Information

House dust mites are tiny creatures - no more than 1/3 of a millimetre in length when fully grown. The bodies of the mites and in particular their faecal droppings contain potent allergenic proteins which can trigger allergic disorders. The most common allergic reactions to the Dust Mite Allergen are rhinitis (inflamed, runny nose) and asthma. But it may surprise you to find out that Dust Mite Allergens can irritate the skin, resulting in Eczema.

How and where do they thrive?

To survive, dust mites need humidity of more than 50% year round and temperatures that don't fall below freezing. The ideal conditions for their growth are 25°C and 75% relative humidity - making most of New Zealand and Auckland in particular a perfect environment for dust mites to flourish.

The main source of food for the House Dust Mite is the flakes of dead skin we (and our pets) are constantly shedding – each of us can shed as much as 600,000 dead skin cells per hour. Home furnishings - such as beds, carpets and sofas - become reservoirs of dead skin cells and other edible material, enabling the House Dust Mite to thrive.

Bedtime is of particular concern for many allergy sufferers, and it is easy to see why. During the night not only do we continue to shed skin but our bodies also produce sweat and warmth in bed, thus creating the ideal warm and humid environment for the house dust mite to live in.

Many people don't realise the link between sneezing at bedtime (or upon waking), wheezing, itchy skin and dust mites. If any of these sound familiar then you may have a Dust Mite Allergy and would benefit from an Allergen Barrier solution at bedtime.

MiteGuard's range of bedding products have been proven to block the dust mite allergen to below detectable levels and is recommended by Allergy NZ and Asthma NZ.

This is the answer to question 3.