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Do You Have Dust Mites?

Do You Have Dust Mites?
31 October 2018 832 view(s)

Do You Have Dust Mites?

Curling up into a cosy bed at night is often one of the most relaxing parts of your day, but your relaxation can turn upside down when you find out that you're sharing your bed with two million hidden tenants.

Considering they’re invisible to the naked eye, dust mites can cause a lot of hassle, but how can you prevent them?

What are Dust Mites?

Dust mites are the most common cause of allergy from house dust and are a common cause of asthma in children.

Dust mites are tiny microscopic relatives of the spider and live on mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, carpets and curtains. Dust mites, on average, are around 0.3mm in size – that’s smaller than a full stop.

These tiny creatures like to feed on the flakes of skin that people and pets shed daily, and they thrive in warm and humid environments.

There are over 2 million dust mites on your bed.

What Causes Dust Mites?

Dust mites live and multiply easily in warm, humid places. They prefer temperatures at or above 21°C, with a humidity of 75-80%. Dust mites are not usually found in dry climates and die when humidity falls below 50%.

Even if you routinely clean your home each week, you will still have dust mites within your home. Their ideal living conditions are the same as ours, meaning it can be hard to get rid of them. You could go on a crazy cleaning-spree, but without a crew of scientists, you’ll never be able to get your house totally clean and free of dust, mites or allergens.

What are the Health Issues Associated with Dust Mites?

Having dust mites in your home can cause a variety of issues, some of these include:

  • Dust mite allergy – In dust mite allergies, it isn’t the dust that causes the symptoms, instead the allergy is triggered by the dust mite’s faeces. Symptoms of a dust mite allergy include sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose, and nasal congestion.
  • Asthma flare-up - If you have asthma, dust mites can cause you to wheeze more and need more asthma medicine. You may have more asthma symptoms at night, when you are lying in a bed infested with dust mites. Cutting down on the number of dust mites in the home is an important step if you or someone in your family has allergies or asthma.
  • Atopic dermatitis flare-up – A house dust mite allergy can also trigger a flare-up of atopic dermatitis (also known as atopic eczema).

How Can You Prevent Dust Mites?

Dust mites cannot be totally eliminated from a home, no matter how clean it is. However, it is possible to reduce the number of mites in your home.

Beurer’s Allergy Free Heated Mattress Cover is specially treated with a HHL Technology (health protection) finish that is used to kill and provide on-going protection from dust mites, odour-causing bacteria, and mould growth for a healthier sleep.

Beurer's Allergy Free Mattress Cover can help protect you from dust mites.

The blanket can protect you from dust mites in two ways:

1. By providing a ten-minute heat boost at 60°C, killing dust mites and their eggs.

2. The Advanced Actifresh’ by Sanitised® fabric technology provides a barrier for further protection.

Other features of the Beurer Mattress Cover include:

  • Soft, breathable cotton finish, fully-fitted with a generously deep elasticated skirt
  • 6 temperature settings, including an anti-allergy heat boost and pre-heat facilities
  • Designed for all year-round fitment and protection
  • Quick heat-up time; you can feel the warmth in just 8 minutes, plus extra foot warmth
  • Variable timer with auto shut off after 1, 3, 6, or 12 hours

Other ways to prevent dust mites include:

  • Wash all bedding and blankets once a week in hot water to kill dust mites.
  • Using a dehumidifier or air conditioner to maintain the humidity of your room at about 50% or below.
  • Using a damp mop or rag to remove any dust; using a dry cloth only stirs up mite allergens.
  • Use a vacuum cleaner with either a double-layered microfilter bag or a HEPA filter to trap allergens that pass through the vacuum.
  • Replace wool or feathered bedding with synthetic materials.

Sources

[1] ACAAI (2018) Dust Allergy [online]. American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology [viewed 30/10/2018]. Available from https://acaai.org/allergies/types/dust-allergy

[2] Family Doctor (2017) Dust Mites in the Home [online]. American Academy of Family Physicians [viewed 30/10/2018]. Available from https://familydoctor.org/dust-mites-in-the-home/

[3] Informed Health (2017) Dust Mite Allergies: Overview [online]. Informed Health [viewed 30/10/2018]. Available from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK447098/

[4] National Institute of Environmental Health Services (2017) Dust Mites [online]. NIH [viewed 30/10/2018]. Available from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/allergens/dustmites/index.cfm