Odactra, the First Allergen Extract to Treat House Dust Mite

adminLeave a comment
Posted in Dust Mite StudiesTagged

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Odactra, the first allergen extract to be administered under the tongue (sublingually) to treat house dust mite (HDM)-induced nasal inflammation (allergic rhinitis), with or without eye inflammation (conjunctivitis), in people 18 through 65 years of age.

Odactra is a once-a-day tablet that’s dissolved under the tongue. It’s approved for use in people aged 18 to 65.

“House dust mite allergic disease can negatively impact a person’s quality of life,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

“The approval of Odactra provides patients an alternative treatment to allergy shots to help address their symptoms,” he added in an agency news release.

Dust mites are gross, tiny little insects that are related to spiders. They are so small you cannot see them. They feed on shed skin cells and like to collect in fiber surfaces. This is because fibers collect skin; and skin is their food.

Dust mites are the most common household allergen. Their bodies and feces contain the proteins that cause the allergic reactions. The little allergen bits also collect in fiber surfaces, and can be difficult to remove.

Odactra exposes patients to house dust mite allergens, gradually training the immune system in order to reduce the frequency and severity of nasal and eye allergy symptoms. It is a once-daily tablet, taken year round, that rapidly dissolves after it is placed under the tongue. The first dose is taken under the supervision of a health care professional with experience in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases. The patient is to be observed for at least 30 minutes for potential adverse reactions. Provided the first dose is well tolerated, patients can then take Odactra at home. It can take about eight to 14 weeks of daily dosing after initiation of Odactra for the patient to begin to experience a noticeable benefit.

In clinical trials, people who took Odactra had a 16 percent to 18 percent reduction in allergy symptoms requiring use of other medicine, compared to those who took an inactiveplacebo.

The most common side effects were nausea, itching in the ears and mouth, and swelling of the lips and tongue. The prescribing information includes a boxed warning that severe allergic reactions, some of which can be life-threatening, can occur. As with other FDA-approved allergen extracts administered sublingually, patients receiving Odactra should be prescribed auto-injectable epinephrine. Odactra also has a Medication Guide for distribution to the patient.

Nasal Irrigation … Feels Weird But Works

adminLeave a comment
Posted in What Are Dust MitesTagged

If you have never done it, nasal irrigation, feels really weird. Think about the last time you got water up your nose in the pool. I’ve got to admit it does help to relieve the pain of that nasty sinus headache I get when cold fronts blow in.

Every time you breath in you are sucking in dust, pollen, dust mite, grass, dirt and other stuff floating in the air and all of this stuff can cause some people to be miserable. If you never have had a sinus infection you are so lucky. The pressure that builds up in your head makes you think your face is going to explode.

“There are four sinuses incorporated in the skull; they are located in the forehead, behind the cheeks, between the eyes and finally behind the eyes which is why these are the most commonly affected areas due to the disease. Pain is brought about due to inflammation and swelling and is a major inconvenience”. (Read rest of post)

There are several different types of nasal irrigation systems being sold. Some are simple, look like little watering cans, neti pots that you use to pour the water solution into your nose and gravity takes over. Then there are the systems that actually spray the water solution into your nose like the Sinupulse nasal irrigation system. The Swiss know how to make health care products. This system gently washes away all the stuff allowing you to breath. That is a good thing.

Next time you get sinusitus, congestion or your allergies flare up you may want to consider flushing the old nose out

What Are Dust Mites

adminLeave a comment
Posted in What Are Dust MitesTagged

What are dust mites?Dust mites in most cases are harmless to most people. They don’t carry diseases, however, they can cause allergic reactions in asthmatics and others who are allergic to their feces and body parts. Many people have no idea they are even allergic to dust mites.

Skin cells and scales, commonly called dander, are concentrated in areas where people and pest hang out, mattresses, couches and chairs, and carpeted areas. These areas often harbor millions of these microscopic mites. The average person sloughs off 1/3 ounce (10 grams) of dead skin a week and that gives dust mites a lot to eat.

If you happen to have cats and dogs they create even more dander for dust mites to eat. A typical mattress can contain thousands if not millions of dust mites. Sick yet?

Close to 100,000 mites can live in one square yard of carpet. Did you know a single dust mite produces about 18-20 waste droppings each day, each containing a protein which many people are allergic to. The proteins in that combination of feces and shed skin are what cause allergic reactions in humans.

Depending on the person and exposure, reactions can range from itchy or watery eyes, to sever in the hospital asthma attacks. And finally, unlike other types pests, you can never completely get rid of them. Sorry.

Ways to Control Allergens in Your Furniture

adminLeave a comment
Posted in What Are Dust Mites

Allersearch Labs makes a great product,  ADMS Anti-Allergen  Spray, to help you get rid of allergens in most upholstered items.

For those who have allergies, you’ve probably received a list of things to do from your doctor in  order for your house to be allergen free.  Along with removing the carpets, you were probably told to remove all draperies, curtains, and upholstered furniture. In their place really should be hard surface blinds (either vertical or horizontal) and leather furniture as an alternative to fabric.

Great advice if you possibly could follow it.

A lot of people aren’t in a financial position to toss out the contents of their home and replace everything with new stuff. So you must have a strategy for managing the allergens you know are collecting on these surfaces.

