Allergy Causing Dust Mites

If I told you that there were invisible bugs in your home that eat human skin, how would you feel? Well the truth is that dust mites are probably found in all of our houses.

Dust mites belong to the same group of bugs as the spiders and scorpions. While you wont see them, you may see the effects they leave behind if you have an allergy sufferer in your home.

As our skin is regenerated from underneath, the top layer of cells drop off, and it is this skin that ends up in dust as food for the dust mites. Dust mite allergy is caused by digestive enzymes that the mites leave in partially digested food and faecal matter. Its an immune response triggered in your body.

While the male dust mites only live long enough to breed with the females (a week to 10 days), the females will live for up to 10 weeksproducing up to 100 eggs.

Dust mites are sensitive to temperature, so drying your sheets and blankets in a tumble is a great idea, as this will kill any dust mites that were living in your sheets. However, be aware that mites love your mattress, pillows and carpets, so linens is only one thing to worry about.

Allergies such as itchiness, sneezing, skin rashes (and infection of eczema), asthma, watery eyes and runny noses are all signs of a dust mite problem.

If you wake up sneezing in the morning, and this sneezing and runny nose disappears as you leave your bedroom and go about your daily work, then you might have a dust mite problem. Ask your doctor if the symptoms are bad, and your doctor may prescribe antihistamines. However, you should consider ways to reduce the dust mites in your home.

The best way to stop these allergies is to remove any contact with dust mites and the stuff they leave behind. This is not a simple matter and means a whole house cleaning program is needed.

Reducing the humidty of your home below 50% is a great start as dust mites love moist atmospheres. If you have air conditioning in your home, you are lucky, as these machines dry the air and reduce the humidity. This has a dramatic effect on the numbers of these creatures in your home.

Bedding and linen should be washed regularly in hot soapy water. If you can use a tumble dryer to dry the sheets, use it as this will kill the mites. Also, don't forget your carpets, pillows and mattresses. You can get dust covers for these that are allergen impermeable, and these can help. Try not to leave soft cuddly toys on the bed, as these are safe havens for dust mites.

Be sure to dust thoroughly before you vacuum your house, to remove dead skin cells from book shelves, and other surfaces. This dust is the food for the mite. Cut off the food supply and the mite will find it more difficult to survive.

Some specialist vacuum cleaners come with HEPA filters which are the best for allergy sufferers, as they filter out the smallest of particles, expel much purer air in the exhaust than they "breathe" in.

Air purifiers can also help, and some come with the HEPA filters. They are much better for dust mite allergy sufferers than the air ionising filters. Air purification is a significant tool in your arsenal against the dust mite.