For many asthmatics, exposure to dust mites aggravates their asthma. These almost microscopic insects live in carpets, mattresses, curtains, and other areas of the house. Parents of asthmatic children take many steps to lessen their children's exposure to dust mites. They hope this will lessen their kid's asthmatic symptoms.
Many doctors recommend the use of allergen-impermeable mattress covers. The covers are supposed to act as a barrier, keeping the mite allergens away from the sleeping children. If the children are exposed to fewer allergens, then it seems logical to believe the children will have fewer asthmatic symptoms.
Unfortunately, this seemingly commonsense measure doesn't make any difference. When observed over one year, people who used allergen-resistant mattress covers used just as much asthma medicine as people who had no special covers on their mattresses. Breathing studies on those with mattress covers and those without showed no differences.
Allergen-resistant mattress covers seem like a good, commonsense measure to help lessen asthmatic children's exposure to allergens. Once studied, it turned out this "common sense" step makes little difference.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 7/17/03.
May not be reproduced in any format without written permission.
