According to a 2003 PubMed abstract from the International Journal of Legal Medicine, a 47-year-old farmer was found dead in his bathroom around midnight. He had been previously diagnosed with an allergy to house dust mites and sometimes had episodes of airway symptoms, nausea, low blood pressure, and diarrhea – usually after going to bed. Can dust allergies cause anaphylaxis?
The initial forensic autopsy offered no clue to the cause of death. However, a blood test showed substantially elevated levels of the mast cell tryptase, which is indicative of anaphylaxis. His mattress contained high levels of dust mite allergen, and immunological tests support the assumption that he died of anaphylactic shock.
It’s a shame that this man’s death could have been prevented with simple mattress and pillow covers. If you have family or friends who are allergic to dust mites, please email this page to them and help us spread the word about how to eliminate dust mites.
One death from dust mite allergy is too many.
My sister also died of complications due to an anaphylaxis episode due to dust mites. My sister was also highly allergic to pollen so the combo of pollen and dust mite build up in the lungs would set off her attacks.