Measure the length, width and, most importantly, the height of the mattress. You can best measure the height of the mattress best at its highest point or at the corner if the mattress is saggy.

No, you do not have to account for additional space. The material does not shrink. The encasing has to fit snugly and should not wrinkle under any circumstances. The protective cover under the zipper has to lie securely. Use the dimensions the manufacturer provided as a point of orientation. There is only a limited number of standard sizes sold in Germany, although of course you may have a special size or a product from a different country.

Custom sizes are fundamentally possible for all three kinds of encasings: mattresses, pillows and duvet. If the dimensions of your mattress are between two standard sizes, please select the next largest standard size (for example, 18 cm falls between the 16 and 20 cm sizes; in this case, please select 20 cm). Any difference in height may be offset by putting a mattress protector under the encasing as well. A size that is too small will not fit: the material is not elastic. Prices for special sizes are available upon request and are based on the dimensions needed (length times width). Custom sizes are delivered within 3-4 weeks.

You can discuss the situation with one of our representatives. Assuming the product was unopened and unused, it will be exchanged immediately. A delivery company will pick the goods up from your house. If the exchange is due to an error on our part, this service will obviously be free of charge. Please include the bill of shipping and information about the necessary size in your package. Packages sent to us without proper postage will not be accepted (see also our terms and conditions). We cannot accept goods that have been opened and unwrapped, since these are hygiene articles which cannot be resold after they are unwrapped.

ALLERGIKA encasings are only available in white. In general, they are not visible through the bedding that is placed over them.

Since these are encasings that go under and around the bedding, they do not need to be dyed. There have not been any studies about the extent to which dyeing could affect the protective effects of the encasings. We advise against dyeing them.

A provocation test analyses whether the antibodies identified in the blood or skin test are in fact responsible for the complaints the patient is having. To conduct this test, the doctor has to expose the patient’s nasal mucous membranes or the conjunctiva to the allergen in question. The provocation test can be a good option if there is evidence of a dust-mite allergy, if the immune system showed only a minor reaction to mite allergens during previous tests, and if other indoor allergens could be causing the symptoms. This exam should only be conducted by a physician because the exposure can cause an allergic reaction that may even be intense.

In a prick test, the allergy specialist takes different allergens and uses a small lancet to place a small amount of them under the patient’s skin. After ten to twenty minutes, redness or welts develop at the sites if the patient is allergic to the substance in question. The prick test alone does not confirm the diagnosis, however, because infections or medications may cause the skin to respond with greater sensitivity. But it does serve as confirmation if the medical exam shows that there is evidence of hay fever. If the prick test does not confirm the presence of a dust mite allergy despite evidence to the contrary, your physician can perform a second test called an intracutaneous test or intradermal test: this can detect a dust mite allergy that the prick test could not. The test is someone painful, however, because the allergen extract is injected under the skin; after that, the procedure is the same as in the prick test. Before any skin tests are conducted, you have to talk to your doctor and discuss how intense your allergic reactions are. After all, these tests create a defense reaction in your body, and in rare cases this can even include allergic shock or severe shortness of breath. Patients at risk should only undergo these tests at hospitals so that in a worst-case scenario, they can be treated right away.

A blood test is a logical step if previous exams have not lead to a clear-cut diagnosis. It is also a good choice for little children who are afraid of the prick test. Lab tests are conducted on the blood to determine the presence of particular antibodies (immunoglobulins, IgE). If you do have an allergy, the immune system forms these antibodies in response to certain components found in dust called antigens. If the total immunoglobulin E level is higher than normal, that alone is not enough to diagnose an allergy. This is because other factors can also elevate the total IgE level, including smoking or worms. Instead, the best approach is a specific blood test to determine special antibodies against dust mite antigens (specific IgE). If these antibodies are detected, this is important evidence that there is a dust mite allergy, although it is not conclusive proof in and of itself.

The idea behind specific immunotherapy is to train the immune system to stop overreacting to certain triggers. The process is also known as hyposensitization or desensitization. Here, the patient is given injections of micro doses of an extract of dust mite allergens, and the dosage increases slightly every week. After the maximum dosage has been achieved, the patient receives another dose every four to eight weeks so that the immune system remembers how to react appropriately to the allergen.

A dust mite allergy can easily be confused with a runny nose caused by other allergies such as pollen, mold or animal dander / fur. Viral infections, bacterial infections and changes in the nasal structure can also lead to symptoms very similar to those of allergies; other possibilities include side effects of medications, food intolerabilities or hormonal changes (e.g. pregnancy, menopause). If you suspect any of these factors, a thorough consultation with an ENT can help clarify matters. This appointment may include anything from an endoscopic exam of the sinuses to a CT scan.

Steam cleaners can only kill off some of the mites in carpets, but within three months there will be just as many as there were before.  Beyond that, the carpet will remain damp for a while after being cleaned, and mites like that. They are not the only ones, either: fungi also form quickly in damp rugs. And this is practically a banquet for mites.

As a matter of fact, the symptoms are very similar. However, if you have allergic rhinitis, the symptoms usually appear out of nowhere,  and they can also disappear just as quickly — although they will certainly return. By contrast, if you have a cold, you can feel it approaching at least hours in advance, if not days, and it takes a good week before your nose stops running again. If you are suffering from an allergy, your nasal secretions are more likely to be watery and clear, not thick and congested as they are in a cold. Furthermore, allergic rhinitis does not involve a fever or sore throat. Typical allergy symptoms are an itchy nose, burning eyes and sneezing fits.

In addition to genetic predisposition, there is one major risk factor when it comes to allergies: being exposed to secondhand smoke during childhood. Children whose mothers smoked during their pregnancy develop allergies in adulthood twice as often as those whose mothers did not smoke. Breastfeeding provides additional protection against allergies. Whenever possible, children from families with a history of allergies should be breastfed for at least four months. If breastfeeding is not an option, hypoallergenic baby formula can also help limit the risk of allergies. Talk to your doctor about it. Avoiding all possible allergy triggers during pregnancy and breastfeeding actually achieves the opposite of the desired effect, however: it sends the child’s risk of allergies skyrocketing, just like too much cleaning can do. You can find more about allergy prevention in the section “Allergies in children.”