Rhinitis, sneezing, watery eyes: millions of people in Germany suffer from house dust allergies. A clinical picture that should definitely be taken seriously. After all, long-lasting symptoms can seriously damage your bronchial tubes. Our doctors at Avi Medical will help you with the long-term treatment of your allergy at all our locations.
Like all allergies, house dust allergy is an unfounded defence reaction of the body to supposedly dangerous, foreign particles. The body marks these as "danger" (antigen) on serious contact and then fights them in a similar way to harmful viruses or bacteria .
This means that it forms immune cells (antibodies) to eliminate the supposed pathogen. The result: The next time the body comes into contact with the allergens, it has an excessive immune reaction, which is intended to quickly remove the intruders from the organism. This includes well-known symptoms such as a runny nose or sneezing .
Good to know: House dust allergy belongs to the upper group of allergic rhinitis, i.e. diseases that irritate the nose. If this irritation is accompanied by irritation of the conjunctiva, doctors call it allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
Unlike hay fever, which is seasonal , house dust allergy is considered perennial and can occur all year round.
The presence of a house dust allergy is usually diagnosed by a so-called prick and intradermal test. This test can exclude the possibility that the pathological reaction of the body is due to other causes (e.g. an infection).
In the test, allergenic particles are applied to or under the skin of potential allergy sufferers. If the skin reacts with redness or wheals after twenty minutes, an allergy is diagnosed.
The prick and intradermal test is particularly suitable for type 1 allergies, the so-called "immediate type reactions", as these cause immediate symptoms.
An alternative to this form of diagnosis is the detection of elevated IgE antibodies (immunoglobulins E) in the blood. These substances help the organism to fight off foreign substances.
The triggers of a house dust allergy are specific, objectively harmless allergens, such as dust, which are marked by the body as dangerous pathogens.
Typical symptoms of allergic rhinitis include:
If it is allergic conjunctivitis, there will also be other symptoms:
The first step in treating an acute house dust allergy is to take antihistamines and steroids (cortisone), which suppress the body's immune response for a short time. These are available as a nasal spray, eye drops or tablets.
If this symptomatic therapy does not alleviate your symptoms sufficiently or if you also have asthma, an allergen immunotherapy will follow.
For further diagnostics and to clarify whether immunotherapy is an option for you, we will gladly refer you to a specialist.
