Dust Mites and Asthma
How can a person with asthma or dust mite allergies reduce the symptoms?
There are a number of recommendations which should be followed for those of you who suffer from asthma or dust mite allergies. However, it must be said that if your symptoms do not improve after using these measures, there is actually no point in continuing with them, and you should consult your doctor for further clarification:
- Possibly the most effective solution is to completely cover your mattress with a plastic cover. It is also recommended that mattress pillows should be thoroughly vacuumed, and indeed the base of the bed. Your mattress and pillows will come into close contact with dust mites and their feces, and therefore by completely covering these you may be able to virtually eliminate dust mites.
- Whenever you wash your sheets, blankets and pillows, these should be done in extremely hot water. In fact, the water should be at least 54°C (130°F), and you will typically be best off using your washing machine’s hottest setting. If you have any fabrics that you are unable to wash in hot water, you can actually put them in the freezer for 24 to 48 hours, as this will also kill dust mites.
- Replace any down and feather pillows with the ones that have synthetic fillings. Woollen blankets should be replaced with nylon or cotton ones, and it is a good idea to only ever purchase stuffed animals for children that are washable.
- As mentioned, dust mites typically flourish in warm and humid conditions, generally above 21°C (70°F). They are also attracted to humidity levels in excess of 50%. Therefore, it is advisable to keep your home’s thermostat below 70°F. In order to control your home’s humidity it is recommended that you invest in a dehumidifier.
- Remove carpets and replace with wooden flooring, or indeed tile, linoleum, or vinyl floor covering. It is true that vacuuming carpets and upholstery on a regular basis can be effective in controlling dust mites, although it is best to use a vacuum with high efficiency filters.
- Another, often underused and extremely popular, method is to simply leave your bed unmade. This may be the perfect opportunity for children to tell their parents that they are actually doing something to reduce the allergens in their home. An unmade bed can actually minimize or completely eliminate allergens that typically trigger asthma and allergies, as dust mites will not be able to survive in this environment. An unmade bed will allow moisture to be removed from the sheets and mattress throughout the day, and therefore dust mites will dehydrate and eventually die.
Dust Mite Bites
As mentioned, dust mites do not actually bite, in the sense that they will not inflict a wound on their prey. In fact, they will feed exclusively on the dead skin cells of humans and animals. A dust mite can best be described as a scavenger, and is therefore it is not viewed as a parasite.
Many victims will misdiagnose a wound as a bite from some sort of bug or a spider, even though they never saw an animal inflict the actual bite. As human beings, we typically have our own individual immune systems, and therefore we react very differently to bites and irritations. This simple fact makes it extremely difficult to interpret certain symptoms, let alone being able to identify that it may possibly be a dust mite wound.
Dust mites are known to have chelicerae, which is the scientific term for pincer-like mouthparts that come in pairs, and are generally found on arachnids and crustaceans. These have been designed specifically to bite off food particles, and then allowing them to grind these into smaller chunks so that they can be digested