Skin Issues That Can Be Caused By Dust

Dust is unsightly, but is it dangerous? In addition to lung issues, dust can also cause skin-related issues. This can lead to itching, redness, soreness, and cracked skin. Here are a few issues that can occur. 

Eczema Flare-Ups

Certain allergies can lead to an eczema flare-up. If you're prone to eczema, being exposed to dust could lead to dry, cracked, scaly skin. Once your eczema has been triggered, you'll need to use traditional eczema treatments to control it, including oral medications and topical medications. 

Eczema is both allergy-triggered and genetically-predisposed, which means some people can be more likely to get eczema than others. Those who are prone to eczema can be potentially triggered by a number of things, including food allergies and dust. Young children are more liable to suffer from it.

Contact Dermatitis

When you touch something you're allergic to, you may get something called contact dermatitis. The area of your skin that was exposed will get red and itchy, as well as potentially breaking out into swollen melts. If you're allergic to dust or what's in the dust, it can be difficult to figure out what you're allergic to. Dust is everywhere, which means you may not always know what's happening.

Contact dermatitis usually isn't severe in and of itself, but it can be triggered repeatedly if it has an environmental trigger. Dealing with initial contact dermatitis is usually done through allergy medications. Other than that, the environment will need to be cleaned.

Allergies Within Dust

Dust is primarily composed of dirt and dead skin cells, but that's not all that's within dust. Skin allergies can be caused by a number of things that are inside of dust, including:

• Dander. If there are animals around, dander can collect in dust and could lead to an allergic reaction, especially in visitors to the home.
• Pollen. Pollen collects within dust, and different pollen can collect during different seasons. If you find that you have allergic reactions to dust infrequently or seasonally, then it could be an issue with pollen.
• Mold. Molds of all types can collect where dust collects, and a dense concentration of mold spores could also lead to an allergic reaction. The type of mold matters: some molds are more toxic than others. 

If you're having an allergic reaction to dust, then traditional allergy treatments may help. But the best option is the most obvious: getting rid of the dust inside of your home. It's easier said than done. Many homes have dust in every corner, from inside of their carpet to inside of their walls. A professional cleaning can help. Contact the Dust Doctors to get started.