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Deep within the carpets, upholstered furniture and
mattresses, millions of microscopic dust mites are busy going about their
daily routines. Unfortunately, for about 10% of the population, the protein
DER p1 in their minute droppings causes allergic reactions, which affect
their respiratory systems causing allergic reactions and triggering asthmatic
attacks. The DER p1 produced by the dust mite is therefore thought to be
the most important allergen associated with asthma.
Being 1/200" to 1/250" long, they are so small that they are virtually invisible
to the naked eye. The dust mite's mouth parts are grouped in front of the
body, resembling a head. Their body is oval and covered with fine striations.
Their eight tiny legs have small sticky pads which enable them to burrow
deep into carpet fibers and furniture, easily resisting the pull of even
the most powerful portable (canister or upright) vacuum cleaners.
Dust mites do not bite, sting or transmit diseases, so they pose no harm
except to people who are allergic to a protein they produce. As many as
1,000 per gram (The average bed can easily have over 10,000 dust mites living
in it) of house dust, are doing their best to clean up our world, eating
shed human skin scales and secretions, house dust, fungal spores, pollen
grains, plant fibers and insect scales. Their numbers have increased dramatically
in the past 20 to 30 years, especially during the winter months, partly
due to tighter homes where ventilation is limited and temperatures tend
to be warmer.
Egg-laying female mites can increase the population by 25 to 30 every three
weeks. They go through five stages in their life cycle; from egg, the larvae
stage, then two nymphal stages, and finally the adult. This cycle from egg
to the adult takes about one month. Adult mites can live up to two months,
depending on the humidity levels and temperatures of their environment.
They thrive in higher relative humidities of 70-80% and temperatures of
75-80 degrees F in which their development and food consumption increases.
The Dust Mite Allergen
It is the protein DER p1 in the fecal products and
disintegrating body parts of these minute dust mites that is the allergen
that triggers the asthma and allergy attacks of sufferers.
Dust mites each produce about 20 pellets per day, each measuring about 10
to 24 µm in size. To put that in perspective, the diameter of the human
hair measures 80-100 µm. A gram of dust can hold 250,000 of these minute
droppings. They are so tiny and light that they float easily into the air
when disturbed by our daily activities, including vacuuming with a system
that does not vent to the air outside the home environment. |
How to Control Dust Mites
- Use only polyester-fill pillows and comforters
(never feather or down). Encase pillows and mattresses in mite-proof
covers (available at allergy-supply stores). Keep covers clean by vacuuming
or wiping them down once a week.
- Wash sheets and blankets a child sleeps on once
a week in very hot water (130 degrees F or higher) to kill dust mites.
- Avoid upholstered furniture, window mini-blinds,
and carpeting in a child's bedroom and playroom. They can collect dust
and harbor dust mites (especially carpets).
- Use washable throw rugs on vinyl or hardwood
floors, and wash rugs in hot water weekly.
- Use washable curtains and vinyl window shades
that can be wiped down. Wash curtains in hot water weekly.
- Dust and vacuum weekly. If possible, use a central
vacuum system that is especially designed to vent all waste materials
outside of the home.
- Reduce the number of dust-collecting houseplants,
books, knickknacks, and non-washable stuffed animals in your home.
- Avoid humidifiers when possible because moist
air promotes dust mite infestation.
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