Top Foods To Avoid With Dust Mite Allergy

In Priority order these are the top foods to avoid with a dust mite allergy

Shellfish / Prawns - 74% chance to be allergic (Korean Academy of Asthma)
Dairy
Gluten
Processed / Ready Meals
Alcohol
Common Allergens - Eggs, nuts, beans etc.
Caffeine

Why Dust Mite Allergy Sufferers Should Avoid Certain Foods

Dust Allergy Sufferers are 400% More Likely To Have a Food Allergy: Individuals with dust mite allergies are up to 400% more likely to experience additional allergies, including food sensitivities.
Weakened Immune System: The foods you consume significantly influence your allergy immune response

Why Dust Mite Allergy Sufferers Should Avoid Prawns/Shellfish

Cross-Reactivity – Tropomyosin, a common allergen in both dust mites and shellfish, triggers allergic reactions in dust mite sufferers.
High Risk – 74% of shrimp allergy sufferers also react to dust mites, increasing the likelihood of shellfish allergy.
Severe Reactions Possible – Symptoms range from mild itching to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Testing is Unreliable – IgE tests for tropomyosin don’t reliably predict reactions, so a negative test doesn’t ensure safety.

Dust mite allergy sufferers should avoid prawns, shrimp, and shellfish due to high cross-reactivity and potential severe reactions.

Dust Mite Allergy Foods To Avoid

1. Dairy Products

Increase Muscus and Inflammation: Dairy can increase mucus production, potentially worsening dust mite allergy symptoms like congestion and cause skin inflammation.

Avoid These Foods:

Milk
Cheese
Yoghurt
Common Foods that contain Milk are:

Pre Made Sauces
Ready Meals
Foods that need to be refrigerated

How To Avoid Dairy Products

Read Labels Carefully: Check ingredient lists for any mention of milk, cream, butter, cheese, whey, casein, or lactose.
Choose Dairy Alternatives: Opt for plant-based milk like almond, soy, coconut, or oat milk. Use vegan cheese, yogurt, and ice cream alternatives made from nuts or soy.
Cook at Home: Preparing meals at home allows you to control ingredients and avoid dairy.

2. Processed Foods

Trigger Allergic Response: Processed foods contain additives, preservatives, and other chemicals that lack extensive long-term research. Evidence suggests they may trigger or worsen allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Common Allergens: They also often contain common allergens that are likely to trigger an immune reponse

How to Avoid Processed Foods

Cook from Scratch: Prepare meals at home using fresh, whole ingredients. This gives you control over what goes into your food.
Shop the Perimeter: Supermarkets are usually organized with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy along the perimeter, while processed foods are found in the inner aisles.
Read Ingredient Labels: If buying packaged foods, choose items with short ingredient lists and ingredients you recognize.

loads of processed foods a dust mite allergy sufferer needs to avoid

Anti Dust Mite Bedding / Dehumudifier Kill Dust Mites

Changing your diet can massively reduce your dust mite allergy symptoms, however dust mite proofing your home is likely to have a bigger impact.

Check out our 6-step guide to getting rid of dust mites Here

removing dust mites by bedding instead of avoiding food

3. Alcohol

Weakend Skin Barrer: A lot of people will have allergic and adverse reactions to alcohol, with one common effect being a weakened skin barrier. This compromised barrier increases your body's exposure to potential allergens, such as dust mites, which can exacerbate conditions like eczema and asthma.

Increased Immune Response: Alcohol can trigger increased immune response resuting in increased skin inflammation and increased mucus product in nose and throat - leading to worsened eczema and siniuitus

How to Avoid Alcohol

Set Clear Goals: Define your reasons for avoiding alcohol and set specific, achievable goals. This will help you stay motivated.
Identify Triggers: Recognize situations or emotions that trigger the desire to drink and plan how to avoid or cope with them.
Choose Alternatives: Stock up on non-alcoholic drinks like sparkling water, herbal teas, or mocktails, so you have enjoyable options when socializing.

beers, spirits and alcohol bottles that dust mite allergy sufferers need to avoid

4. Gluten - Bread, Grains and Beer

Gluten Intolerance: Even if you do not have an allergy to gluten, a lot of people will have a sensitivity to it. This can cause increased allergic response common resulting in bloating and breathing issues.

