Major Allergens The Dust Mites

House Dust

The major allergens in house dust are mite feces, affectionately known in allergy circles as "mite poo," and pieces of dead mites. These particles are so tiny that they float into the air whenever you fluff a pillow, pat a stuffed animal, or walk across a carpet.

Dust mites live and multiply in warm, humid places. The average year-old pillow contains 250,000 of the ugly little crit­ters. They eat specks of skin and dander and thrive in rugs, mat­tresses, upholstered furniture, clothing, closets, drawers, and car seats. They dislike plastic and high-altitude cities with low hu­midity. They dislike moving, too. Once they've found a home in your home, they'll reproduce like crazy. The female lays up to fifty eggs at a time.

Cockroaches are another pest, plaguing an estimated ten to fifteen million Americans. Their body parts, saliva, and feces are potent allergens and the bugs aren't as fussy as the dust mites. They'll eat almost anything and nest almost anywhere. It's a myth that cockroaches only live in dirty kitchens. The most im­maculate kitchen can harbor them. And for every roach you see scampering across the floor, hundreds of others are in hiding.
 
House dust may also contain human skin flakes, fabric fibers, cat and dog dander, mold spores, food particles, and other debris. An estimated 50 percent of allergy sufferers react to dust mites—a number that's rising quickly.

WHAT YOU CAN DO. Take a tour of your own house. Ask yourself such questions as: How clean is the air? Do I have a lot of decorative doodads and dust catchers? What objects can I eliminate? If I run my finger over most surfaces, do I get dust?

Then give top priority to cleaning up your indoor environ­ment as soon as possible.