Dust Mites – What You May Not Know

Simon Hahessy Says:

Dust mites for their size cause powerful reactions in people including allergic reactions. Allergic reactions to the North American house dust mite (scientific name: Dermatophagoides farinae) effects millions of people daily. Symptoms of allergies to house dust mites include watering eyes, runny nose, itching, sneezing, asthma, difficulty breathing and infantile eczema.

The house mite is a guest in cohabitation with people and primarily occupies beds, bedding, carpets and upholstery. It is extremely difficult to see house  mites with the naked eye as they are extremely small.

Although small in size they are large in numbers. Female dust mites can lay 60-100 eggs in a short period of time and thousands of dust mites can live in our beds and bedding. Ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be composed of dust mites and their waste products.

House mites feed on skin cells, animal cells and other organic matter, and humans shed millions of skin cells daily, so there are many areas in a home or office for the mites to feed.

House dust mites are second only to pollen in causing allergic reactions to humans. It is the proteins present in the dust mite waste products that people are allergic to.

To control exposure to dust mites, a number of corrective measures should be implemented. Controlling temperature and humidity indoors is important as higher humidity (>50%) can provide optimum conditions for dust mites. Additionally, proper filtration of the air indoors is important. Cleaning of bedding and pillows is very important, washing at high temperatures is effective. Cleaning carpets using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter is also a positive step at reducing the numbers of dust mites. Additionally AirMD have specialized products that can reduce dust mites in home or office environments using technologies that attack the DNA of the dust mites and killing them.

Understanding your home or office environment is important for the control of  mites and other pollutants and evaluating your home and office environment periodically for  mites can ensure a healthier environment, reduce doctor’s visits and reduce our reliance on medication.