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Studies have shown that up to 10% of the weight of a 6
year old pillow consists of live and dead dust mites
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Our bed can house up to 10 million mites and up to 2.5
billion droppings over a 5 year period
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A gram of house dust (approximately half a teaspoon) contains
as many as 1,000 dust mites. That same gram of dust holds
250,000 of their droppings
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Research shows that during one night’s sleep most
people toss and turn up to 60 or 70 times — meaning
the dust mite droppings are frequently expelled into the
air from our bedding.
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Researchers have also discovered that the allergens can
stay in the air for up to 2 hours
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They also live off water vapour, which we provide for
them through perspiring and breathing — approximately
one pint per person per night
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Species
Arachnids (members of the spider family) |
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Living Conditions
Temp. Range: 25-35° C
Relative Humidity Range: 65% - 85% (Tropical climate) |
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Allergen Threshold
100 mites/gm of dust. Average household dust is 1000 mites/gm
of dust
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Size
20 - 40 micron (Human hair = 300 micron) |
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Habitat
They live in mattresses, pillows, bolsters, quilts, carpets,
fabric upholstery and clothing (especially woolen) |
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Allergic Reactions
Allergic Asthma, Rhinitis, Eczema, Sinusitis, Wheezing, Itchy
Eyes, Dry Coughs, Sneezing |
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Life Span
Up to 3 months |
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Diet
Human skin, fungus, mould, animal dander and trace nutrients |
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People Allergic To Dust Mites
900,000 (Approx.25% of total population) in Singapore |
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Reproduction
Each female mite lays 35 eggs every 3 weeks |
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Allergen (Allergic Trigger)
Digestive protein found in their waste products. Each mite
excretes about 20 droppings a day, which are the main cause
of allergies |
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Dislikes
Hard surfaces, Synthetic material, Dry surfaces |
Blomia tropicalis (Bt) is an important
allergen domestic mite associated with asthma and rhinitis in Singapore
and the tropics. The house dust mite, thanks to the recent increase
in media coverage, has become one of the most popular celebrities
in Singapore. Every day we see new products that are entering the
market which claim to remove dust mites from our home environment.
Be warned though, few of these products have proper independent
clinical proof to verify their claims. This article focuses on debunking
some of the myths associated with dust mites and ways to effectively
get rid of them Myth 1-
"Dust Mites Bite"
Dust mites do not bite. They only live on
dead skin flakes and fungus. If your skin has red spots, they
may be caused by some other insects.
Myth 2- "Sunning the mattress
kills the dust mites"
Not true. Dust mites do not like bright light.
Sunning the mattress only drives the dust mites deeper into the
mattress. They reappear on the surface once the mattress is put
back indoors.
Myth 3- "Vacuum cleaners are
effective in removing dust mites from mattresses"
Only on the surface. A generic mattress is
8 inches thick. Standard vacuum cleaners can only remove dust
mites found on the surface. More powerful heavy-duty vacuum cleaners
can remove dust mites effectively up to 2 inches deep. However,
dust mites like to dig themselves deep into the mattress. Therefore,
the majority of dust mites still remain in our mattresses after
vacuuming.
Additionally, if the vacuum cleaner does not have a HEPA (S-class)
filter, vacuuming will increase the indoor allergen level in the
room (i.e. dust mites which are vacuumed up get blasted back out
in the exhaust air).
Myth 4- "Washing items frequently
gets rid of dust mites"
Dust mites do not die in water, they just
go for a swim. To kill the mites, water needs to be heated over
60° C. Normal washing reduces the dust mite population by
about 50%, but this is insufficient for people with allergies
or asthma.
Myth 5- "My house does not have
dust mites"
Surveys have shown that more than 99% of
all houses in the US are infested with dust mites. Given that
the conditions in Singapore are more favourable for their growth
and development (tropical climate), it can be safely assumed that
your house WILL have dust mite infestation.
Myth 6- "I think I can see tiny
dust mites crawling"
Dust mites are microscopic and cannot be
seen by the human eye. If you can see tiny insects, then they
are not house dust mites!
The most effective way to get rid of dust
mites is to strip the room of dust collectors and fabrics to which
mites cling (such as venetian blinds, drapes, carpets, rugs, upholstered
furniture) and to encase bedding with anti-allergen covers.
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