AhmandonkOctober 8, 2004 06:01:37 AM PDT , HealthDay
FRIDAY, Oct. 8 (HealthDayNews)
People with allergic asthma who use dust mite-impermeable bed covers have improved morning peak flow measurements, says a Dutch study in the October issue of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.
Peak flow is an asthma-related measurement of lung function that helps assess how well a person’s asthma is under control.
The study included 52 people with allergic asthma. They were divided into two groups. One group received nonpolyurethane dust mite bed covers and the other group received bed covers that dust mites are able to permeate.
The patients’ daily peak flow and asthma symptom scores were recorded and dust samples were collected from the mattresses.
The use of dust mite-impermeable bed covers resulted in an 87 percent reduction of dust mite allergens. There was a significant improvement in the morning peak flow measurements of people who used the dust-mite impermeable covers, the study found.
