Ordinary house dust is nothing to sneeze at…

In fact, it can cause coughing, an itchy throat, tearing eyes, congestion, runny nose and, of course, sneezing. You feel like you always have a cold.

Sound familiar?

Ordinary house dust can cause reactions like these for anyone with allergies. Not just because it contains pollen, mold spores and animal dander (which all can cause allergic reactions) but mostly because of the allergy-causing particles created by microscopic dust mites. While most allergy-prone people will have allergic reactions to dust mite particles, an

asthmatic person can have far more severe reactions, including wheezing and difficulty breathing.

Dust mites can be found in all households. While they thrive in summer, mites find warm places to survive in the winter. Sometimes, we even help them out, as when we use a humidifier to relieve dry, winter heat. Instead, this can often create a warm, moist environment where dust mites flourish.

Mites feed on shed human skin, and the bedroom is most often where they make their home. They usually live in mattresses, bed pillows and other stuffed bedding items like comforters, which provide the best conditions of warmth and humidity.