Asthma Cause no. 4 – Dust Mites – Part 1

On the trail of the causes of asthma

Asthma can have many causes. In this miniseries, we will describe the most common causes in brief. This is part four of the series. It is important that you have read and followed the first three parts. Only by consistently following the rules, will you identify your personal cause.

Dust mites as the cause

Dust mites are tiny arachnids which reside in our mattresses and feed on flakes of human skin. The excretions of house dust mites contain a large amount of enzymes, which are able to damage the tight junctions of our skin cells and, moreover, trigger allergic reactions. These enzymes are particularly aggressive because they attack the body's immune system directly. It is the enzymes in mite feces, not the mite itself, which are responsible for house dust allergies!

How to avoid the dust mite allergen

Dust mites occur mainly in mattresses, pillows and cushions. A high level of dust mite enzymes in the bedroom can cause rhinitis, asthma, itchy, sore eyes and difficulty sleeping. In such cases, the most important measure is to provide allergen proof covers for the mattress, duvet and pillows. These allergen proof casings have proved to be the most effective method of reducing the allergen level. The mites are, in effect, sealed in their habitat thus preventing mite allergens escaping from the mattress and pillows and being carried into other areas of the home.

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