House Dust Mite and Night-time Cough and Wheeze: An Overlooked Part of Asthma Management
You feel fine during the day, but start coughing as soon as you lie down and wake up gasping in the middle of the night. This pattern is often linked to the bedroom environment.
Common Causes of Night-time Worsening
Asthma that gets worse at night and in the early hours is linked to the body clock's effect on airway inflammation, lying flat, and exposure in the bedroom. If symptoms cluster after you get home and during sleep, house dust mite allergen in the mattress, pillows and bedding is worth checking first. Poor bedroom ventilation, high humidity, mould and pets can also add to the problem.
What Is Worth Recording
- How often you wake at night coughing, at what times, and whether it comes with chest tightness or wheeze
- Whether you have recently changed or washed bedding, moved home, or changed your mattress
- How your medicines relate to changes in symptoms
Taking these records to your doctor is more helpful than a vague description of "feeling unwell at night".
Two Strands of Long-term Management
First, take your medicines as set out in the plan your doctor made and keep to your follow-up visits. Do not reduce or stop them on your own just because symptoms improve. Second, keep improving the sleep environment: use washable mite-proof mattress and pillow covers, wash bedding weekly at high temperature, control humidity, cut down on clutter made of fabric, and avoid tobacco smoke. When environment and treatment move forward together, night-time symptoms usually become easier to keep stable. If you have trouble speaking, your lips turn blue, or you have clear difficulty breathing, get medical help at once or call 120 (the emergency number in China).
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Please follow your doctor's instructions.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If your symptoms affect daily life, please see a doctor.