While invisible to the naked eye, dust mites are some of the most common allergens that cause an allergic reaction to happen. If you’re noticing that you have allergies in your home all year round, these tiny creatures may be the culprit.
What Are Dust Mites?
Put simply, dust mites are tiny bugs that can be found in your home. Dust mites feed off of dead skin cells from pets and animals and leave fecal matter and skin that trigger allergies.
They are smaller than the period at the end of this sentence and live in areas where dead skin cells may accumulate. This could be bedding, mattresses, carpets, upholstery, or furniture in your home.
What Causes Dust Mites?
Dust mites love to make their home in humid areas that are filled with dust. Neglecting to regularly clean carpets or bedding will cause dust mites to begin living in these areas.
To avoid this, make sure to wash your bedding at least once a week in warm to hot water to kill any mites.
If possible, avoid carpets in your home. Dust mites tend grow very quickly in carpets. If you can replace the carpeting in your home with hardwood floors or tile. If you’re not able to replace it, maintain a regular vacuuming schedule to keep dust mites at a minimum.
Unlike other insects, dust mites do not drink water. They absorb it from the air. With this in mind, it’s in your best interest to keep the humidity in your home to a minimum. If you live in an area that is prone to humidity, make good use of a dehumidifier in your home. Or, try keeping your home cool by running your air conditioner.
How Dustmites Cause Allergic Reaction
Repeated exposure to dust mites can negatively affect the health of those with asthma or who already suffer from allergies. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that house dust mites found in bedding or carpets can even trigger asthma attacks.
This is because dust mites cause an immune system response. Symptoms of this response can include sneezing, coughing, wheezing, runny nose, or nasal congestion. Many people may report that their symptoms seem to worsen at night. This could be because they sleep in a room with carpets or bedding that are home to dust mites. The best way to improve these symptoms is to lower the number of dust mites found in the home.
Contact Air Quality Consultants
If you suspect that you have dust mites in your home, it’s time to schedule an appointment with our Air Quality Consultants. To ensure that the air in your home is of the highest quality, we can conduct a home allergen test.
This test will reveal whether the air in your home is healthy to breathe, what contaminants are present, and provide you with solutions to have healthy air once again.
Fill out our online contact form, and a representative will contact you within one business day to help you get started on your journey to clean air.
