House dust mite droppings could improve your wellbeing if you suffer with asthma. This is according to experts from Danish firm ALK Abello, who have developed a pill from a protein found in house dust mite droppings which could.
As one of the leading causes of asthma, you may not think dust mites, which are tiny creatures that live in your dusty household carpets, bedding and soft furnishings, are suitable for improving your wellness. If you are allergic to house dust mites, when you touch or inhale them the proteins from their droppings cause your immune system to release a chemical called histamine, which triggers your asthma attacks, so why would you want to consume them in the form of a melt-in-the-mouth tablet?
The breakthrough pill is an immune-therapy treatment, by which your immune system is regularly exposed to tiny amounts of the proteins, and so it no longer interprets them as a threat. This means that your body no longer feels the need to trigger the asthma-inducing histamine rush. Results of early trials of the pill have been promising, allowing patients who took the tablet every day to substantially reduce their use of inhaled steroids.
According to Leanne Metcalf, Assistant Director of Research at Asthma UK, ‘Dust is a huge issue for people with asthma; 90% of them tell us that dust triggers their symptoms so this research is really encouraging. We know that some people find inhalers difficult to use and also that some asthma medicines can have side effects if taken in high doses or over a long period of time, so we look forward to the day that this research can be translated into a viable alternative treatment for allergic asthma.’
She added, ‘If successful, it may help many of the 5.4million people with asthma in the UK to manage their allergic asthma symptoms and live less restricted lives.’ Until then, if your asthma is triggered by dust mites, Asthma UK recommends using complete barrier covering systems on your mattress, duvet and pillow, replacing your carpets with hard flooring and vacuuming all areas frequently. You can also try washing your bedding once a week on a hot wash, and purchasing a dehumidifier to kill dust mites.
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