House dust mites are tiny bug-like creatures. They are so small you can’t see them. But they are almost everywhere indoors. This is a problem because many people are allergic to dust mites.

No. House dust mites do not bite, sting, or carry any diseases. But they are common in many people’s homes. This is because the temperature and humidity in your home are just right for them. Also, they eat the flakes of skin that people and pets shed every day.

While they don’t directly hurt you, house dust mites can be a big problem for many people who are allergic to them.

Getting rid of house dust mites is very hard. This is because they can live almost anywhere in your home, especially on soft surfaces like bedding, carpets, rugs, curtains, and clothes. Even really clean homes can still have house dust mites. You can also come in contact with them in other people’s homes or places you stay when you travel. But there are some things you can do to help keep them in check.

House dust mites and their waste cause many people to have allergy symptoms (sneezing, watery eyes, congestion, and/or runny noses). In fact, house dust mites do not even need to be alive to cause these symptoms.

Because house dust mites are in your home all the time, people allergic to them may have symptoms all year long.

Only a health care professional, such as an allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor, can find out for sure if you have a house dust mite allergy. If you have allergy symptoms all year long (sneezing, watery eyes, congestion, and/or a runny nose), there’s a chance it’s from house dust mites.

An allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor can do a skin prick test or blood test to find out if you have house dust mite allergy.

There are 2 main ways to treat house dust mite allergy.

The first is to try to lower the number of house dust mites in your home. Here are some tips on how to do that.

There are also medicines that may help. You can get some medicines over the counter (OTC), but others must be prescribed by a health care professional.

OTC medicines can help treat the symptoms of house dust mite allergy, but they don’t treat the cause. To treat the cause, you will need a prescription for a type of treatment called “allergy immunotherapy” (im-yuh-noh-thAIR-uh-pee) from your health care professional.

Over-the-counter medicines (OTCs), like antihistamines (an-tee-HISS-tah-meens), are a good way to start treating your allergies. But many people with allergies find that they don’t get enough relief with OTCs. This may be because OTCs only treat symptoms. If OTCs don’t seem to be doing enough to help your symptoms, if might be time to step up your treatment. If OTCs don’t seem to be doing enough to help your symptoms, it might be time to step up your treatment.

Allergy immunotherapy (im-yuh-noh-thAIR-uh-pee) is a type of prescription medicine used to treat the root cause of allergies—not just the symptoms. It’s made from natural ingredients—very small doses of what you are allergic to (known as an allergen). Over time, allergy immunotherapy can make you less sensitive to the allergen. You may also find that you need to take fewer medicines to help with your symptoms. There are 2 main forms of FDA-approved allergy immunotherapy:

• Tablets that people with allergies place under their tongues every day in the convenience of their home (after taking the first dose in the health care professional’s office)
• Shots that health care professionals give people with allergies approximately once a week to once a month

There are 2 types of allergy immunotherapy (im-yuh-noh-thAIR-uh-pee) your doctor may prescribe: allergy shots, or allergy tablets, like ODACTRA. It’s important to be educated about the options available to you—this way, you can take an active role in your treatment and feel confident about your decision.

You can find an allergy doctor by using our Doctor Finder tool. There, you can find options for locating an an allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor near you. The map will also show if an office offers virtual visits through telemedicine.

ODACTRA is a prescription immunotherapy (im-yuh-noh-thAIR-uh-pee) tablet that treats house dust mite allergy. You take ODACTRA under your tongue, once every day, to help change the way your body reacts to house dust mites over time. ODACTRA may be prescribed for persons 12 through 65 years of age who are allergic to house dust mites. ODACTRA is NOT a medicine that gives immediate relief for symptoms of house dust mite allergy.

There are also medicines that may help. You can get some medicines over the counter (OTC), but others must be prescribed by a health care professional.

ODACTRA is almost always prescribed by an allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor.

Talk with your health care professional—an allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor—about ODACTRA if any of the following are true for you:

• You are allergic to house dust mites
• You have allergy symptoms all year long but aren’t sure why
• Your current allergy medicine isn’t helping as much as you would like

ODACTRA treats the cause of your house dust mite allergy, not just the symptoms. In every tablet, there’s a very small amount of allergen—the thing that causes your allergy symptoms. By taking a tablet every day, your body may become less sensitive to house dust mites over time.

If you have seasonal allergies in addition to house dust mite allergy, ODACTRA may still help. If you are allergic to house dust mites and have symptoms year-round, your house dust mite allergy may be making your overall allergy symptoms worse all year.

ODACTRA is an allergy immunotherapy (im-yuh-noh-thAIR-uh-pee) that makes your immune system less likely to react to house dust mites. It comes in the form of a sublingual tablet (a tablet you put under your tongue, where it dissolves.)

It’s important to remember that taking ODACTRA will not help right away. But by taking it every day, your immune system learns to not react to house dust mites, and your symptoms continue to lessen.

ODACTRA is only available by prescription.

ODACTRA is almost always prescribed by an allergy doctor. If you have a house dust mite allergy and are not satisfied with your current allergy medicine, ask an allergy doctor, allergist, or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor about ODACTRA.

The exact cost of ODACTRA depends on your insurance coverage. There are also programs available to help make it more affordable. If you have insurance and use the ALK Savings Program, you can expect to pay as little as $25 to $50 for your prescription. Specific terms and conditions apply.

The ALK Specialty Pharmacy Network offers additional savings opportunities, plus benefits like home delivery, accelerated automated refills, and educational information.