Dust Mites
Do you wake up with or have
- Stuffy head
- Sniffles
- Dark circles under eyes
- The feeling that you didn’t sleep well or at all
If so then you need to read the article below.
WHO DID YOU SLEEP WITH LAST NIGHT??
Have you ever heard the old saying, “Don’t let the bed bugs bite?” Well it’s not bugs that are the real problem. It is the dust mites and the proteins in their DER p1or fecal matter (up to 20 pellets a day each) and shed exoskeletons that we inhale as we sleep and live that we have to be very concerned about. Millions of these flea like creatures, that belong to the arachnid (spiders, scorpions and others) family are living in your mattress right now amongst other unhealthy allergens such as bacteria, moulds, fungi and viruses no matter how clean you are or how old your mattress is. Pillows can contain up to 20% of their weight in dust mites and their waste matter. The mite population in your bed can be as large as 60% of the total household contamination and having these pests are not a sign of untidiness at all.
Their scientific names are dermatophagoides farinae (American Dust Mite) and d. pteronyssinus (European Dust Mite) and their names mean skin eating mites. These mites live off of the skin flakes (as much as 2 pounds of skin yearly) and hair we shed every day as well as bacteria, pollen, moulds, fungi and their own droppings. They are everywhere in your house with he highest concentration of them being in your bed where we spend up to 1/3 as adults and 1/2 as kids at ground zero.
Dust mites are linked and declared to be responsible for some of the many health problems we as a society battle with everyday. The list includes fatigue, hay fever, allergies, eczema, depression, glue ear, rashes, itchy skin and eyes, insomnia, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory ailments according to the National Asthma Campaign. They do this by breaking down the linings of the eyes, lungs and nasal passages with a protein that is in their fecal matter (DER p1). A study done by the National Institute of Environmental Health stated that 46% of the houses in North America have enough dust mite allergens in their mattresses and beddings to cause troublesome allergies to the occupants. The dust mite’s excrement is thought to be the most important allergen associated with asthma. M.S. Dhillon and D.G. Hogan both of the Allergy and Asthma Consultants, PC claim that not taking charge of this problem within the early years of child development could lead to long-term health problems in the future. Dust mites are so small that 4 would fit on this period. With that said, dust mites and their excrement or fecal matter can easily float around on the air currents in a room or attach themselves to your clothing and be transported to another area and start a new infestation.
They thrive in dark, humid conditions making the bed the perfect place to set up residence. Although you cannot eliminate them completely, you can drastically reduce their population and keep them under control. One dust mite lives for approximately 3-4 months and produce up to 300 eggs a month.
