Dust mites, the microscopic parasites which feed on dead skin and hair left behind by humans, are one of the world’s most common asthma and allergy triggers. So a new study from England decided to test if asthmatic children would fare better when using mite-proof mattress and pillow covers.

The study monitored 284 children over the course of a year. Some were given mite-proof covers, while others were given placebo covers. The researchers found that 42% of the children given the placebo had a severe asthma attack which required a hospital visit, whereas only 29% of the children with the mite-proof covers had to visit the hospital due to an asthma attack.

However, the children with the mite-proof covers did not experience a significant reduction in asthma attacks treated outside the hospital. Based on this, the researchers think mite-proof covers may not reduce the overall number of asthma attacks, just their severity.

“Asthma exacerbations are among the most common reasons for hospitalizing children living in the developed world,” said Dr. Clare Murray, a lecturer at the University of Manchester and the study’s lead author. “It’s a frightening experience for children and their parents, and a single exacerbation can increase the annual cost of treating asthma by threefold.”

Bedding designed to reduce allergies and asthma can be purchased on our site at https://justnebulizers.com/collections/respiratory-care/allergy-care-bedding. The study was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.