Dust Mites and Allergic Asthma

Filed in archive Insect Allergies , Living with Allergies on June 27, 2006

You or your child has allergic asthma, so you clean the house and rid it of all possible irritants such as pollen, dust, mold and other airborne particles. You often change the curtains, the bedsheets, use hypoallergenic pillows, etc., just so dust mites won't co-habitate with you.

You're sweaty, tired and just finished the last load of laundry. Now take a seat, because this won't sound good: Ridding the house of dust mites...does nothing to stop children developing asthma or eczema as was commonly thought.

[Photo: Magnified view of a dust mite, from The Age]