Most can cohabitate with dust mites
Once again, Americans' disdain for anything dirty has spawned a lucrative business. Lately, a barrage of advertisements touting dust mite obliteration as a necessary housekeeping task leave me wondering why these invisible creatures haven't eaten my toddler alive yet. So, what's the deal?Here are the facts. According to Wikipedia, the house dust mite (sometimes abbreviated by allergists to HDM), is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation. Dust mites feed on organic detritus such as flakes of shed human skin and flourish in the stable environment of dwellings. In nature they are killed by micro-predators and by exposure to direct sun rays.
The main issue: Dust mites are considered to be the most common cause of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide. But if you don't harbor those symptoms, it's probably safe to ignore the advertising for everything from special bedding to vacuums, detergents and sprays designed to rid one's home of dust mites. As Environment, Health and Safety Online explains, microscopic cast skins and feces are a major constituent of house dust that induces allergic reactions in some individuals. But, for most people, while they are disgusting, house dust mites are not actually harmful. And as my neighbor pointed out recently: "They serve a purpose. Imagine all that dead skin lying around if dust mites didn't exist!"
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-02-2007 @ 8:49AM
Derek said...
The other thing is that according to my allergist, they're mostly a concern while sleeping. Dust mites live in colonies on the order of tens of millions in bedding and pillows. In an allergy test, I tested positive for dust mite allergies. My allergist's suggestion is to not even try to eliminate them, but to contain them where it matters most, which is bed. We purchased a dust mite barrier for our mattress, and I purchased dust mite barrier pillows. I needed new pillows anyway, otherwise I'd have purchased a zip-on cover. I no longer wake up completely congested and hacking. I am no longer awakened by a runny nose several times during the night. It worked well enough, that I went and bought a mattress cover for my daughter who also woke up completely congested every day. She's feeling much better. In addition to that, we wash the bed linings weekly in hot water (at the allergists insistence - her instructions were "Hot water, not warm, not cold. Hot.")
That's it. Wash linings weekly and a barrier. No need for sprays, ointments, coatings, misters, blah, blah, or blah. No etcetera. And no so forth.
Yeah, they're in your carpet too. Do you have your face in your carpet for extended periods? Is so, perhaps you have problems other than merely dust mite allergies. (just kidding)
- D
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10-05-2007 @ 2:49PM
Doug Phillips said...
The Dustmite and Flea Control product by The Ecology Works is great at eliminating dustmites. See their website at http://www.ecologyworks.com
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