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House Dust Mite-Induced Allergic Rhinitis: Is Prevention an Option?

  • Allergy Prevention (DY Wang, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Allergy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of review

The aim of this paper is to review and summarise the current knowledge of prevention of house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic rhinitis (AR).

Recent findings

AR can be either classified as seasonal/intermittent (for example hay fever occurring summer and autumn) or perennial/persistent (occurring throughout the year). The commonest trigger for seasonal AR is pollen whereas HDMs are the key allergic trigger for perennial AR. HDMs are a recognised indoor allergen that is crucial in the development of AR, asthma, and atopic dermatitis.

Summary

Preventive strategies have gained acceptance for the management scheme in the treatment of patients with AR. Specifically, preventive measures include allergen avoidance, environmental control, and immunotherapy. The primary goal of medical treatment is to reduce the burden of disease, improve quality of life and to prevent the development of the sequelae of AR such as bronchial asthma. Prevention is a viable option and key component in HDM-AR management. As urbanisation and lifestyle changes lead to the increase of HDM-AR, there should be a more concerted effort towards prevention.

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Abbreviations

AR:

Allergic rhinitis

HDMs:

House dust mites

HDM-AR:

House dust mite-induced allergic rhinitis

SCIT:

Subcutaneous immunotherapy

SLIT:

Sublingual immunotherapy

AIT:

Allergen immunotherapy

ARIA:

Allergic Rhinitis and its Impacts on Asthma

GINA:

Global Initiative for Asthma

IgE:

Immunoglobulin E

Th2:

T helper cell type 2

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology- Head & Neck Surgery, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Salina Husain MS & Farah Dayana Zahedi MS

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia

    Sakinah Mohamad MMED & Baharudin Abdullah MMED

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Husain, S., Zahedi, F.D., Mohamad, S. et al. House Dust Mite-Induced Allergic Rhinitis: Is Prevention an Option?. Curr Treat Options Allergy 6, 338–349 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40521-019-00225-y

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