Do you wake up with or have
· Stuffy
head
· Sniffles
· Dark
circles under eyes
· The
feeling that you didn't sleep well or at all
If so
then you need to read the article below.
WHO DID YOU
SLEEP
WITH LAST
NIGHT??
Have
you ever heard the old saying, "Don't let the bed bugs bite?" Well
it's not bugs that are the real problem. It is the dust mites and the proteins
in their DER p1or fecal matter (up
to 20 pellets a day each) and shed exoskeletons
that we inhale as we sleep and
live that we have to be very concerned about. Millions of these flea like
creatures, that belong to the arachnid (spiders, scorpions and others) family
are living in your mattress right now amongst other unhealthy allergens such
as bacteria, molds, fungi and viruses no matter how clean you are or how old
your mattress is. Pillows can contain up to 20% of their weight in dust mites
and their waste matter. The mite population in your bed can be as large as
60% of the total household contamination and having these pests are not a
sign of untidiness at all. Their scientific names are dermatophagoides farinae
(American Dust Mite) and d. pteronyssinus (European Dust Mite) and their names
mean skin eating mites. These mites live off
of the skin flakes (as much as 2 pounds of skin yearly) and hair we shed every
day as well as bacteria, pollen, molds, fungi and their own droppings. They are everywhere in your house with he highest
concentration of them being in your bed where we spend up to 1/3 as adults
and 1/2 as kids at ground zero.
Dust mites are linked and declared to be responsible
for some of the many health problems we as a society battle with everyday.
The list includes fatigue, hay fever, allergies, eczema, depression, glue
ear, rashes, itchy skin and eyes, insomnia, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory
ailments according to the National Asthma Campaign. They do this by breaking
down the linings of the eyes, lungs and nasal passages with a protein that
is in their fecal matter (DER p1). A study done by the National Institute
of Environmental Health stated that 46% of the houses in North America have
enough dust mite allergens in their mattresses and beddings to cause troublesome
allergies to the occupants. The dust mite's excrement is thought to be the
most important allergen associated with asthma. M.S. Dhillon and D.G. Hogan
both of the Allergy and Asthma Consultants, PC claim that not taking charge
of this problem within the early years of child development could lead to
long-term health problems in the future. Dust mites are so small that 4 would
fit on this period. With that said, dust mites
and their excrement or fecal matter can easily float around on the air currents
in a room or attach themselves to your clothing and be transported to another
area and start a new infestation.
They
thrive in dark, humid conditions making the bed the perfect place to set up
residence. Although you cannot eliminate them completely, you can drastically
reduce their population and keep them under control. One dust mite lives for
approximately 3-4 months and produce up to 300 eggs a month.