ø Dust Mites ø http://www.dustmites.org Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:44:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Don’t Make Your Bed! http://www.dustmites.org/dont-make-your-bed http://www.dustmites.org/dont-make-your-bed#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:44:52 +0000 tmcguiness http://www.dustmites.org/?p=215

I wish I knew this when I was a kid, but it turns out that an unmade bed deters dust mites. Can you imagine?
“Mom, I’d love to make the bed, but I just want to do the healthy thing”
Actually, it’s British researchers making the claim.

“… an unmade bed is good for the health because house dust mites don’t survive on it thereby minimising or eliminating allergens that trigger asthma and allergies.

The researchers from London’s Kingston University learned that dust mites die in a dry or moisture-less environment, a condition found in an untidy bed.”

““Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die,” explains researcher Dr. Stephen Pretlove, according to BBC

From what we know about dust mites habitat, that makes sense.

]]> http://www.dustmites.org/dont-make-your-bed/feed 0 How Can I Tell If I Have a Dust Mite Allergy? http://www.dustmites.org/how-can-i-tell-if-i-have-a-dust-mite-allergy http://www.dustmites.org/how-can-i-tell-if-i-have-a-dust-mite-allergy#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 17:12:02 +0000 tmcguiness http://www.dustmites.org/?p=139

Start by comparing your symptoms to the standard dust mite allergy symptoms.

If you also have a cat or dog, it may be harder to determine if your allergy is from your pet or from dust mites.

An allergy skin test is used to figure out what you’re allergic to.

In this test, tiny drops of purified allergen extracts — including an extract for dust mites — are pricked onto your skin’s surface.

The drops are left on your skin for 15 minutes before your doctor or nurse looks for reactions. If you’re allergic to dust mites, you’ll develop a red, itchy bump where the dust mite extract was pricked onto your skin.

In some cases a skin test can’t be performed because of the presence of a skin condition or because of interactions with certain medications. As an alternative, your doctor may order a blood test that screens for specific allergy-causing antibodies to various common allergens, including dust mites. This test may also indicate how sensitive you are to an allergen.

]]> http://www.dustmites.org/how-can-i-tell-if-i-have-a-dust-mite-allergy/feed 0