The UNIVITED guest – dust mite

 

  

The house dust mite is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation.  Surveys have shown that virtually all homes are infested with dust mites without our knowledge.  Invisible to our naked eyes, this creature thrives well in warm and humid places. However, they are known to survive in all climates, even at high altitude.

Lifespan

The average life cycle for a male house dust mite is 10 to 19 days. A mated female house dust mite can last up to 70 days, laying 60 to 100 eggs in the last 5 weeks of her life. In a 10-week life span, a house dust mite will produce approximately 2,000 fecal particles and an even larger number of partially digested enzyme-covered dust particles.

Health hazard

Dust mites feed on minute particles of organic matter such as flakes of shed human skin commonly found in mattresses, pillows, bedsheets, blankets, upholstery and carpets, deriving moisture from humidity in the air.  As such, frequent contacts by sensitive users can trigger allergic reactions like running noses, conjunctivitis, asthma and eczema – making house dust mites a common cause of asthma and allergic symptoms worldwide.

The mite’s gut contains potent digestive enzymes that persists in their droppings and are major inducers of allergic reactions such as wheezing. The mite’s exoskeleton can also contribute to allergic reactions.

The allergy occurs because the allergic individual develops an immune response for unknown reason when exposed to the allergen, misinterprets an usually innocuous substance as a disease agent and begins producing a type of antibody against it, called immunoglobulin E (IgE). This process of ’primary antibody response’ results in the IgE binding to basophils in the bloodstream and to a similar type of cell called mast cells in the tissues.  When the person encounters the allergen again, all the 3 elements combined release histamine, prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which causes inflammation of the surrounding tissues, resulting in allergic symptoms.

How to counteract this problem?

+  Doctors advised the best way is to reduce the environmental triggers by keeping dust mites at bay:

++ A simple washing will remove most of the waste matter.  Exposure to temperatures over 60°C  for a period of one hour or freezing, exposure to temperatures below 0 °C, can prove fatal to this irritant.  Also, 10 minutes in a household clothes dryer at lethal temperatures should be sufficient to kill all the dust mites in bedding.

++ Avoid warm, fluffy furniture and materials as dust mite is most likely to be found on beds, couches, carpets, rugs, toys and curtains. Washing does not completely remove all mites or their droppings, but eliminates at least 90% using an anti-mite solution.  It is best to have a carpet free house if dust mites or any house pests are dangerous for an allergic individual person.

++ Sunning a mattress does not kill the dust mites.   Though they do not like bright light, heat drives them to seek shelter deeper in to re-surface once the mattress is placed indoor again.

Our comments

We can safely conclude from statistics gathered that allergic people tends to have weaker digestive systems due to a lack of friendly bacteria.  Low digestive enzymes slow down the breaking process and resultant gas built up that can be re-circulated into the bloodstream, provoking the immune system to produce symptoms.

Counteract with natural products containing flavonoids such as quercitin (found in apples, onions, red wine and black tea) and grape seed extract as they have anti-histamine effect.  Honey, Omega and primrose oil are 3 natural ingredients that can help to reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract.