House dust mites are the most common cause of allergic rhinitis in children in Hassan and across Karnataka. They live in mattresses, pillows, carpets, and soft furnishings and are present year-round, which is why children with dust mite allergy tend to have persistent rather than seasonal symptoms.
Other common triggers in this region include cockroach allergen, which is frequently overlooked but prevalent in urban homes, fungal spores from damp or poorly ventilated indoor spaces, and pet dander from cats or dogs. Pollen from grasses and trees produces seasonal symptoms that worsen during specific months and improve at other times. The pattern of symptoms — whether they are worse indoors or outdoors, in the morning or at night, year-round or at specific times of year — provides important clues to the likely trigger before any allergy test is performed.
Written by Dr H K Kiran Kumar, MBBS, DCH (JSS Medical College, Mysore), Allergy Asthma Specialist Course (MedTrain), Senior Paediatrician and Allergy Asthma Specialist, Kiran Speciality Hospital, Hassan, Karnataka.
