Dust Mite Allergies
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Dust mite allergy
House dust mites are eight-legged creatures that are part of the Arachnid family — relatives of spiders, chiggers and ticks. The mites that commonly cause allergies are of the Pynoglyphoid genera, especially the species Dermatophgoides of pteronyssinus, Dermatophygoides farinae and Blomia tropcaclis.
House dust mites in our homes thrive on human and other animal skin dropping, including feathers, and even flour! In fact, these mites also love a nice serving of mould as part of their diet as well.
Mites thrive on surfaces that provide a reservoir of skin cells and other edible material. This includes bedding, carpets, stuffed toys and soft furnishings such as couches and chair
What part of the dust mite causes allergies?
The house dust mite is not the main problem in itself. It is doesn't bite or transmit disease. What people become allergic to are the proteins in the mites and their faeces. And with as many as 18,875 mites counted in a gram of dust (the weight of a paper clip), producing up to 20 faecal pellets each day, the term 'the air is thick' takes on a whole new meaning.
As dust mites are totally blind, they have evolved a system to decide whether particles they have just come across are food or waste that they have come across are food or waste that they gave already extracted all nutrients from. After they have ingested a parcel of skin dander, they envelope it with a wrapping of their own digestive proteins. These enzymes extract all the nutrients they need before discarding the wrapped package as faecal pellets.
If the mites then come across these pellets later, they can recognise the chemical signature of mite droppings and avoid ingesting them again. Unfortunately, allergic people can react to the enzymic proteins in these faecal pellet wrappers.
Old mattresses easily carry up to a million live dust mites. Given enough food supply, each mite can process and package four faecal pellets per day. With four million allergenic particles disturbed when people move around in bed, it is no wonder that dust mite allergy sufferers experience a worsening of symptoms at night time.
Symptoms
Dust mite allergy symptoms may range from mild to severe and may include the following:
Dust Mite Allergy Bedding
Bedding provides the ideal breeding ground for dust mites. Not only is most bedding the perfect temperature and humidity for dust mites, the people curled up in it at night provide an unlimited food supply for the hungry beasts.
Fortunately, it's not a losing battle for those with allergies. An allergy sufferer can take the following steps to make sure he or she is sleeping alone (or at least without dust mites):
Diagnosis and treatment for dust mite allergies
Allergy testing can find out whether house dust mites trigger your respiratory or dermatological symptoms. See your doctor for further information and advice.
If tests show that you are allergic to house dust mites, there are ways to reduce your immune system response. For example, you could undergo immunotherapy, which involves deliberately exposing you to dust mite extracts to ‘train’ your immune system not to overreact. Measures designed to reduce your household’s dust mite population may also be helpful.
Tips to reduce house dust mites in your home
- Cover mattress, pillow and quilt with dust mite resistant covers. The covers must be washed every two months. Some health funds may provide a rebate for these items.
- Wash sheets and pillowcases weekly in water hotter than 55°C. Alternatively, if washing in cold water, use a commercial product containing essential oils, like eucalyptus or tea tree oil.
- Hot tumble dry (for half an hour after dry) or dry clean household items – this will kill house dust mites, but not the allergen they produce.
- Wash blankets and non-encased doonas every two months.
- Use synthetic rather than feather pillows and doonas, as these tolerate regular washing.
- Remove sheepskin or woollen underlays and any other sheepskin products.
- Remove all soft toys from the bedroom and replace with wooden or plastic toys, which can be washed. Or, if a soft toy is allowed, it should be washed weekly using the same method used for sheets. (Freezing soft toys overnight does not work, because it doesn’t remove allergen).
- Damp dust or use electrostatic cloths to clean hard surfaces weekly, rather than a feather duster.
- Reduce humidity – have a dry and well-ventilated house. Have adequate floor and wall insulation and avoid evaporative coolers.
- Avoid upholstered furniture – leather, vinyl, plastic and wood are best.
- Windows – Venetian blinds or flat blinds are better than heavy curtains. Washable curtains or external shutters are other options.
- Wash clothing before use if it has been stored for a long time.
- Remove carpets, rugs and mats (where practical and affordable) – bare boards and tiled floors are preferable as they can be damp mopped or cleaned with electrostatic cloths.
- Wash rugs and mats regularly and dry them outside in full sunshine (if possible).
- Vacuum weekly, including the seams of mattresses and upholstered furniture. Vacuuming causes house dust mite allergens to become airborne for up to 20 minutes, so if you are allergic to dust mites, you should wear a mask or ask someone else to vacuum. You may air the house for an hour or so after vacuum cleaning to help clear the air.
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