The dust in your home could be making you ill. Here's what you need to know
Is the dust in your home making you feel poorly? The chances are it might be.
Keeping your house completely free from dust might seem like a never-ending, boring job. But could those dusty surfaces and skirting boards be making you sick?
Just like pollen, dust is a common substance that can cause allergies, and those dust bunnies hiding in forgotten corners of our homes could be secretly causing us health problems. So, if you're wondering whether it's time for a good spring clean, your lungs and eyes could thank you for it.
READ MORE: New map shows where 100-day cough cases are rising the most with hundreds in London
Dust can be hard to manage
When it comes to 'hidden' dust, Nicola Alexander-Cross, an optometrist and co-founder of eyecare brand, Peep Club, says tricky areas include "the kitchen or bath/shower since it's where we spend a lot of our time and because of the added humidity. And after that, the bedroom especially if sheets aren't washed regularly enough," she adds.
Emma Rubach, head of health advice at the charity Asthma + Lung UK, says dust can be really difficult to tackle in the home. She said: "There's dust everywhere. Dust is usually the product of shedding skin from humans and pets, as well as dust found in soft furnishing, and even if you cleaned all the time, it would be really hard to get rid of it. This can become more a problem at certain times of the year, as first turning on your heating in October will trigger dust mites to mate, meaning there will be more in the house to cause an allergic reaction."
Some parts of your home might not get cleaned as much, like kids' toys or things you only use once a year, like Christmas decorations. Remember this if dust makes you sneeze or have other problems.
READ MORE: Tim Spector says one food linked to diabetes, obesity and other problems
Do you sneeze a lot because of dust?
It's pretty common to be allergic to dust, and it can make you sneeze, have a runny nose, watery eyes, and sometimes an itchy feeling. Dust might also make asthma worse.
If you already have trouble with your lungs or asthma, too much dust at home could make it worse. You might cough more, find it hard to breathe, and have more of the usual asthma troubles.
Ms Rubach said: "It's actually really important if you know that you've got a dust allergy and that dust is triggering your lung health symptoms, to make sure you're regularly taking your prescribed medicine, because it's very hard to avoid dust unfortunately. Make sure you're ventilating your home, make sure you're cleaning but it's very difficult to get your home clear of dust so it's really, really important to make sure you're taking your medicines as prescribed. If you have asthma, it's really important to make sure that you've got a blue reliever inhaler, which will help you if your symptoms do flare up."
Your eyes can get irritated by too much dust
Dust particles can often get trapped in eyelashes and may cause irritation to the eye until they're cleaned off. If you notice your eyes are red, itchy or watering after you've swept the house or vacuumed, then it could well be that you have a dust allergy or particularly sensitive eyes. When this happens, it's important not to rub your eyes which can cause micro scratches to your cornea and will make the symptoms worse."
If this happens, apply a cool compress or take a cool shower, as heat can cause the blood vessels to dilate, which may make the irritation worse. Other tips include ventilating the house as much as possible by opening windows to let in fresh air, and also cleansing your eyes to remove the dust particles from your eyelashes. If symptoms continue or are getting worse, see your doctor for advice.
Want more from MyLondon? Sign up to our daily newsletters for all the latest and greatest from across London here.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Comments