How to Cure Dust Allergies

Video Transcript

"Hi, my name is Dr. Ana Lamas and I am an practicing allergist ad immunologist in the Miami area. Lets talk about how to cure dust allergies. The word cure in medicine is a very difficult word especially when it comes to allergies as many allergy sufferers know the principal word we use for allergies is treatment not really a cure, however, in terms of treating dust allergies first and foremost is reduction of exposure. Remember always that it isn't the dust per se that causes the allergies but these microscopic insects that are called dust mites. There are two dust mites in North America, two species of dust mites in North America and in order to treat dust allergies we have to reduce exposure to them. They love bedding, so because they live in our mattresses, our pillows, they eat human skin cells that we slough in the course of the day so we need to use special allergy proof dust mite covers for mattress and pillows. As far as reduction and exposure is concerned, we also need to have no carpeting particularly in the bedroom, no draperies in the bedrooms. These are dust captures as are a lot of books. Once we have cleaned up our environment as much as possible and we still have dust allergies then we need medications. Nasal medications if the patient had rhinitis and asthma medications if a patient has allergic dust mite type of asthma. As far as further cure or treatment, allergy immune therapy is very efficacious in the treatment of dust mite allergies where we apply small amounts of dust allergen which is standardized in increasing volume and concentration to the patient in a subcutaneous shot. This induces blocking or protective antibodies and induces a short term ten to fifteen year cure."