 |
BedMedic Sterilisation at the speed of light Powered by UV-C Research of Switzerland |
|
|
The Problem Dust Mites Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart)
It is always better to remove the cause of an allergy rather than look for medicine to treat the symptoms. Just as sure as we live and breathe, we also shed tiny particles of skin every day, as we tend to spend about a third of our lives in bed, most of this ends up in the bedding. Even when we use mattress covers, skin particles will still reach into the mattress. With the warm humid atmosphere of our bedding, we create a perfect breeding ground for the dust mites which feed on our skin particles. These are so small that hundreds of them can fit on the head of a pin. Each of those mites are excreting waste matter, up to 200 times their own weight during their lifespan of 2 - 3 months and it is those droppings which cause irritation to many allergy and asthma sufferers. They also lay up to 300 eggs. As we lie in bed in close proximity to the mites and their waste products which are heavily laden with proteins, our breathing can be seriously effected.
This is the content of the vacuum bag after cleaning 12 single and 2 double beds. Each of those beds are from immaculately clean homes and guest houses which had been thoroughly treated and cleaned by BedMedic only 6 months before. This shows the amount of skin flakes, dust mite carcases, eggs and their allergen laden droppings which can accumulate in just a short period of time. (There was also an amount of fluff in the bag, but this has been removed to show the seriously allergenic material which most of us sleep on). Dust Mite Allergy: Dust mite allergy manifests similar symptoms to hay fever, and is now recognized to be one of the main triggers for asthma and eczema. Sufferers are not allergic to the dust mite itself, but to the microscopic droppings these creatures leave behind in the air, our beds and furnishings. Dust mite sensitive individuals have the symptoms of hay fever all year round, particularly on waking. Night time can be the worst time for dust mite symptoms. Asthma: Asthma is a condition that affects the airways to the lungs. Triggers, which can be allergic or environmental, make these airways swell, restricting the flow of air. Often the onset of asthma appears with a cough, especially at night, and is easy to overlook until it has developed to a full blown attack. This is why it is essential for children and their parents to recognize the triggers and the early symptoms. This will enable them to take control of the situation immediately, and prevent a major attack. This is one of the fastest growing allergies affecting at least one in 6 children and rising. This ailment cannot be ignored, as it is one of the most significant changes to our modern health and potentially life threatening without effective management. Eczema: Eczema, or dermatitis as it is sometimes called, is a group of skin conditions that can affect all age groups. In the United Kingdom, up to one fifth of all children of school age have eczema, along with about one in twelve of the adult population. The severity of the disease can vary. In mild forms the skin is dry, hot and itchy, whilst in more severe forms the skin can become broken, raw and bleeding. Although it can sometimes look unpleasant, eczema is not contagious. People who have atopic eczema may be affected by allergens in the droppings of the house dust mite. Atopic eczema is the commonest form of eczema and is closely linked with asthma and hay fever. It can affect both children and adults, usually running in families. One of the most common symptoms of atopic eczema is its itchiness (or pruritis), which can be almost unbearable. Other symptoms include overall dryness of the skin, redness and inflammation. Constant scratching can also cause the skin to split, leaving it prone to infection. In infected eczema the skin may crack and weep (‘wet’ eczema).
|