How to Avoid Gluten

Educate Yourself: Understand which foods contain gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and their derivatives, so be cautious with products containing these grains.
Choose Whole Foods: Focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, which are naturally gluten-free.
Opt for Gluten-Free Grains: Substitute wheat products with gluten-free grains like rice, quinoa, corn, millet, buckwheat, and gluten-free oats.

bread and grains that dust mite allergy sufferers need to avoid

5. Caffeine

Increased Inflammatory Response: Some people experience an inflammatory response to caffeine or milk found in coffee, which could exacerbate allergy symptoms like nasal congestion or skin irritation.

Increased Stress: Caffeine can cause temporary spikes in stress hormones like cortisol, potentially putting additional stress on your immune system.

Reduced Sleep Quality: Caffeine can affect your sleep quality, and poor sleep can weaken the immune system, making it harder for your body to manage allergic reactions effectively.

The most difficult drink to avoid! Some people may experience improvements in their dust mite allergy by cutting out caffeine. Try it for a week and see if your allergic responses decrease. If they do not you can go straight back to drinking your coffee!

How to Avoid Gluten

Gradual Reduction: Reduce caffeine intake slowly by swapping one drink at a time with decaf or herbal tea.
Switch to Alternatives: Replace caffeinated drinks with herbal teas, warm milk, or fruit-infused water.
Identify Hidden Sources: Check labels to avoid hidden caffeine in sodas, chocolate, and medications.

coffee and caffeine that dust mite allergy sufferers should avoid

6. Common Food Allergens

These are the most common food allergens people in the world have, as a dust mite allergy sufferer you are up to 4 times more likely to have an intolerance or allergy to these foods

Eggs: Egg allergy affects ~0.9% of children globally (~72 million people).
Peanuts: Peanut allergy impacts ~1.5% of the global population (~120 million people).
Tree Nuts: Tree nut allergies affect ~1.2% of the global population (~96 million people).
Shellfish: Around 2% of the global population (~160 million people) are allergic to shellfish.
Fish: Fish allergy affects ~0.9% globally (~72 million people).
Soy: Soy allergy affects ~0.4% globally (~32 million people).
Sesame: Sesame allergy impacts ~0.1% of the global population (~8 million people).
Sulfites: Sensitivity to sulfites affects ~1% of the global population (~80 million people).

Most common foods people are allergic to

Save Our Cheat Sheet

foods that people should avoid with dust mite allergy and the reasons such as increased mucus response

Next: Try The Elimination Diet

Week	What to Eat/Do	Goal
Week 1	- Proteins: Beef, Fish, or Chicken (single-ingredient only) - Fruits - Salt - Water	Start with a simple, low-allergen diet to reset your system.
Week 2	Continue Week 1 diet and introduce one new item from the low-risk list below:	Observe how your body reacts to the new food.
Weeks 3-10	Gradually add one low-risk food group each week: - Vegetables - Coffee - Tea - Spices	Expand your diet safely while monitoring for reactions.
Week 10+	Begin to add one high-risk food group each week: - Dairy - Gluten - Processed Foods - Alcohol	Determine which high-risk foods work for you and which to avoid permanently.

Low-Risk Foods: Vegetables, Coffee, Tea, Spices
High-Risk Foods: Dairy, Gluten, Processed Foods, Alcohol, Top 6 Avoid Foods

Avoiding Storage Mites

Storage mites are tiny, mites related to the dust mite that feed on stored foods such as flour, grain and seeds. These can be a problem if you buy these products in bulk and do not secure them. You can read more about storage mites here