Tag: dust mites

Posted on

Allergies – Know the Enemy – Dust Mites

Sadly you can be the cleanest person in the world and you would still have a problem with dust mites.

Household Dust &  Dust Mites

An allergy to dust found in our homes is the most common cause of perennial allergic rhinitis. House dust allergy usually produces symptoms similar to pollen allergy.

What Is House Dust?

Rather than a single substance, house dust is a varied mixture of potentially allergenic materials. The particles that can be seen floating in a shaft of sunlight may contain fibers from different types of fabrics; cotton lint, feathers, and other stuffing materials; bacteria; mold and fungus spores (especially in damp areas); food particles; bits of plants and insects; and other allergens peculiar to an individual home.

Dust also contains microscopic creatures known as dust mites. These mites also live in bedding, upholstered furniture, carpets, and other fiber-containing surfaces.  Ordinarily, they would thrive in summer and die in winter. However, in a warm, humid house, they continue to thrive even in the coldest months. Their waste products, which contain proteins, are what actually provoke the allergic reaction.

What Are Dust Mites?

Dust mites are tiny creatures you cannot see. Every home has dust mites. There are two major species, the Dermatophagoides farinae or North American Dust Mite, and the Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus or the European or Old World Dust Mite.  Both species feed on shed skin flakes and are found in mattresses, pillows, carpets, upholstered furniture, bedcovers, clothes, stuffed toys, and fabric or other fabric-covered items. In fact, your bed can have millions of dust mites living in it and you will never see them (great reason to cover the mattress with dust mite covers). It is the reason old mattresses, box springs, and pillows weigh so much more than the same item when new.

Dead dust mites are just as bad for you as a living one. Body parts and feces of dust mites can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. House dust mite allergy is the major year-round allergy in the world.  Dust mites do not bite, you cannot feel them on your skin, and you cannot see dust mites.

Next up – Pets and Animal Dander

Till next time

Cheryl
Allergy Store – Helping customers since 1989

Posted on

PrimaLoft Down Alternative Comforters

primaloft down alternative comforter is warm and stylish

We are pleased to announce that we have added the Primaloft Down Alternative Comforter manufactured by Downlite to the Allergy Store. If you love the feel and warmth of down but have allergies this is a comforter worth looking at.

Made in the USA these soft and comfortable “hotel comforters” can be machine washed and dried over and over for many years without
loosing that fluffy look.

You can can get all the details on the comforters here.

Wishing you the best of  health
Mike

Allergy Store – Helping customers since 1989

Posted on

Do You Need An Allergy Mattress Cover in Winter?

I had what I thought was an odd question earlier this week.  A customer phoned and wanted to know if she should take her allergy proof mattress cover off her bed in the winter.  Perplexed at the question, I had a question for her, “why?”.
It turns out that she thought that if the temperatures were cold, the dust mites would not be a problem since they like warm temperatures. While it is true that dust mites like warm and moist spots (that is why they love your mattress and pillows) the cold isn’t going to get to them unless it is freezing.  I know it has been frigid in some areas these last few days, but even if it is freezing or below outside it isn’t that cold in your house. The bugs in your yard may disappear in winter, but dust mites are a year around problem.
You can keep your temperature at 68 to 72 degrees, but one of the warmest places in the house is going to be your bed when you are in it!  That means you are there as a personal warming device for the dust mites, making sure they don’t get chilly.  So it is crucial to keep your allergy mattress cover on your bed and pillow in winter as well as all other times of the year.
While you might want to take the cover off and wash it a few times a year, it is important that you promptly put it back on the mattress as soon as it is dry.   Once your mattress or pillow cover is zipped up, forget about it and let it get to work protecting you from dust mites and other common household allergens.
Winter, spring, summer or fall, you need your allergy mattress cover for dust mite protection.
Til Next Time!