Dust Mite Allergies
Dust mite proteins, the number one indoor allergens, are the most frequent cause of perennial allergic rhinitis. At least ten percent of the world’s population suffer from dust mite related allergies. Some symptoms include sneezing,nasal stuffiness, stuffy ears, itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, respiratory problems, atopic dermatitis and even asthma.
People who have problems with house dust realize that even one breath of dusty air can set off allergy symptoms and asthma. But dust alone isn’t always the cause of their problems. Dust mites — microscopic organisms that live in dust — are the the usual culprits.
Dust mites can live and prosper in clean homes. The matter dust mites leave behind (droppings and carcasses) become airborne when it mixes with dust.
While you can’t totally exterminate dust mites from your home, you can limit their population and lessen the amount of matter that gets into the air. This may actually help people breathe better.
In the US, although dust mite infestations peak in the Summer months, their actual allergen levels remain high even during the winter.
The actual dust mites are not allergenic in themselves, but the protein they produce is. DER p1 is the protein found in the dust mite droppings and decayed carcasses that cause the biggest problems.
Reducing Exposure to Dust Mites
No matter how often and thoroughly you vacuum and dust your home, you will not see a decrease in the number of living dust mites that are living deep within carpets and bedding. However, there are some steps that can be taken to make their existance much more difficult which will help reduce the exposure to their allergy causing properties.
Dust mite loves warm climates and humid conditions, so the first step is to decrease the warm temperatures and humidity in your house. Utilize an air conditionimng unit and dehumidifiers if possible. Special filters can be bought for your air conditioning units which will help contain airborne allergens. These filters should be switched or cleaned often. The dehumidifiers should also be cleaned on a regular basis as well.
Bedrooms are the best dwelling place for dust mites. They live in pillows, bedding materials, bed springs, blankets, and duvets. Over two million dust mites live in the average persons bed. Human body heat, plus the dead skin particles are perfect for dust mite maturation and existance. It is recommended you encase the box spring, mattress, and pillows in dust-proof housings. All linens and bedding materials should also be washed bi-weekly in hot suddsy water.
The ideal, dust mite-free house should have no carpeting. But for those houses with carpeting, they should be cleaned by professionals with HOT water to kill dust mites. Mites cannot live in extremely hot conditions.
The best aparatus for dealing with dust mites feces and carcasses is the a HEPA fitration vacuum cleaning machine. Vacuuming carpeting, bedding, upholstery and drapes once a week will decrease the number dust mite allergens in your house.
Clothes can also be a source of dust mites. Clothes should also be laundered in extremely hot water and thoroughly dried to erradicate the dust mites.
Further measures to decrease dust mite allergens are to untilize woodor vinyl flooring and leather furniture. Use blinds or washable drapes rather than heavy drapery. Avoid objects that collect dust such as tapestries, old books, cluttered-objects, and collectibles.
Anti- Dust Mite Pesticides
There are products on that market that claim to arradicate dust mites or reduce the overall allergenic properties of their feces, but usually the toxic chemicals in these products are even more harmful than the dust mites. Be sure to read the product labels prior to buying to see which chemical agents are being utilized.
Dust Mite Allergy Treatments
If limiting your exposure to dust mites is not successful, medicines or allergy injections may be required to help aleviatre the symptoms. Contact your doctor or allergy specialist for assistance.
The best method for treating medical problems related to dust mites allergies is reducing the amount of dust mites within living areas. Such things as adjusting environmental controls and reducing the amount of dust and dust collecting material around the home can make a huge impact on the frequency and severity of dust mite allergies.
Along with environmental treatment, it may also be necessary for those that suffer from this problem to use the aid of medicinal products. A wide variety of prescription and non-prescription products are available today. They range from antihistamines and decongestants to corticosteroids and beta-2 agonists. These medications have greatly reduced the severity of symptoms that people suffer, and have made life much easier for those allergic to dust mites.
Here are some ways to help reduce the number of dust mites in the home, and in turn, reduce the possibility for allergic reactions to the dust mite’s waste products.
- Frequent vacuuming and dusting. By vacuuming and dusting at least once weekly or more, you can reduce the amount of fecal and decaying body parts left over by dust mites. Using special filtering systems on vacuums also helps to prevent the vacuum from blowing this material back out into the air and re-infecting the area again.
- Reduce the number of places for dust to accumulate. Since dust mites live mostly in areas with high concentrations of dust and debris, reducing items from around the house that collect dust can help reduce the population of dust mites.
- Use hard wood or linoleum floors. Dust mites love to live within carpeted areas. Carpets provide a good protection from vacuums and cleaning substances. It also provides a haven for them in which they can keep warm and collect the food sources they enjoy, such as human skin cells and fingernail residue.
- Adjust the climate in your home. Using a dehumidifier and turning the thermostat down on your furnace is one of the most effective means of controlling dust mites. By lowering the temperature in your home and keeping the humidity below 55 percent, you deprive dust mites of water. Since they cannot drink water, they have to absorb it from the humidity in the air. If we take away that humidity, they simply dry up and die.
- Use filtration systems. Using specially designed filtration systems on furnaces and air conditioning units helps to pull allergenic particles from the air. These filters are effective in reducing the availability of these harmful particles to humans, and when changed regularly, can help keep the breathable air in your home free of dust mite waste.
- Use protective coverings on mattresses and pillow cases. Beds provide an excellent habitat for dust mites. It is estimated that there could be up to 10 million of these creatures residing in the average bed. During the night a sleeping person can stir up dust mite particulates by turning and rolling in bed. This action can cause these particles to become airborne and increase the chances of allergic reactions at night.
How do we kill them?
Dust mites need water to live, and are more scarce in high altitude (and therefore dry) climates. They also require a warm environment, making winter hard on their populations. They also cannot stand very hot temperatures, so launder whatever bedding and clothing you can in hot water to kill existing dust mites. Their life span is usually four months, so it is wise to kill them where you can.
In addition to alteration of their habitat, there are extermination processes developed to help rid your home environment of dust mites and decrease the allergens that they expel. The active ingredients of the chemicals used to treat dust mites in the home, are benzyl benzoate and tannic acid, both of which are relatively safe for use around humans. The chemicals are known as Acarosan and Allergy Control Solution. The EPA has not done studies on these chemicals, however research in Europe has been promising. The best way to avoid dust mites, however, still seems to be prevention.