That's Fit

Suffering from allergies? Here's a simple solution that might really please you: Don't make your bed in the morning.

We have all heard that pets can help teach kids patience, responsibility, and empathy, but according to a recent study, having a dog in the home during childhood, especially during the first year of infancy, seriously decreased a child's likelihood of developing sensitivities to allergens like pollen. Our own Maggie first broke this story a few days ago but it's worth repeating for those thinking about investing in a canine commitment -- and for those who like photos of cute kids and cute dogs. See gallery that follows.

So the science behind this theory is that dogs bring germs inside on their coats and in their mouths, thus exposing kids to them and boosting the child's immune system. Older generations were often exposed to more dirt and germs as children (you know, because kids used to actually play outside instead of sitting indoors playing video games), and therefore developed a greater resistance to many allergens than kids today.

This study in particular has taken blood samples from 3,000 six-year-olds and will test the samples for hints that the child might become allergic to things like pet hair, dust mites, and pollen. The children will be retested at age 10, but the lead researcher has already stated with confidence that, "Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitization to pollens and allergens."

If you'd describe your sleep lately as "crappy," you have no idea how correct you are in your word choice. That's because, on average, ten percent of the weight of a two-year-old pillow is attributable to dust mites and their droppings.

Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen, we're sleeping on crap. And, it's not just on our pillows that mites seem to enjoy so much; mattresses are veritable party clubs for dust mites, gathering anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million of these tiny suckers inside. What is it these intrepid invaders want from us? Our dead skin. You're feeling itchy right now just thinking about it, aren't you?

Because dust mites are responsible for many cases of asthma, eczema, and many allergy problems, it's a good idea to either replace your old bed and pillow or wash them thoroughly with hot water as often as you can.

I was in the checkout line at Target the other day and spotted a steam mop on the conveyor belt behind my stuff. I asked the woman behind me about it. She was trying it for the first time. At $40, she figured she couldn't lose. Well, anything but $40. But anyway, it piqued my curiosity. Turns out, it's the hot new trend in cleaning supplies.

A recent Washington Post article on the subject offers a pretty nice overview of the method. As for effectiveness and the potential to provide relief for allergy sufferers, steam cleaners seem promising. They are not a "magic wand," but myriad types of steam cleaners can apparently clean things from floors to outdoor grills pretty well. And because hot steam is touted for its ability to kill dust mites, mold and other allergens, they appeal to allergy sufferers.

Another lure is that the method offers a healthier alternative to chemical cleaners and is therefore kinder to the environment, especially waste water. But as with many eco-friendly efforts, there's an "inevitable weighing of pros and cons." Steam cleaners require electricity to use and energy for production and transport and will eventually add to solid waste in landfills.

Despite the fact that I'm not allergic to cats, one of the best things I ever did for my allergies was ban my pets from the bedroom. That, combined with a hypoallergenic cover on my mattress, made the difference between waking up with asthma symptoms every morning, and breathing easy.

It's not easy to allergy-proof your environment. It takes time, patience, and sometimes some sacrifice (in this case, the sacrifice was on my cat's part, lucky for me). But taking steps to reduce your exposure to allergens can significantly improve your symptoms without increasing your medication. WebMD has an excellent list of ways to allergy-proof your home and car, as well as ways to reduce your exposure to common allergens while traveling, eating out, or while your child is at school. If you have allergies, take a minute to see if there's more you can be doing to reduce your symptoms.

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!"

Here's an important hygiene issue that many of us don't think about too often: our pillows. If you've had the same pillow for over two years, who knows what could be lurking on it. Mold, mites and a plethora of germs can all be lurking where you rest your head at night -- yuck!

Experts recommend that you buy new pillows every 2 years, but if that's not possibly, pillow protectors can help keep out the bad stuff. And according to Fitsugar, you can 'clean' your pillows every few weeks by putting them in the dryer on high heat for 20-minutes or so.

How often do you wash your bedding material? Things like sheets and pillowcases are generally best kept washed at least once a week, and in the right temperature water as well. Eek - there is a difference in washing machine temperature, you say?

That's right -- lower water temperature when you wash won't kill many of those pesky and allergy-causing dust mites that feed on dead skin and live in everyone's bed. Simply washing sheets in low-temp water won't do the trick, and if you're an allergy sufferer, this can be wishful (but worthless) effort.

Want to really kill all those mites? Wash in at least 60-degree (Celsius) water, which may have to be watched since some materials can be damaged by tat kind of material.

If you're seeing yourself sneeze at home and are possibly suffering from allergies while inside your home, have you checked out to see if you're allergic to dust mites?

These tiny little (microscopic) creatures feed on dead skin that we lose as we sleep and can cause allergies and itching while in bed (and afterward). No matter how clean you are, your bed is probably full of them.

Washing sheets once per week (at least) and having an all-natural mattress cover is a good way to reduce (or even eliminate) those unseen but pesky mites. The next time you lay down to sleep, you'll probably wake up better.