Dust mite information site for people with asthma, rhinitis or eczema.

House dust mite control - the great flooring debate.

Hard indoor flooring will not secure floating dust. Looped carpet pile will hold dust securely.  Non-looped carpets will catch dust particles then release them easily when vacuumed.  The choice is yours.

The 'allergic march' and dust mites

Doctors recognize the Allergic March as a series of common allergic conditions that can appear either singularly or together and often track with age. The image below describes the appearance of the conditions in very young children. Below this is a chart that shows where dust mite allergies can appear.

Dust mite poison in action

The image below shows a house dust mite eating a mite dropping. In the dropping are leftover scraps of food that have been broken down by active enzymes to produce new nourishment.  Because of its exquisite sense of smell the house dust mite can tell when the dropping is ready for eating.

Skin prick testing - examples of allergic reactions

Photographs of allergy testing for common indoor allergens including dust mites.

Why house dust mites cause allergy

The reason why so many people are allergic to house dust mites is coming to light. One of the major mite allergens (Der p2) is a ‘con-artist’ that can mimic a human immune signal for a bacterial infection – even when infection isn’t there! The deception causes the immune system to attack a fake intruder, leading to a reaction against the mite itself.

Sleeping in allergen-free air improves asthma during the day

This was one of the conclusions reached in a clinical study investigating the results of  removing ‘obnoxious dust and stale air’ from the sleeping environment of patients with asthma.  The cost of the device (£4000) may be out of the reach of most patients but the clinical evidence is there and doctors are actively encouraging patients to avoid foul air, dust and allergens during sleep to achieve daytime benefits in atopic asthma.

See how changing a diet can help a child's concentration

Child psychiatrist, Professor Gregory Stores wrote: “Persistent sleeplessness [hyperactivity] in children, including those with a learning disability, should not be seen as inevitable but as treatable and often preventable" and “Allergies must also be added to the list of medical conditions that induce or aggravate childrens sleep problems”.  Wise words from an opinion leader in the field of child psychiatry, yet ten years earlier, eminent allergist Dr Harry Morrow Brown demonstrated the effectiveness of dietary manipulation by simply eliminating allergenic foods from childrens diets.

What doctors found in house dust mite droppings - a review

Thirty-three years ago scientists investigated the contents of house dust mite droppings. They found two species of fungus along with an active digestive enzyme acting as a major mite allergen. By 2011 fourteen separate mite allergens had been identified along with DNA from bacteria and mites, chitin and quanine. This is a review of some of the investigations.

Children at risk from dust mite allergy and poor sleep

Doctors and child psychiatrists looked at the harm from poor sleeping patterns in children and identified active allergies as a risk. They then coined the phrase, ‘a need for good sleep hygiene’. Sleep hygiene includes, “avoiding influences likely to make it difficult to get to sleep and sleep soundly”. Poor breathing, coughing or itching from dust mite exposure is a known risk to sound sleep - avoidance has been shown to be beneficial.

Dust mites and human skin – pathways of sensitization explored

Scientists exposed human skin equivalent (HSE) to various molecules and allergens from three different species of common dust mites in order to identify alarm signaling within the epidermis and dermis and to discover pathways towards sensitization or inflammation. They began by acknowledging that enzymes from dust mites can damage skin.

Schools Project - house dust mite biology and ecology

Housedustmite.com has devised a lesson plan for teachers to encourage students to study house dust mites as a Life Science project. The rationale: doctors, from the World Allergy Organization recommend that all training family physicians study allergy extensively in medical school. By the same principle, students should understand the biology and ecology of a major cause of allergy worldwide.

Doctors describe how to kill dust mites in soft toys

Soft toys are a major source of house dust mites and their allergens, and sleeping with soft toys is a significant risk factor for house dust mite sensitization. Recent clinical research has identified three practical DIY methods to control house dust mite infestation in children's soft toys.

Six kinds of asthma, dust mites can affect them all

The six different types of asthma are: allergic (most common); occupational (work associated); steroid resistant (severe asthma); drug related; exercise induced and asthma related to obesity. Although they are separate they can work together to make asthma worse. Exposure to dust mites can impact on all of these.

A new way to look at house dust mite allergy and avoidance

To make it easier to understand the origins of allergy and allergic reactions, doctors have devised a simple two-tiered framework. They have divided immune reactions into adaptive and innate responses. In doing this they have also made it easier for allergy patients to understand the problem.

Things to consider when buying mite avoidance bedding

Doctors say sleeping away from house dust mite allergens can result in an improvement in mite related asthma and eczema. But what product is best?

Pancake Syndrome - Oral anaphylaxis from mite ingestion

As far back as 1993 there have been clinical reports of cases of oral anaphylaxis from mite infested wheat flour even after baking. In 2009 The World Allergy Organization (WAO) recognized this phenomenon by publishing a paper on the subject, calling it Pancake Syndrome.  One of the species of mite found infesting poorly stored packets of wheat flour is the common house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae.  Although these mites are referred to as house dust mites they can thrive in poorly stored wheat flour as well as beds, etc.

A scent that makes dust mites panic

The chemical that makes house dust mites gather together in defense has been identified as neryl formate, a common scent used in foods and perfumes.

The foetus, dust mites and a naughty asthma gene

Upon birth, almost all newborn’s immune systems react to specific environmental factors transferred from mother to child during pregnancy. It is a form of maternal education into her ‘world’ and demonstrates that the child’s immune system may be immature, but not inexperienced. In this article it is the genetically vulnerable foetus, continually exposed to maternal dust mite allergen Der p1 that is the focus of attention. The development of early asthma is the concern.

