House dust mite allergen is a potent trigger of asthma and allergic rhinitis, causing symptoms like wheezing, coughing, streaming eyes, and sneezing. The culprit is not the mite itself, but proteins found in its droppings.  The main allergens are the proteins known as Der f1 and Der p1. The key to managing allergic disease is allergen avoidance. If you are not exposed – or are exposed less often - then you can become less dependent upon medication. 

But what is the best way to reduce the burden of house dust mite allergen in your home? The following measures are most often recommended:

• Use of mite-impermeable mattress covers
• Locating an leakage free air purifier in the bedroom with enough power to clean the room at least twice an hour
• Intensive and regular damp dusting
• Using fragrance free and

I've been reading a brilliant book on, of all topics, house dust! Hannah Holmes "The Secret Life of Dust" raises some questions of importance to those whose asthma is triggered by allergens like house dust mite. We knew that house dust is a complex mixture of particles of both chemical and biological origin, but I had no idea just how mysterious this substance actually is. 

Holmes describes an intriguing complex called 'the personal cloud' which came to light in house dust experiments carried out in the 1990s. A group of 178 participants based in California were wired up to personal dust monitors, which they wore for 12 hours at a time as they carried out their usual activities. The scientists, from the US Environmental Protection Agency, also monitored indoor and outdoor air for dust.  The results

However house proud you are, it is not easy to eliminate indoor dust. It is an inevitable by-product of living in your home. You shed skin and hair all the time, you bring in soil particles on your shoes, pollen on your clothes. There’s a constant influx too, of particles and gas pollution from outside, especially from traffic fumes through open windows, or any cracks, gaps or holes in the walls or roof. Lighter particles in dust float in the air, heavier ones settle onto your furniture and into carpets and other soft furnishings. Settled dust is easily stirred up by movement and activity. If you could visualise house dust, you would see a constantly-changing situation - and one that you need to manage if you have an allergy. For five common allergens are a common component in house dust.

Animal dander. The sweat and saliva of dogs, cats and other pets contains a lightweight allergen that is very readily stirred up

The house dust mite is one of the most potent and common triggers of allergic reactions like hay fever symptoms (running eyes, sneezing), asthma (wheezing, breathing difficulties) and childhood eczema. House dust mites are tiny (200-300 micron long) eight-legged creatures related to the spider and they are found in every human habitation. There are two common species of dust mites - the European house dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) and the American house dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae). It is not dust mite itself which is the allergen, but digestive enzymes (proteins) contained in its droppings. The whole droppings themselves are particles between 4 and 20 microns in size, but may crumble into smaller particles that can be as small as 0.5 microns across.

How to kill dust mite?

Know your enemy! Here are some important facts about house dust mite which you can use to help rid your home of this

Dust mites are relatives to ticks and spiders. But house dust mites are so small, that they can not be seen with the naked eye. These arachnids (i.e. a group of arthropods that include spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites) have eight legs, and the females can produce more then 200 offspring in their short life span. Due to their fertility, up to 1,000,000 living dust mites can inhabit one single bed in your home, in addition to millions of dead ones.

Dust mites are present in more or less every home, and live in mattresses, pillows, comforters, carpets, blankets, curtains and upholstered furniture. Mites especially thrive under warm and humid conditions. Just like bed bugs, dust mites live where humans are, because their main source of food comes from the human body. Dust mites live from eating shedded human skin cells, whereas bed bugs live from human blood.

Dust mite allergies are some of the most common allergies. But it is not the dust mite directly that

One month ago we moved into a new flat. The flat is beautiful but the carpet in it was dirty, stained and had this musty smell. It looked like it is about 10 years old and has been used by many different tenants. It did not take me long to decide to steam clean the carpet, and I am so happy I did.

Did you know that if you have a carpet at home, it is most likely inhabited by millions of dust mites? Did you also know that living with dust mites can cause you to develop allergies and even asthma and will increase the allergy and asthma symptoms you already have? To prevent this, steam cleaning the carpet on a regular basis is a good idea. Steam cleaning not only removes dirt and bacteria from your carpet, but also washes out dust mites and dust mite allergens, pollen, and pet allergens.

You can buy a steam cleaner and wash your carpet yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. I decided to hire a professional. A good steam cleaner

Adverse reactions to food are not uncommon. True food allergy, however, only affects 2 to 4% of adults and 6 to 8% of children. In food allergy, specific proteins in the food you eat act as allergens, triggering the production of antibodies in the IgE class. Once sensitised like this, the next time you are exposed to the allergen IgE alerts the mast cells in the immune system. A mast cell is a resident cell that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. These mast cells then release histamine, and it is the histamine that causes the typical symptoms of food allergy, which may include:

• Tingling mouth
• Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat
• Rash
• Vomiting, cramping

If the allergen gets into your bloodstream you may even experience an extreme allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, which can lead to a potentially fatal episode of shock. Allergic reactions can be triggered by just minute exposure to allergen - for instance, people with

Endotoxin in household dust drastically increases the risk for asthma. Endotoxin is a heat stable toxin in the wall of certain bacteria cells. When the bacteria is inhaled and disintegrates, the toxin is released. A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in April 2005 shows that exposure to endotoxins significantly effects airway inflammation. The result is that there is a clear relationship between households with increased endotoxin levels, and household residents with diagnosed asthma, recent asthma symptoms, wheezing, and use of asthma medication.

For the study, the research team of Prof. Peter S. Thorne from the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa evaluated 2,456 residents in 831 homes through out the US. Dust samples were collected from five locations with in the homes: kitchen floors, sofa surface, bedding, bedroom floors, living room floors. The relationship between increasing endotoxin levels and