What is a dust mite allergy?
With a mite allergy, your body reacts to various protein particles found in mite faeces, mite eggs, and components of dried mite bodies. The allergy is triggered by the inhalation of these particles and causes the human immune system to consider them a danger and release the neurotransmitter histamine. This, in turn, elicits an allergic reaction from your body.
No. So the house dust is not the allergic substance in your allergy! Mainly hair, dander (human and animal), fibres, fungal spores, feathers, bacteria form the well-known house dust, which occurs everywhere, regardless of the cleanliness of the living space. It serves as a food source and also a carrier for mites and their droppings.
House dust mites are the second most common triggers of allergic respiratory diseases. In Switzerland, 6-7% of the population is affected by house dust mite allergy.