Dust Mite Induced Asthma and Its Prevention

I am going to talk to you today, about dust mites and their role in causing Asthma attacks and allergies.

The tips that I am going to give you today will go a long way in preventing asthma and help you lead a healthy asthma and allergy free life.

Dust mites are tiny little creatures which cause a huge impact on one’s health and which are invisible to the naked eye and can only be viewed under a microscope. You cannot see them but they are always there inducing allergy in allergic prone people. Dust mites are white in color and have eight legs instead of six so they are classed as arthropods. They are named so because they are an integral component of dust no matter how clean you try to keep your house.

Imagine thousands of these mites crawling around in your bed, your sofas and even your stuffed toys.

The thought is enough to give you goose bumps and yet it is true. Dust mites thrive in almost any environment except Antarctica. So unless you live on the frozen ice caps of Southern pole, there’s no escaping them. They can sustain well in temperatures of 68 to 77 Fahrenheit and in relative humidity of 70 to 80 percent. They die when humidity levels fall below 40 to 50 percent so they cannot exist in dry environments.

The dust mite doesn’t have any eyes or a respiratory system. It leads a short miserable life of about 2 to 4 months and spends its life moving about, eating and spewing out waste product. A female can lay as many as a hundred eggs in her lifetime and it takes 2 to 5 weeks for a mite to develop from an egg to adult.

A dust mite hasn’t got any demanding requirements. You will be surprised to know that it feeds off tiny fragments of skin which human beings shed every day. We humans can shed 1.5 grams of skin a day and the dust mites’ feast on this organic matter. Apart from that, if you view your house under a microscope, the spit, sweat and organic matter that gets accumulated every day presents a horrifying picture. These materials are just the ideal breeding ground for dust mites.

We should know how this minute creature can cause allergic reactions and especially asthma so that we can take preventive measures. As already described that the dust mites feed off organic matter like skin flakes and body hair etc, they digest it and produce waste material. This waste contains a protein called allergen which causes allergic reaction in most people. The horrific fact about a dust mite is that it can produce waste up to 200 times its body weight!

Imagine lying on a carpet or a mattress which is crawling with thousands of dust mites. If you are an asthmatic, you will be left gasping for air as soon as you come in contact with these little devils. It is not only the waste they produce but the mites themselves have certain proteins in their exoskeletons which can cause allergic reactions. People start to itch and wheeze once they come in contact with the mites and their skin develops red spots. They can also leave you with a runny nose so any inexplicable outbreak should ring a bell in your head that it might be induced by dust mites.

A question must be nagging you that if there are dust mites in your house, is your house clean or not? Let me tell you that your house might be the cleanest house in the world and it can still have dust mites. The reason is because these creatures are mostly found deeply buried in your carpets, mattresses and upholstery. No matter how much you use the vacuum cleaner, you will not be able to eliminate the mites completely. There are ways however to lessen the effect of dust mites.

The first step you can take to get rid of these creatures is to install a dehumidifier in your house. Set the dehumidifier at a level of 55 percent which will cause the death of these dust mites.

If you are fond of keeping pets and are faced with a dilemma whether to keep them and keep suffering from asthma, you don’t have to worry anymore. Install a HEPA Air Cleaner in your house so that it keeps the air clean of any animal droppings or their hair. Usually the safest option is to keep the animal out of the house.

Nowadays there are zip covers available for cushions, mattresses and sofas which have anti allergen protection. These clothes have got special pores inside them which do not allow the dust mites to pass and reside in their favorite sanctuaries.

Until Next time, I wish you and yours only the very best of health!

Disclaimer

It is important to note that information contained in this post is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Any questions regarding a medical diagnosis or treatment should be directed to a medical practitioner.

Exercise Induced Asthma – Causes and Prevention

Today I am going to shed some light on exercise induced asthma and try to identify its causes so that you can take the requisite preventive measures. Exercise Induced Asthma (E.I.A) also known as Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction (E.I.B) is a condition in which the patient has difficulty in breathing when exercising due to the air flow cavities becoming narrow.

