Dust Mites

Have you ever wondered as to why your body suddenly starts itching when you go to bed or sit down on your favorite old couch? Anton van Leeuwenhoek, the inventor of microscope reported as early as 1694 that dust mites live in dust. Today, it is an accepted fact that dust mites can be found in the house dust all over the world. Dust mites do not come under the insect category but under the arachnid category and are closely related to spiders and ticks. The two common types of dust mites are the American house dust mite recognized as 'Dermatophagoides farinae' and the European dust mite, recognized as 'Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus'.

Dust mites are very small in size and are not visible to the naked eye. The can be found in bedding, couches, old clothes and carpets. They feed on the dead skin that falls of the bodies of animals and humans. They prefer warm humid conditions. Further, the concentration of the dust mites allergen will vary depending on the season and the geographical area.

An allergy is defined as the over reaction to a foreign body like the pollen which are known as allergens by the body's immune system. One fifth of all Americans suffer from some form of allergy and it is also the sixth leading chronic disease in the United States. Dust mites are second to pollen grains when it comes to causing allergic reactions. The feces of the dust mites are the allergy causing agents. Their life span is approximately 4 weeks and they can produce feces up to 200 times their own weight. During the third week of their lives, the females bear eggs and produce about 25 new dust mites. It takes the dust mites about six months to completely take over a mattress. There could be over a million of them.

How do Dust Mites Affect Us?

Contrary to the popular belief, dust mites do not cause any diseases directly. It is the continuous exposure to their fecal pallets that causes allergies in the human body. Some of the symptoms caused by the allergic reactions to the wastes produced by the dust mites are:

• Chest tightness
• Wheezing and shortness of breath
• Itching
• Redness in parts of the body that feel itchy
• Stuffy and running nose

How to Control Dust Mites?

Controlling dust mites is an expensive process and if you are not too allergic to them, then a general cleaning, vacuuming and dusting should keep them under control. However, if your body is over sensitive to the wastes produced by the dust mites then you will have to take additional precautions that are not only time-consuming, they are very expensive too.

Another myth is that the air ducts in homes are full of dust mites and a lot of people spend too much of time and money cleaning out the air ducts. The reason that dust mites cannot survive in air ducts is that they require about 75% humidity to survive along with a constant supply of food. The upper parts of mattress are a cozy site during the warm and humid season while the deeper parts are used during conditions that are not favorable. The dust mites move from one room to another by clinging on to clothes.

Some of the measures that you can take to control dust mites are:

• Replace the carpets on the bedroom floor with tile or wooden floors. Also, usage of upholstered furniture should be avoided.
• Use plastic shades instead of curtains and drapes. Wipe the plastic shades with a wet cloth a minimum of once a week. Further, stop using fabric wall hangings like tapestries.
• Mattresses, box springs and pillows should be enclosed in zippered dust proof covers and should be dusted before you turn in every night. Wash all bedding materials like pillow cases, blankets and bed covers every alternate week in hot water.
• Vacuum the house often with a high-efficiency purifying air (HEPA) filtration system. Throw away the bags immediately as the dust mites can leave the bag.
• Boron based dust mites and flea control products are also available in the market which can be used as per the instructions provided.

We all know that we cannot completely eliminate dust mites from our lives. They will follow us around where ever we go. Chemical control is also not effective in eliminating dust mites completely. Regular cleaning and dusting is the only solution that will help reduce the impact and discomfort that they can cause.