Focus on mites

Responsible for more than 75% of respiratory allergies in France , dust mites are a nightmare for all sensitive people. Invisible to the naked eye , these little arachnids are not to be feared as such, it is rather their secretions, debris and debris (once the latter died) that are at the origin of allergic reactions.
Especially appreciating the hot (over 25 °) and damp interiors , the mites proliferate there at great speed: 100,000 cubs can be born from one and the same female in 40 days ! You can find it all over the house : in soft toys, sheets, carpet, curtains, dust ( 1g of dust houses an average of 2 million mites ) or even mattresses ( 2 million microscopic spiders) can stay there ).

Mites: what are the consequences for our health?

They feed on human and animal 'debris' such as hair, hair, nails, skin ... and are the source of many genes, one of the most serious being allergic rhinitis . The latter is diagnosed by the following symptoms, grouped under the name PAREO:

Pruritus, itching of the palate and / or nose

- Anosmia, loss of smell

- Rhinorrhea, clear nasal discharge

- Sneezing

- Nasal obstruction

It can take more serious forms by evolving especially to asthma .

How to avoid the proliferation of mites?

To prevent the proliferation of mites , it is recommended to:

- ventilate your interior for 30 minutes, whatever the season

- do not heat your rooms more than 20 °

- regularly wash your sheets, covers and duvets; which must be in synthetic materials , the natural materials (feathers or lianas) being strong sources to mites

- put anti mite covers on your bed accessories

- prefer blinds to curtains , if you have curtains, remember to clean them at 60 ° just like your cushions

- avoid carpets and long-pile rugs

- prefer closed furniture to shelves

- prevent your pets from entering the rooms

Desensitization to mites

Today only treatment with recognized effectiveness, the desensitization, also called allergic immunotherapy, makes it possible to relieve the patients victims of severe allergic rhinitis . This consists of gently accustoming the body to allergens (molecules emitted by the mites, to which our body reacts), most often sublingually (a few drops under the tongue) and more rarely subcutaneously (punctures). The treatment lasts generally 3 to 5 years, it is prescribed by an allergist after this one has carried out different epidermal tests and (possibly) a blood test .

For more information do not hesitate to consult an allergist. You can also visit the site of the French biopharmaceutical company Stallergènes, a major player in the treatment of respiratory allergy and a pioneer of the sublingual route (developed in 1992).