How to beat your allergies

The challenge in dealing with an allergy is to achieve a ‘tolerance’ to the offending trigger. This can be done in many ways. First, the trigger needs to be formally identified by testing. This can be through skin or blood testing by allergists who will also take a detailed family history and life style evaluation. Then the steps needed to ‘teach’ the immune system to tolerate exposure can begin. Doctors have identified several ways, some of which are listed below.

Doctors need improvement in allergy education - globally

Allergy has increased globally to such an extent that between 20 to 30% of the world’s population suffer from some form of allergic disease with considerable and continuing increases in prevalence over the last three decades. This statement was from opinion leading doctors from the World Allergy Organization. The allergists expressed concern that the majority of patients with common allergic disease are treated in primary care by physicians with little current knowledge of the basic skills in the science and practice of allergy.

Chemical products for killing dust mites in 2011

New research describes four highly effective dust mite-killing products designed to help patients avoid mites in allergic disease management. They are simple, safe and cost effective in the battle to control indoor mite infestation.

One of the deadliest animals in the UK

Recently the BBC’s on-line Earth News suggested that house dust mites were one of the deadliest animals in the UK because of their propensity to instigate severe allergic reactions, such as asthma. They report around 20% of the UK population is allergic to the mite; 90% of the country’s five million plus asthmatics report the mite as a trigger; and in 2008 alone, over twelve hundred people died from asthma.

Allergy testing - skin or blood - which one is best?

Doctors say; “A diagnosis of an allergic disease is not complete until the trigger or triggers of the reaction are identified”. There are two common clinical ways to test for allergy triggers. Skin prick testing or blood tests often called laboratory RAST or specific-IgE testing. Patients can be confused about the difference. In this article we note what The Royal College of Physicians said about these tests.

Dust mites and disease - quick review

In order to tackle dust mite infestation and related disease, doctors say it is essential to understand mite biology, where they live, and why they cause allergy.  To help this understanding, listed below are ten bite-size facts in each of these three categories ending with advice on how to kill mites.

How to kill house dust mites in a warm wash

Both bedding and clothes can contain dust mites and their allergens. Mites will not be killed in a cold or warm wash but mite allergens will be made safe and washed away. Now, doctors have found a way of killing the mites too. They did this by putting essential oils in the wash, either alone or with a simple chemical solution.

Glue Ear – Chronic otitis media and the mite.

Chronic perennial allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and chronic otitis media can be caused by an allergy to the house dust mites. Doctors have recognized that the risk exists and that children, suffering from allergy, can be vulnerable to symptoms of temporary deafness cause by this condition. The risk of untreated glue ear is in social, educational development and self esteem.

The amazing and harmful enzyme from mites – Der p1

Der p1 is considered a major allergen because of the large number of people sensitive to it, or ‘specifically’ allergic to its harmful content. Der p1 is an active digestive enzyme that can cause cell death in the lungs by ‘melting’ the glue like substance that binds cells together. The cell’s death in turn gives Der p1 access to the body and blood stream. This invasion is how traces of the mite’s major allergen have been found in the amniotic fluid surrounding unborn children.

Mites, domestic, storage and house dust

What's the difference? Below is a short description of common mites that can be found indoors in many places around the world. They have different appetites and different needs. They all can cause allergy and environmental problems.

Mite Twitter 'tweets' - bite size info.

Fabric to stop mites must have a pore size smaller than their larvae. The larvae of a house dust mite is about 20 x 50 microns in size. Therefore, a fabric with a pore size 20 microns or less is best.

Mite-proof material – here’s what scientists say is best

A quick review of house dust mite biology is an important aid when choosing the right anti-mite product. This is because the pore size in the material matters in blocking mites from finding a home.

Dogs suffer from mite allergy too

Dermatitis in dogs can be caused by specialized allergens from house dust mites.

Ozone, photocopiers, asthma and mites

Ozone is an unstable gas that is considered a health risk by doctors working health and safety.

Asthma, a warning

Here is a warning for asthmatics especially during the 'flu season.

Sleep environment and quality of life

Most of us were conceived in bed, born in a bed, spend approximately 25 years in bed, and will probably die peacefully in a bed. Three most important functions to human life, heartbeat, breath and sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is using common sense, you cannot find sleep, sleep has to find you.

Beds, how to keep them mite free

These instructions will tell you step by step how to make and keep a bed mite free. Read carefully, beds are the 'first amongst equals' in reducing house dust mite exposure.

Clinical success in mite avoidance

It’s a proven fact - patient education plus effective allergen avoidance can improve asthma. This fact was demonstrated in a large study on inner city families in the USA. Here's how the doctors did it. Inner city asthmatic children were individually tested for allergy triggers. Once identified they were then taught how to reduce exposure and given various interventions to help avoid contact with their triggers. The doctors successful study is explained in greater detail below.

Allergy and the mite

Exposure to house dust mites is recognised as a major cause of allergy worldwide. Common allergic diseases are asthma, rhinitis (hayfever), conjunctivitis and eczema. These can all be associated with mite exposure. Allergy symptoms can vary according to age, life style, environment and stress. Disease manifestations are as individual as the patients themselves.

Cross-reactive allergens found in mite droppings are a major problem in allergy.

In allergy, cross reactivity is fairly common. An allergy to birch tree pollen may signal an allergy to apples; an allergy to bananas can indicate an allergy to latex. These are examples of different sources of proteins, but chemically they are similar. The chemical similarity can cause the body’s defense system to read them as one. Cross-reactivity is common in dust mite and storage mite allergens.