Dust mite information site for people with asthma, rhinitis or eczema.

Allergy and the mite

Exposure to house dust mites is recognised as a major cause of allergy worldwide. Common allergic diseases are asthma, rhinitis (hayfever), conjunctivitis and eczema. These can all be associated with mite exposure. Allergy symptoms can vary according to age, life style, environment and stress. Disease manifestations are as individual as the patients themselves.

Eczema is not always considered a true allergic reaction but it shares immune profiles with others and is considered part of the ‘classic’ allergy triangle of asthma, rhinitis, and eczema.

COMMON CAUSES OF ALLERGY IN CHILDREN AND THE TARGET ORGAN

A focus on eczema, often the first outward sign of an allergy problem.

In eczema emotional stress is known to be an important factor in prolonging the disease. If a flare-up of eczema is experienced without an obvious cause, bacterial infections on inflamed skin should be considered. If a bacterial infection has been found it often turns out to be Staphylococcus aureus. This bacteria may cause the weeping or crusting of diseased skin and has been known to lead to the chronic form of the disease. It is often referred to as the (golden bacteria) because of the colour of the product it produces.

Recently, a large study on the risk factors for adults with allergic eczema found dog dander to be the strongest, independent cause of the disease. The doctors were concerned that a patient with allergy to a family pet and suffering from eczema may be unaware of the cause of disease as the contact and eczema’s progress are mixed up and appear constant. The doctors also investigated inhaled risk factors for eczema in the indoor environment. They looked at house dust mites, animal dander (fine dust from skin and fur) and pollens and found all to be independently associated with the disease and considered all of them as risk factors. For patients, with allergic eczema, having more than one allergy increased the risks of exacerbation of symptoms. A cocktail of allergens, made worse by stress is most probably the underlying cause of allergic eczema in most adults.

Similar pages

1. Allergy, skin prick testing
2. 1996 – Evidence describing how mite droppings can cause ‘allergic-like’ symptoms before true allergy develops
3. 2010 – Active allergy to house dust mites makes asthma/COPD worse
4. Doctors need improvement in allergy education – globally
5. Pollens, mite allergy and eye disease

The UCB institute of allergy. European Allergy White Paper; Allergic disease as a public health problem.Braine-l’ Alleud: UCB Pharmaceutical Sector, 1997.