What the Saharan Dust Storm Means for Allergy Sufferers 

Dust mite allergies vs. dust storms

When you think of being “allergic to dust,” the phrase may conjure everything that looks and feels like dust, from the grey gunk coating your bookshelves to hazy clouds of mineral particles blown by trans-Atlantic winds. The important takeaway for allergy sufferers is that a true “dust allergy” is, more accurately, a dust mite allergy.

This is disgusting, so we apologize in advance: dust mites are microscopically tiny bugs that live in house dust, feed on dead skin flakes, and can become airborne. They especially concentrate on soft materials like upholstered furniture, mattresses, pillows, and bedding, and thrive in humid conditions. Exposure to house dust mites may be a risk factor in the development of asthma and exposure to house dust mites may trigger asthma exacerbations.

Dust mites are one of the most common indoor allergens, and they require constant vigilance for the allergy sufferer to mitigate. Read this article by our resident allergist, Dr. Lakiea Wright, for advice on reducing dust mite exposure in the home.

All of these statements are referenced on the Allergy Insider dust mite allergy page linked in this paragraph. 

Dust storms pose their own dangers

Despite the media focus on the Saharan dust plume, dust storms, sand storms, and other such similar weather patterns happen regionally across the globe throughout the year, including in parts of the United States. Common ones in the southwest are called “haboobs,” after the middle-eastern sand storm phenomenon,⁴ and can be responsible for outbreaks of Valley Fever, an infection caused by inhaling fungal spores carried in the desert soil.^5,6 Toxic dust full of both naturally occurring and human-supplemented arsenic is another issue plaguing the southwestern United States.⁷

There are many threats to respiratory health out there, but it’s important to distinguish “dust storms” from “dust mite allergies,” and take measures to protect your health accordingly.