The Allersearch Laboratories have come up with several great solutions to this issue. One, the ADMS Anti-Allergen Dust Mite Spray enable you to safely denature (or neutralize) the proteins that cause allergies. ADMS works on dust mites, pet dander, molds, grasses and pollens. These allergens collect in the fibers that comprise our draperies and upholstered furniture.

Now you can pay somebody to “clean” this stuff, but not only will they probably not be clean, nothing will have been done for the allergy causing proteins. Apply a light misting of the ADMS  spray on your favorite couch or chair, your draperies, the padded seats on your dining room chairs, your curtains and drapes. We even use it in the car before we take a long trip.

What the ADMS Anti-Allergen Spray does is to use a combination of non-toxic alkalis and acids to change the chemical structure of the allergy causing proteins. Once the amino acids that make up the protein have been altered, your body will no longer reacts to the allergen.

There is no need to saturate the pieces of furniture or drapes. More is not better! Just a light misting monthly will do the job. The manufacturer recommends that you vacuum when the surface dries, however I have personally found the greatest results by vacuuming first and then spraying.

Most surfaces dry in 15 minutes or so. It is completely safe for most water-safe fabrics. It is also not toxic to your pets or the people in the house.

Differences Between Mattress Covers and Allergy Mattress Covers

adminLeave a comment
Posted in Dust Mite Covers Products

A traditional mattress cover protects and lengthens the lifespan of your mattress by keeping dirt and skin oils that can come through the sheets away from your mattress. The mattress cover is typically an inexpensive item that protects your investment in a mattress, which can be quite expensive.

Traditional mattress covers are composed of cotton, cotton blends or vinyl. People choose vinyl when they want to protect the mattress Allergy Coversfrom moisture. For example, you might choose vinyl for a toddler’s bed. Vinyl is not particularly comfortable to sleep on because of the noise it makes when you move or change positions. It’s also hotter to sleep on than other materials.

An allergy mattress cover provides the same protection for your mattress and also protects you from allergens that can collect in your mattress over time and from anything that is there from the beginning, when the mattress is new. It would be more accurate to call it an “anti-allergy” mattress cover.

These anti-allergy mattress covers are composed of cotton, polyester or a cotton/polyester blend. They are never made from vinyl.

The fibers of the anti-allergy covers are woven very tightly to create a barrier. The loose weave of the traditional cover would not serve as a barrier to protect against common household allergens.

The anti-allergy covers are available in different pore sizes. The term “pore” refers to the amount of space between the fibers in the weave of the fabric. The space is measured in microns. The smaller the pore size, the more allergens the cover can keep out of the air and away from you.

Allergens that are commonly found in mattresses, especially those that have been used for a while, include dust, dust mites, dust mite excretions, molds and animal dander. These items are too large to pass through the pores of the barrier fabric. If you have severe allergies, shop for an allergy mattress cover with the smallest pore size available. A pore size of 8 microns or less will provide the most protection from the common allergens.

The only disadvantage to the smallest pore size is that the cover will usually be made of all polyester. Polyester fibers are very strong and can withstand the tight weave necessary to create the strongest barrier with the smallest pore size. But all polyester mattress covers tend to have a slick feeling that may be uncomfortable.

Cotton/polyester blends are an alternative. The pore size may not be the smallest available but the material feels more like cotton. Cotton/polyester blends are long lasting and generally comfortable to sleep on.

Another alternative is all cotton. Cotton has a soft and cool feeling that many people prefer. The pore size will be larger, because cotton fibers are not as strong as polyester and cannot be woven as tightly. Cotton may not last as long as polyester. So, there are advantages and disadvantages to each material.

There is a process that some manufacturers use to provide an all-cotton, anti-allergy mattress cover with many of the advantages of polyester. The process involves using heat, steam and/or pressure to “shrink” the pore size. Manufacturers who use this process will say that their covers are “sanforized”.

Sanforized cotton covers will retain their pore size through multiple washings. The process of washing and drying degrades cotton fibers causing some fibers to break and generally leaving you with a larger pore size. The sanforizing process also helps to prevent shrinking. So, your cover should continue to fit your mattress as times goes by.

Anti-allergy mattress covers are available in fitted and zip-on styles. Similar to your fitted sheets, the fitted style includes elastic bands that hold the cover in place. The zip-on style covers the entire mattress and is held in place by a zipper. The zip-on style provides more protection but is impractical in some situations.

When you are ready to make up your bed, it is recommended that the only things on top of the anti-allergy mattress cover are your sheets and bedding. Any pads, down or memory foam toppers should go under the anti-allergy cover. Allergens can also collect inside those “add-ons”. If they are on top of the mattress cover, you are not protected from those allergens.

Your sheets and bedding should be washed at least once a week in warm water and dried in your dryer on an appropriate setting. You can use a low heat setting on the dryer to help ensure that your bedding does not shrink. Although you may be bothered a bit by static electricity, you may want to avoid the use of fabric softener dryer sheets. The fragrance and chemicals left on the sheets can also be allergens.

All in all, most people with allergies feel that a good mattress cover is a worthwhile investment. Getting a good night’s sleep is important to your overall health. It’s easier to get a good night’s sleep when your allergies are put to rest.