Effects of Vacuuming Mattresses on Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms in Children

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate the effects of daily vacuuming of mattresses on the concentration of house dust mite (HDM) allergens and on allergic rhinitis (AR) symptoms in children sensitized to HDM. Methods Forty children between the ages of 6 and 12 years with mild persistent AR and sensitized only to HDM were enrolled and randomly allocated to 2 groups. Caregivers of children in the experimental group cleaned the children's rooms and vacuumed their mattresses daily for 2 weeks. Caregivers of children in the control group cleaned the children's rooms without vacuuming mattresses. Symptoms of AR were checked weekly and dust samples were collected from the mattresses before and after the study. Results Demographics at the beginning of the study were not significantly different between the 2 groups. In the experimental group, symptoms of AR and dust weight were significantly decreased after 2 weeks (total symptoms of AR, P <0.001; sneezing, P < 0.001; rhinorrhea, P <0.001; nasal obstruction, P < 0.001; itching, P <0.001; and dust weight, P = 0.006). The concentrations of HDM allergens were not changed significantly (Der p1, P = 0.333; Der f1, P = 0.841). In the control group, there were no significant changes in symptoms of AR, dust weight, or the concentration of HDM allergens. Conclusions Our findings showed that daily vacuuming of mattresses reduced dust weight and symptoms of AR. However, the concentration of HDM allergens did not significantly decrease.

Simultaneous assessment of organophosphate flame retardants, plasticizers, trace metals, and house dust mite allergens in settled house dust

“…In addition, even though house dust mites are poikilothermic and cannot regulate their internal body temperature, Der f1 could resist fluctuating temperature conditions 48 . However, the average concentration of Der f1 was 44–110 times lower than those from two previous studies in Korea 45,49 . This could be due to changes in hygienic behaviors to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) transmission.…”

“…48 However, the average concentration of Der f1 was 44-110 times lower than those from two previous studies in Korea. 45,49 This could be due to changes in hygienic behaviors to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. Most of the antiseptics used against COVID-19 included quaternary ammonium compounds, which showed approximately 35% removal efficiency of house dust mite allergens in a study in the United States.…”

Avoidance Measures for Patients with Allergic Rhinitis: A Scoping Review

“…The studies analyzed had different outcome measures and the measures were tested considering different allergens. House dust mite (HDM) was the most common allergen sensitization and most measures were designed to control HDM exposure [14,15,17,21,23,24,[26][27][28][29][30][31]. Out of the 18 studies, 5 of them had participants with ages ranging from 6 to 16 years old [17,18,24,29,30].…”

International consensus statement on allergy and rhinology: Allergic rhinitis – 2023

“…Physical techniques for HDM reduction, including heating, ventilation, barrier methods, air filtration, vacuuming, and ionizers, have shown inconsistent results for the treatment of AR 1707–1713 . While several interventions have reduced the concentration of environmental HDM antigens, 1707–1711 an associated improvement in clinical symptoms has not been reliably demonstrated.…”