This can be a real pain because exercise is necessary for everyone and you don’t want to be that person who is left gasping for air every time he puts his muscles to some use. It might be normal up to some point that your breathing rate is increased or you have to cough somewhat but if you have to breathe extra hard then it means that you have this problem.

At this point, it will be good to try and understand why exercise can trigger asthma in a person? If you understand the processes going on in your body, you will be able to control your breathing and avoid asthma. When we are breathing normally through the nose, the air gets moisturized and humid. When we are exercising, the air intake has to be greater as oxygen is required by the blood in greater quantities. For this purpose, a person has to breathe through the mouth. This kind of air is usually dry so the airways become tight and produce mucus.

So how are we going to spot an asthma attack? You might experience wheezing which is a whistling sort of sound. Mucus is produced in the airways due to which you have to cough a lot. You can run short of breath. One might think that it is a very normal thing but the problem gets worse as it progresses. The airways get tight and you feel pain in the chest.

Exercise Induced Asthma can start a few minutes after exercising and may continue even after the exercise is over. The symptoms can become worse for the last 10 minutes.

However, you don’t have to be discouraged by the situation that you cannot undergo intensive aerobic exercises. With proper care and treatment you can enjoy exercising like a normal person! You will be surprised that even some of the Olympic athletes suffer from asthma and still partake in the sports.

Here are some tips that you can follow if you want to avoid exercise induced asthma without using medications. Before starting exercise, warm up slowly till you feel the tightness associated with E.I.A. At this point stop and stretch yourself. This will stop the appearance of symptoms of Exercise Induced Asthma and you can escape even the need for taking medications.

If you have trouble breathing, then you can improve your breathing capabilities by undergoing techniques like pranayama which are taught in yoga classes. This relaxes your respiratory muscles and gives you the ability to breathe better hence helping you during exercise.

You should find sports in which you can easily control your breath. These sports allow you short periods of rest in between which go a long way in regaining your breath. They might include softball, tennis and golf. Other sports which are better suited for asthmatic people are baseball, volleyball, walking, wrestling and gymnastics. Swimming is a very intensive exercise in which the whole body is involved but asthmatics are generally well adapted to it as it is performed in a warm and moist indoor environment.

Basketball and football are usually intensive activities but you can play even these sports if properly treated. Cold weather sports like ice hockey, skiing and ice skating are also less tolerable in Exercise Induced Asthma (E.I.A) patients.

Ok so we have talked about what exercises are good for asthma patients and what sports are suitable for them. Now I am going to tell you something you should do if all else fails i.e under the circumstances that you suffer an asthma attack. Yes you guessed it right! I am talking about medications.

There are some drugs which if inhaled before exercising will restrict the contraction of airways. One of these medicines is Albuterol which is to be taken 15 to 20 minutes before exercise. It is a bronchodilator which means it dilates or thins the muscles of our respiratory system and protects against asthma attack for four to six hours.

Salmeterol and Formoterol are two more medicines which should be taken about 30 minutes prior to exercise. They have a long term action on the bronchus and act as dilating agents. However, they might also increase the risk of asthma related death and so should not be relied on as the only solution.

One of the causes of E.I.A has been identified as leukotrienes which are chemicals released by the body and cause inflammation and constriction of the bronchial tissue. In order to counter this problem, we have a drug called Montelukast which restricts the production of leukotrienes. This medicine is available in pill form and should be taken a night before you go for exercising.

Another medicine that the doctor can suggest is Ipratropium. Although it is used primarily to cure emphysema and chronic bronchitis but it is also suggested to asthma patients. It works by relaxing the bronchi or airways as the common name goes and is used for immediate relief of the problem.

There are long term solutions to the problem as well. Most common are inhaled corticosteroids like Fluticasone, mometasone etc. These medicines have to be inhaled for quite some time before their effects start to appear. There are also medicines like Leukotriene modifiers and Long Term Beta Agonists. The LABAs should be taken only in conjunction with inhaled corticosteroids. Otherwise some people link the LABAs to severe asthma attacks too.

Until Next time, I wish you and yours only the very best of health!

Disclaimer

It is important to note that information contained in this post is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Any questions regarding a medical diagnosis or treatment should be directed to a medical practitioner.