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Exposure to dust mite allergens in the home increases the risk that you or a family member could develop asthma or hay fever. The bad news is that this could be a problem in nearly half of all homes. The good news is that it’s probably easy to keep the bugs at bay, according to a group of leading scientists.
Studies suggest that dust-mite concentrations sufficient to cause allergic sensitization — the first step in allergy development — are present in the bedding of more than 45 percent of American homes. Scientists estimate than in half of these homes, a total of 22 million households, the concentrations were high enough to trigger allergic reactions.
Weekly laundering, careful vacuuming and dry steam cleaning of carpets and upholstery, and use of allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers can significantly reduce the threat posed by dust-mite allergens in bedrooms, the study showed.
Scientists from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the University of Washington, Harvard University and Rho Inc. completed the study, whose findings were summarized by Darryl C. Zeldin, M.D., and published in the NIEHS journal, Environmental Health Perspectives.
Dust mites are too small to be seen by the naked eye. They reside in places such as bedding, carpeting, upholstery and draperies, where they feed on flakes of human skin. Dust mite allergens are proteins found in the spider-like creatures’ waste.
The scientists studied methods of lowering these allergens in the bedrooms of 39 low-income, urban homes in Seattle, Wash. The pillows, box springs and mattresses were encased in allergen-impermeable covers. Other bedding was washed in hot water weekly. Researchers also compared results from either intense vacuuming alone, or vacuuming plus dry steam cleaning, in carpeting and upholstery.
The allergen-proof covers and regular washing reduced allergen levels in beds. While both cleaning actions reduced levels in carpeting, researchers noted an added benefit to dry steam cleaning.
“Decreases in dust-mite allergens following a single vacuuming did not last as long as decreases following dry steam cleaning and vacuuming,” Zeldin said. “We believe the hot, dry steam kills the mites and vacuuming removes them from the carpet.”
The two cleaning methods reduced allergen concentrations below levels believed to trigger asthma symptoms but did not eliminate the risk of sensitization.
Zeldin said the following additional steps may be necessary to reduce that risk:
- Carpet removal
Photo Credit: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
