What Are Dust Mites

Don’t Worry About Dust Mites .. Wrong

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While scanning articles about dust mites and allergies I ran across this one from the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Center and feel compelled to point out a few things. Read complete article

In the beginning  it talks about the person going out and buying down pillows. This is one of the worst things an allergy suffer can do. If the dust mites don’t get you the down will. The best thing for allergy suffers to do is sleep with pillows that have a polyester fill.

The article goes on to talk about a study done in 2004  by Dr. Peter Gotzsche. “Dr. Peter Gotzsche, lead author of the study and director of the Nordic Cochrane Center in Copenhagen, said in an e-mail, “The reduction in exposure to mites and mite allergens that can be obtained by encasings, chemicals, vacuum cleaning, etc., is far too small to have any effect.”

It then goes on to say that most allergists and environmental health experts disagree.

I’m with them.

The doctors comment about the reduction is too small does not seem right. Dust mites live in the mattress and pillows. They live there, poop there and then die there. Common sense should tell you that is where the highest concentration of dust mite allergens can be found. Put a cover on the mattress and limit your exposure.

While you can disagree on what dust mite cover is better majority of the people I know will agree they help.

If you think you have allergies to dust mites it makes sense to be tested. It does not make sense to sleep on an unprotected bed.

Dust Mites and Barbie. Is There a Connection

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Every so often you run across something that brings back the memories. Just got this post from one of the other blogs I keep tabs one and it reminded me of my daughter.

She did not have allergies when she was young but she did like to play with her Barbie dolls. Some of them were her mom’s when she was a kid. Someone said things change but stay the same. I did read that you can now put tattoos on her. That has changed.

Anyway here is the link to the post on the Allergy Stores Blog.   Barbie and Dust Mites .. Related?  http://allergy.allergystore.com/2011/03/10/barbie-and-dust-mite-allergies.aspx

Dust Mites are Disgusting .. So Says Dr. Philip Wexler

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Should they make a horror movie about dust mites? How about “The Dust Mite that Ate New York”. Naw,  they already are being eaten by bed bugs.

Dust mites cause enough problems and nightmares for people without going to Hollywood. For so many people with allergies these microscopic bugs are far worse than any movie could make them out to be.

Dr. Wexler made a very good point in his article about an allergist is the only person who can tell you if you are allergic to dust mites. (Read complete article) I’ve talked to many people who think just because they have an itch while laying in bed they are allergic to dust mites. Maybe or maybe they are allergic to the fabric softener.

Are you allergic to dust mites? Don’t guess. Go see your doctor.

Dust Mites Are Smaller Than a Period

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I ran across this article on dust mite covers and while most of it is pretty accurate, dust mites do live in your bedding and specialized covers are needed to combat the problem.

However it did say dust mites are about the size of a period on a page. The truth is you can’t see a dust mite without a microscope. They are about 200 micrometers in size. You could put hundreds of dust mites on the head of a pin.

It also said you could use tape to remove them but I’m not real sure how effective that would be but if someone wants to try using tape so be it. I personally think I will stick with the dust mite covers I have on my bed

You can read the rest of the article here