Allergies

If You Feel It Bite It’s Not a Dust Mite

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Posted in Allergies Dust MitesTagged

Dust mites do not bite you. You can not feel them crawling on you. House dust mites live off your dead skin and can cause allergic reactions.

7 Dust Mite Myths Busted Infographic
7 Dust Mite Myths Busted

The allergic symptoms are caused by inhaling the microscopic fecal matter and shed skins. Symptoms of dust mite allergy include but are not limited to respiratory such as sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, cough, difficulty breathing, and asthma. In addition, skin symptoms such as eczema and dermatitis can result. Rashes and hives are rarely a symptom of dust mite allergy.

Now there several kinds of biting mites. Chiggers are probably the most common and annoying. Chiggers are mite larvae that are ubiquitous outdoors except in arid regions; they bite, feed in the skin, then fall off.

Common mite species that bite and burrow into the skin include Sarcoptes scabiei , which causes scabies, and Demodex mites, which cause scabies-like dermatitis.

Bird mites may bite people who handle live poultry or pet birds or who have birds’ nests on their homes.

Rodent mites from cats, dogs (especially puppies), and rabbits may bite people.

Swine mange mites ( S. scabiei var suis ) from pig farms or pet pigs may also bite humans.

The straw itch mite ( Pyemotes tritici ) is often associated with seeds, straw, hay, and other plant material; it is a parasite of soft-bodied insects that are or have been present in such materials. These mites often bite people who handle infested items. Granary workers, people who handle grass seeds or grass hay, and people who make dried plant arrangements are most at risk.

If you want to keep your bed free of dust mites you should cover it with special covers designed to stop dust mites. The Allergy Store has a good selection to choose from.

Dust Mites Call Your Pillow Home, Too: When To Replace Your Pillow To Avoid Bacteria, Fungi, And Mold

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Posted in Allergies Bedding and Covers Dust Mite Covers

When was the last time you thought about how clean or dirty your pillow was? If you are like most of us the answer to both questions is ” not often”

The sole purpose of a pillow is to provide you with comfort and neck support while you rest. We all know a good pillow is essential to a good night’s sleep, nap, or long plane ride. However despite how comfortable and deceivingly clean your pillow might be, it can be  home to thousands, if not millions, of dust mites and debris.

How often should you get new pillows?

That’s a good question and one many of us tend to overlook. We have a habit of becoming attached to our pillows, so the prospect of tossing an old one and replacing it can be difficult.

While the life span of a pillow is a debated topic, the average replacement time has been suggested to be around two years. However, Robert Oexman, DC, director of the Sleep to Live Institute says pillows should probably be replaced every six months. “People talk about how nasty a mattress gets,” said Oexman, but pillows are more frequently forgotten. Read complete article

The good news is, dust mites don’t spread any kind of disease, but they do pose allergy and asthmatic risks. Roughly 20 percent of people have allergies, and of those who do, around two-thirds may be allergic to the types of dust mites found indoors, The Huffington Post reported. To help reduce your allergic symptoms, including sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes, use an airtight cover for your mattress and pillows.

Everybody Has a Concrete Floor

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Posted in Allergies Question/Answers

The first time I ever heard about someone staining the floors in their home was about 15 years ago. We had a friend that didn’t like the carpeting but could not afford to replace it with tile or wood. Susie’s solution was to ripe out the carpet and stain her floors. Up until then the only stained concrete floors I had seen were in warehouses and garages.

Fast forward to today and it is everywhere. I now see it in homes, restaurants and stores. It’s easier to take care of and in most cases cheaper than tile or wood floors.

We have been telling our customers that carpeting is not a good thing to have it when you have allergies. No matter how clean it looks it still holds all sorts of allergens including pollen, dust, grass and dust mites. I believe staining is a nice alternative that should be considered.

A while back I wrote an article on concrete floors after talking to a few customers. How to Stain Concrete Floors. This was what I knew about it. On my to do list is cleaning out the garage ans staining the floor.

Anyway here are a couple of videos I ran across on Youtube while looking for more information. The first one just confirms what we already know. The second one is step by step instructions.

Video – Controlling Allergens With Concrete Floors

Video – DIY Concrete Staining: How to Stain Concrete Floors

Wishing you the best of health

Mike Krause
AllergyStore.Com
800 771-2246

 

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

Easy to Use and Effective – X-Mite Carpet Powder

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Posted in Allergies

In the past few months we have gotten quite a few calls from customers wanting to know how to use the X-Mite Carpet powder they just got. Well I’m here to tell you it is easy.

Take a minute to watch the video of Cheryl as she shows you just how easy it is. 



Wishing you the best of health
Mike

The Allergy Store – Helping customers since 1989
800 771-2246

 

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved

What Are Allergy Control Products?

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Posted in Allergies
It is a common question. “So, what do you do for a living?” When I am asked that question, I usually answer without thinking “I have a store where we sell allergy control products!”
That usually results in a rather blank stare.  If you don’t have allergies, you probably haven’t ever heard the term “allergy control products“.  If you do have allergies, then you know allergy control products are the difference between feeling ill and feeling well.
I usually go on to explain that when people have allergies to things like dust mites, their doctor gives them very specific steps to follow to control their environment. Our allergy control products help them follow their doctor’s protocols for allergy control.
For example, if you are allergic to dust mites, the doctor will tell you to remove the carpet from your house.  That is because carpet traps allergens and can’t be really cleaned.  If it is not possible to remove the carpet (try explaining that to your landlord) then the allergens can be neutralized (denatured) by the use of X-Mite Powder or ADMS Spray.  Both of these are allergy control products!
Maybe you are allergic to molds.  It is easy for them to grow in humid environments (like the bathroom) so your doctor will tell you to avoid mold as much as possible.  So, you have to clean up your bathroom with Vital Oxide and then use something like SureCote to keep the mold from growing back.  Both are allergy control products.
Of course, the most common allergy control product is the allergy-proof cover for the mattress, pillow, duvet, and boxspring.  That is usually the first allergy control product that a doctor recommends when dust mite allergy is diagnosed.
In the spring and fall, many people are diagnosed with allergy to pollen.  While pollens can be produced at any time of the year, in the spring you get lots of pollens from trees and in the fall pollen counts are increased by the ragweeds.  Doctors recommend that you use nasal and sinus irrigation to keep passages clear from pollens. You can do that using a neti-pot or a Sinu-Pulse.  Both are allergy control products!
I guess “allergy control product” is a pretty broad term to describe what it is we sell at The Allergy Store.
If you have any ideas on other ways to express what it is we do, I would love to hear them.
Until next time!
Cheryl
The Allergy Store

©Copyright 1996-2013 Cee DeeKay,Inc dba AllergyStore.com™ All Rights Reserved