treat dust mites?/protector p spray

rabialiones

hello, hope someone can help / give advice
child suffers from eczma , and gets skin infections. yesterday had hosp. appointment and was told that he cannot have any more antibiotics and has to go on a new drug which has more side effects.
after results of his blood tests.
I don't really want him to have any other medication so thought I would look up some other ideas which may help to ease the eczma before his next appointment.
he has dust mite allergy , I have seen some protector p spray and wonder if anyone has used this and if its any good.
also some smoke product that kills mites etc from hygiene supplies direct.
also looking at dust mite/anti bacterial bedding etc.
would be really grateful for any help /advice regarding this as I am really worried about him
thanks
thanks

Gingernutty

https://www.allergyuk.org/avoiding-respiratory-allergens/house-dust-mite

The spray contains an insecticide which may exacerbate the eczema.

Thorough vacuuming, damp dusting, barrier covers and washing at 60 degrees Celsius is much better in the long run.

Katiehound

I have a dust mite allergy (not dreadful just causes sinusitis.) I have got protective covers on the pillows and duvet. I always wash my bedding at 60 degrees because that kills the mites.Other than that I damp dust and try to vacuum as often as possible.

I seem to think there is some kind of electronic device (or more than one) that might help. Just googled it and this came up- with good reviews.:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dust-Controller-Asthma-Allergies-Eczema/dp/B001M4YZR2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449354154&sr=8-1&keywords=dust+mite+controller

I also see there is a special bed vacuum cleaner- it's on this page along with other items:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=dust+mite+controller&!!!!!googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=87477827889&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10830793493123169469&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3gt90bpvsz_b

Hopefully there is something there that would help you

teddysmum

One of my dogs has dust mite allergy (plus other undiagnosed ones) and I used Virbac spray from the vets, as many insect killers don't treat dust mites. The problem is that it is poisonous to fish, so lots of precautions have to be taken , if you have an aquarium.


It didn't have any effect on Teddy, because of his other allergies.

rabialiones

thanks for the replies, could anyone recommend any suitable bedding please ?
I dont think I would like to use virbac for my kids if its for animals, although I dont have fish

FBaby

I suffer from dustmite allergies (had no idea that's what I was allergic too until I did the tests). It is quite strong and unfortunately, none of the preventable advice has made any difference, not even a little bit.

My symptoms are only control via daily anti-histamine and steroid spray. My doctor has reassured me, referring to studies for evidence, that neither treatment is harmful long term.

It only takes forgetting to take my antihistamine once, and just like clock work, all the symptoms make their appearances after 36 hours.

I do hope that this will help your child though.

rabialiones

he takes anti histamines and has had steroid ointments over past 2/3 years.
not really happy about steroids as has side effects, am hoping to control by diet and trying to get rid of dust mites methods

teddysmum

Virbac is not for use on animals but is made by a veterinary company to kill insects which affect animals. It is sprayed round a room,which is then vacated for a while.


The vet told me that most of the over the counter insecticides do not work on dust mites.


It would have to be safe to use in a house ,where there could be children or other pets, else it would not be licensed for use there. The only warnings on the can are to isolate fish and to leave the room , while the product acts, then ventilate it well.

FBaby

rabialiones wrote: »

he takes anti histamines and has had steroid ointments over past 2/3 years.
not really happy about steroids as has side effects, am hoping to control by diet and trying to get rid of dust mites methods

The steroids I take is to control nasal blockage so different. These nasal sprays don't have long term risks like oral steroids but I do understand the concern over longer term use of a cream especially on a child.

Another thing I have been told is that warm and wet conditions makes it worse (ie. right now), so making sure to keep humidity level as low as possible (preferably under 50%) will help.

Ben84

I have a bad dust mite allergy - although mine is respiratory rather than skin. I've spent a lot of time and money trying to limit the number of dust mites in my house. Some things worked better than others for me.

It's important to note that the allergy is to the dead dust mites and their droppings. Killing them limits the production of new allergens, but doesn't remove existing ones. So you'll need to clear the allergens as well as reduce the population over time.

Covering my bed with full encapsulation covers (mattress, duvet and pillows) was one of the most effective things I did. I imagine beds are one of the major places dust mites live, and where we get a lot of exposure to them. You'll need to wash the allergy covers periodically at 60 or higher as the surface can still host dust mites, but as long as I do this they work and the effects last. I bought Astec Pristine, which are not cheap, but at the time I got them at 0% VAT as they were for a medical condition. I had to fill in a brief form about this. I was the outer bed covers once a week at 60, and the protective ones every 2-3 month at 60.

Using chemicals to kill the dust mites is tempting, but then there's possible health concerns about some of the chemicals. Acclaim flea spray is approved for killing dust mites, and I use it on the carpets twice a year. I have limited physical contact with the treated carpets however, at most walk around the house barefoot sometimes. People with children that play on the carpets, or small pets might feel differently about using sprays.

Also, despite lots of marketing to convince us otherwise, I've never found a bagless vacuum cleaner that didn't cause allergy problems. Paper bag cleaners are consistently the best for me. Unfortunately the best ones I've found are vintage electrolux cleaners from the 60s-80s, so not very current. I expect some modern ones work well however, but can't suggest any. I find vacuuming the bed and soft furnishing every week helps, and I dust with a soft bristle dusting attachment on the vacuum rather than cloths that just move dust around. As the person with the allergy it's safer that way too as any dust disturbed is mostly sucked in to the cleaner's bag by the air flow.

Electronic dust mite repelling devices appear to be bogus. I tried to find studies or evidence and turned up nothing. The manufacturer/retailer claims show significant misunderstandings of the allergy too, as many claim you can take it with you when you travel, such as spending a few nights in hotels and things. That's completely useless. Even if they did make all the dust mites leave, it's not the dust mites we're allergic to, it's the accumulated droppings and dead mite particles, which certainly aren't alive or mobile enough to go anywhere on account of a plug in device. The number of customer reviews saying they've worked within hours/days suggests people are experiencing placebo effects. It goes to show just how unreliable customer reviews of subjective things like this really are.

There are also products that break down the allergen proteins, some are made of harmless microbes that eat the allergens, others contain benzyl benzoate, a chemical which degrades the allergens. These can offer a fast way to clear the allergens, but I have found them expensive and the effects short lived unless I'm doing other things to reduce the mites. It's nice to have a bottle around for the times when I obtain an item that's likely to be contaminated with mite allergens. In my case that's second hand rugs and things, but for a child I suppose soft toys are more likely.

Clothes are another place they seem to live. I've ended up having to own a somewhat limited amount of clothes and wear each item fairly often so that it's washed at least once a month.

Well, that's turned out to be quite a long list. I do more things than I realised, but after so many years it's all just habit now, so it does become easier. I put carpet spraying dates and allergy cover washing dates in the diary, and I clean the house the same way once every week. It's a long term thing and there's no fix I know of that lasts. Having minimal clutter makes the cleaning regime a lot less punishing however. And I have had my allergy under control for a long time now, so it's worth it for me.

rabialiones

wow!
that's quite informative, thanks for the info, I will look into the bed coverings you use and try to get them without vat if possible as they are for the childs medical condition