U.S. experts conclude that pricey mattress covers have no effect on lowering dust mite allergies or their signs and symptoms based on twenty clinical trials.
Dust mites are estimated to be one of the most common causes of allergies, which affect up to 40% of the global population. Despite the lack of proof that they solve the issue, doctors frequently advise patients to purchase specialized mattress and pillow covers, according to the authors.
As the lead author Whitney Arroyave told Reuters Health, “Based on this analysis, which combines data from many different studies, there doesn’t seem to be any benefit to using dust mite covers to prevent allergic disease or to prevent symptoms.”
Arroyave, a researcher at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, and her associates analyzed the outcomes of 24 studies testing different strategies for lowering dust mite exposure and preventing allergy symptoms.
The research team discovered that although the usage of mattress coverings significantly reduced exposure to house mite dust levels (by around 20%), it had no statistically significant influence on house dust mite sensitization or symptoms including wheezing, asthma, runny noses, or eczema.
The Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology reported the findings.
It is unclear, according to Arroyave, why dust mite covers do not appear to be helpful in reducing allergy symptoms, but it’s likely that they don’t reduce mite levels sufficiently to lessen signs and symptoms, or if beds aren’t the main source of exposure for the dust mites.
She added, “Or maybe it’s not the dust mite at all; maybe the issues aren’t being caused by them.
The cost of dust mite covers, according to Arroyave, is a burden, especially for those with extremely low incomes.
She added, “Asking people to pay for this is expensive.
She said that other researchers had conducted larger studies, looking at various dust mite prevention strategies as well as dust mite covers in particular.
Arroyave remarked, “They didn’t discover any results either, so I guess we’re just saying, you know, look at this again — maybe we need to reevaluate the suggestions. Dr. Samuel Friedlander, an allergist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, said he has no intention of stopping promoting dust mite mattress covers.
According to Friedlander, who was not involved in the new study, “what’s important to understand is that avoidance measures are very important for allergy controls, and one of the three ways we treat allergies by avoiding your allergies, medication, and immunotherapy or allergy shots,”
This article is useful because it demonstrates that using just one method to treat allergies is not always beneficial.
Dust mite covers are still very important, but they should be a part of an all-encompassing treatment strategy, he said.
In order to demonstrate cause and effect, researchers often change one thing at a time. However, in practice, allergists often need to make several recommendations in order to alleviate their patients’ problems, according to Friedlander.
“A single measure like dust mite covers is obviously not going to be effective,” he explained. “If you do one thing like dust mite covers, but you’re still exposed to dust from other sources in your house or at work, or if you have other allergies like pets or pollens, then of course a single measure like dust mite covers is not going to be effective.”
Friedlander stated that he did not want people to disregard the significance of dust mite coverings.
“I think the point is that we need to make multiple recommendations to relieve multiple allergies that our patients are allergic to,” he stated. Dust mite coverings are crucial, but they must be a part of an all-encompassing treatment strategy.
Friedlander said that it’s crucial to consult an allergist to identify your allergies so the doctor can create a plan of action to address them all.
