Because we live in the good ole USA we forget that people in other countries have it much worse than we do. This article is about a family in Australia that is living in an allergic hell hole.

“One mother, who did not want her name published, said her house was infested with dust mites, causing her four children to suffer asthma, while her three-year-old daughter also had “chronic eczema”.

The family of six live in a two-bedroom flat, and doctors say overcrowding is adding to the family’s severe health issues. “I have four children all sleeping in one bedroom and my two girls are sleeping in the same bed,” she said.” Read complete article

It looks like dust mites are just part of the problem. I would guess they also have a problem with mold and pollen as well. I doubt they have any of their beds covered or even wash the sheets weekly.

The question is what can be done when it is public housing?

The two major species of dust mites were first identified in 1964. The European dust mite is Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. The common American dust mite is Dermatophagoides farinae. The proteins contained in the shed shells, dead bodies, and feces of both mite species are quite similar. In tropical regions, the mite Blomia tropicalis (also called the storage mite) also exists.

There is evidence that only limited cross reactivity exists between dermatophagoides pteroynssinus and Blomia tropicalis.   The pteroynssinus prefers a more humid environment than the farinae mite. D. pteroynssinus lays 80 to 120 eggs over a 45 day period while the D. farinae only lays about 30 eggs in a month (or an egg a day). The most important allergenic proteins in D. pteronyssinus are Der p 1 and Der p 2.

D. pteronyssinus has also been reported to play an important role as a trigger factor in patients with atopic dermatitis (as reported in Acta Dermatovenerol Croat 2006 14(2):86-9)
The best protection against dermatophagoides pteroynssinus is to seal mattresses and pillows in zippered covers that are imperious to the mite.

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Many people suffering from dust allergies often do not have a clue how to solve thier problem. They just wake up feeling like they didn’t even get to sleep. These bugging little creatures love to live in pillows, comforters and mattresses. That is why it is crucial to know about and how how to use and know why dust mite covers work.

Probably the most effective tool in solving mite problems, the covers are easy to access and affordable. It is important to know about the damage mites cause, especially to person with the allergies. For example, since they live on mattresses and pillows, they carry out all daily functions of life there. These include breeding, excreting and dying. Think about that. Your bedding can be full of dust mites, dead and alive and their poop. Pretty gross right?

Moving on, the excrements on and in the beddings is the main cause of allergies. Ypur allergies are triggered when the protiens are breathed in. There can be millions of mites in a single mattress, resulting in sever allergic reactions.

Keeping a mattress covered even if one is not suffering from allergies is a healthy preventive measure to avoid future illnesses. Many people develop their allergies over a period of years. Furthermore, the covering can help avoid bad smells from sweat and keeps the mattress or pillow clean.

Many people try using insect sprays on their beds. However, this has its own dangers since the sprays have poisonous chemicals that are breathed in at night. Not a good idea.

When looking for covers, one can utilize a bed sheet which will do the job for a very short period of time, a night or two. However if you want a long term solution, investing in a special dust mite cover is a wise idea. These are available in a variety of materials such as micro-fiber or urethane fabrics. Depending on the fabric the price varies, but is quite affordable especially if you look at the fact youd don’t replace them for years. These covers are easy to use, coming in zip-up forms.

Even most doctors recommend them to people with allergies to dust mites because thier patients have seen much improvement because of them. Many of them see improvements after the first night.