Ways to Relieve Dust Mite Allergy Symptoms

What's a Dust Mite?

They are small-spider like creatures that feed on human and animal dander (flakes of skin and bits of hair). The average mite is around 0.3 mm large, has a life span for the male is one month and 2 months for the female. During it's life span a female can lay up to 100 eggs. On average a human sheds about 10 grams of skin a week, animals shed more, so they have plenty of food in the average household. Their populations are largest where humans do most of their lounging, living room furniture, carpets, car seats, and last of all the bedroom, particularly the in the mattress. Depending on conditions, 100,000 have been known to occupy one square yard of carpet, and hundreds of thousands can live in a mattress. Ten year old mattresses can double its original weight due to the accumulated weight of dead carcasses and their feces. A two-year old pillow can have a 10% increase in weight due to the same reasons.

Dust Mite Allergies

While they are not harmful to Humans, an article published in the Wall Street Journal on 5th Jan 2010 (pg D2) suggested that 18-30% of Americans have allergic reactions to the feces of these mites. When people that are sensitive to them come in contact with their feces, they produce antibodies that produce histamines that cause nasal congestion. Actually the same study found that up to 50% of American homes have allergen levels high enough that people who have previously never had a problem with allergies could develop allergy symptoms. Babies that are younger than one year old living in such environments could develop lifelong allergies. Anyone or combination of the following can be an indication of a dust mite allergy.

• Asthma
• Coughing
• Frequently waking up
• Children rubbing of the nose in an upward fashion
• Itchy nose, throat, or roof of mouth
• Nasal congestion
• Runny nose
• Swollen, blue-colored skin under the eyes
• Breathing difficulties
• Facial pressure and pain
• Hay fever
• Infantile eczema
• Itchy, red or watery eyes
• Postnasal drip
• Sneezing
• Watering eyes

Allergy symptoms could be made worse in the following conditions.

• high humidity


• temperatures that are above 70 F / 20 C


• Poor ventilation


• tobacco smoke or car fumes

Effective Ways for Getting Rid of Dust Mites

1. Wash bedding every week at 130 F/ 54C
2. Wash with laundry soap that has anti mite properties.
3. Protect mattresses with dust mite mattress covers, dust mite pillow covers and sleep on dust mite proof mattresses, memory foam, latex mattresses and natural memory mattresses are dust mite resistant. They also don't live in water and air mattresses
4. Wash childrens' stuffed animals often with hot water
5. Keep the household humidity low at 30-50%.
6. Have less carpeted floors and if you do have them professionally cleaned twice a year

Article Summary

This article covered the following points. What a dust mite is, how it's a menace to people who suffer allergies, their favorite breeding environments, what allergy symptoms are, and effective ways for getting rid of dust mites. There's also an informative video on YouTube that's worth viewing. Natural Relief of Dust Mite Allergies