What Are Dust Mites

Nasal Irrigation … Feels Weird But Works

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If you have never done it, nasal irrigation, feels really weird. Think about the last time you got water up your nose in the pool. I’ve got to admit it does help to relieve the pain of that nasty sinus headache I get when cold fronts blow in.

Every time you breath in you are sucking in dust, pollen, dust mite, grass, dirt and other stuff floating in the air and all of this stuff can cause some people to be miserable. If you never have had a sinus infection you are so lucky. The pressure that builds up in your head makes you think your face is going to explode.

“There are four sinuses incorporated in the skull; they are located in the forehead, behind the cheeks, between the eyes and finally behind the eyes which is why these are the most commonly affected areas due to the disease. Pain is brought about due to inflammation and swelling and is a major inconvenience”. (Read rest of post)

There are several different types of nasal irrigation systems being sold. Some are simple, look like little watering cans, neti pots that you use to pour the water solution into your nose and gravity takes over. Then there are the systems that actually spray the water solution into your nose like the Sinupulse nasal irrigation system. The Swiss know how to make health care products. This system gently washes away all the stuff allowing you to breath. That is a good thing.

Next time you get sinusitus, congestion or your allergies flare up you may want to consider flushing the old nose out

What Are Dust Mites

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What are dust mites?Dust mites in most cases are harmless to most people. They don’t carry diseases, however, they can cause allergic reactions in asthmatics and others who are allergic to their feces and body parts. Many people have no idea they are even allergic to dust mites.

Skin cells and scales, commonly called dander, are concentrated in areas where people and pest hang out, mattresses, couches and chairs, and carpeted areas. These areas often harbor millions of these microscopic mites. The average person sloughs off 1/3 ounce (10 grams) of dead skin a week and that gives dust mites a lot to eat.

If you happen to have cats and dogs they create even more dander for dust mites to eat. A typical mattress can contain thousands if not millions of dust mites. Sick yet?

Close to 100,000 mites can live in one square yard of carpet. Did you know a single dust mite produces about 18-20 waste droppings each day, each containing a protein which many people are allergic to. The proteins in that combination of feces and shed skin are what cause allergic reactions in humans.

Depending on the person and exposure, reactions can range from itchy or watery eyes, to sever in the hospital asthma attacks. And finally, unlike other types pests, you can never completely get rid of them. Sorry.

Ways to Control Allergens in Your Furniture

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Allersearch Labs makes a great product,  ADMS Anti-Allergen  Spray, to help you get rid of allergens in most upholstered items.

For those who have allergies, you’ve probably received a list of things to do from your doctor in  order for your house to be allergen free.  Along with removing the carpets, you were probably told to remove all draperies, curtains, and upholstered furniture. In their place really should be hard surface blinds (either vertical or horizontal) and leather furniture as an alternative to fabric.

Great advice if you possibly could follow it.

A lot of people aren’t in a financial position to toss out the contents of their home and replace everything with new stuff. So you must have a strategy for managing the allergens you know are collecting on these surfaces.

The Allersearch Laboratories have come up with several great solutions to this issue. One, the ADMS Anti-Allergen Dust Mite Spray enable you to safely denature (or neutralize) the proteins that cause allergies. ADMS works on dust mites, pet dander, molds, grasses and pollens. These allergens collect in the fibers that comprise our draperies and upholstered furniture.

Now you can pay somebody to “clean” this stuff, but not only will they probably not be clean, nothing will have been done for the allergy causing proteins. Apply a light misting of the ADMS  spray on your favorite couch or chair, your draperies, the padded seats on your dining room chairs, your curtains and drapes. We even use it in the car before we take a long trip.

What the ADMS Anti-Allergen Spray does is to use a combination of non-toxic alkalis and acids to change the chemical structure of the allergy causing proteins. Once the amino acids that make up the protein have been altered, your body will no longer reacts to the allergen.

There is no need to saturate the pieces of furniture or drapes. More is not better! Just a light misting monthly will do the job. The manufacturer recommends that you vacuum when the surface dries, however I have personally found the greatest results by vacuuming first and then spraying.

Most surfaces dry in 15 minutes or so. It is completely safe for most water-safe fabrics. It is also not toxic to your pets or the people in the house.

Yes! Dust Mites Are Gross

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I was just talking to the lady next to me who had just finished reading an article about dust mites. She could not believe how gross they are or the fact she has them in her bed. As someone who has been dealing with them for years I found her reaction a bit funny. I thought everybody knew about them

We took a few minutes and discussed them and what she could do to keep them in check. Of course the first thing she want to know was how to kill them. She was a bit put out with me telling her there is not some deadly spray she could use to wipe them out.

I told her the first thing she needed to do was put some dust mite covers on the mattress, pillows and box springs. That takes care of the majority of the problem.

Then we talked about washing her sheets weekly in hot water, putting her bed spread in the dryer on air just to shake the dust out and the sprays available that neutralize the allergens that dust mites produce.  Think I have her convinced they are not going to take over her bedroom.

The interesting thing is I really don’t know her all that well but I can tell you all about her house. The topic of dust mites has a tendency to gross some people out when they first learn about them.