Dust Mites -
The dust mite
is a member of the arachnid family too small to be
seen with the naked eye. Dust mites grow from egg to adult in one
month, and live about two months depending on the humidity level.
Dust mites flourish in high humidity and warm temperatures, feeding
on the dead skin we leave behind - among other things.
If this is not
enough to make you uncomfortable, it is said that the
average bed can have as many as 10,000 dust mites living in it.
Furthermore, it is not the live dust mites themselves that we breathe
in and react to, but their feces and disintegrating body parts which
are smaller than the diameter of a human hair and easily float about
with the other air contaminants.
As much as 250,000
parts may exist per gram of dust. A protein
in this material has a horrid effect on those allergic to it. This
protein (DER p1) is thought to be the most important allergen
associated with asthma. About 10% of the population are allergic
to dust mite extracts.
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