other inflammatory responses by naturally blocking the body’s ability to produce histamines, which are chemicals released by our body when a substance is seen as a threat (allergen).
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2. Pineapple
Bromelain, an enzyme found in pineapple, is another natural remedy for dust allergies. Bromelain has been found to be quite effective at dissolving mucous in respiratory tract diseases. The therapeutic dose you’d need for allergic rhinitis ranges from 400-500 mg of bromelain thrice a day. That’s a lot of pineapple servings, which might not be good for the rest of your body. So it is best to pop a bromelain supplement of 1800-2000 m.c.u. potency three times a day. Though allergic reactions are rare, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, menorrhagia, and metrorrhagia have been reported.3
3. Probiotics
All allergic reactions are the result of an imbalanced immune system making an unsuitable response to an environmental or food antigen (allergen). In general, probiotics help against all kinds of allergies by strengthening our immune response. There are many studies that prove probiotics effective against food allergies, atopic dermatitis and more. Consuming enough gut-friendly bacteria in probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut can help reduce the incidence of dust allergies.4
4. Vitamin C
This is the simplest solution for those suffering from dust allergies (or other forms of allergies). Abundantly found in citrus fruits like orange and sweet lime, vitamin C prevents the secretion of histamine by white blood cells and increase its detoxification. According to a study, vitamin C also decreases nasal secretions, blockage, and edema, making it a winner for allergic reactions such as hay fever.5
5. Bright Fruits And Veggies
Dust allergies bugging you to no end? Try to include more colorful fruits and veggies in your diet to get rid of symptoms such as itchy and watery eyes. Quercetin, a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory properties found in red, green and purple-pigmented foods like onions, apples and tomatoes, fights allergies.6
Quercetin is a natural antihistamine and has been found to be of great help in cases of allergic rhinitis. It is particularly potent when used in conjunction with bromelain.7
6. Dust-Free Bedroom
They say prevention is better than cure. So why not prevent the allergy in the first place? While we cannot control the environment outside, our bedroom is our domain. When a group of asthmatic children with house dust or house dust mite allergy was provided with zippered vinyl covers for pillows, mattresses, and box springs, with instructions for making their bedroom as clean as a hospital ward, the results were promising. It was noted that these kids had fewer days on which wheezing was observed, medication was given, or an abnormally low peak expiratory flow rate was recorded. Bronchial tolerance to aerosolized histamine also improved significantly among these children. Start with keeping your bedroom minimalistic and as dust-free as possible and you won’t need any other dust allergy remedies.8
7. Home Improvements
For the best dust allergy treatment at home, you can simply make some changes in the way you manage your house. There are plenty of little tweaks around the house that will minimize dust traps and house mites. Choose wooden flooring over carpeted floors; wash bed linen in hot water; vacuum with a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter; wear an N95 mask while cleaning up; keep pets out of the bedroom; get heaters and air conditioners serviced every six months. Use a wet mop or cloth instead of a dry one while cleaning hard surfaces to avoid stirring up dry allergens. As far as possible, replace upholstered furniture and furnishings with non-upholstered versions such as window blinds instead of curtains. Doing so lessens the number of places dust mites can build a home in. Also, it would help if you keep the humidity level below 55 percent as dust mites thrive on moisture. Invest in a dehumidifier if you live in a humid area.9
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