Many people have allergies to pollen, dust mites, pets hair, mould, insects bites or different types of food. There are also types of specific allergies, unique to some individuals - to certain materials and stuff. But the most common causes of allergies are dust mites.
These are microscopic spiders which breed primarily in the house dust, but also live in beds and mattresses.They feed on dust ingredients, textile fiber, organic detritus, such as flakes of shed human skin, as well as human and animal hair. The allergy itself is caused by the dust mites feces. Dust mites find ideal conditions for development and existence in mattress quilted fabric, in the inside of mattresses, in pillows, duvets and mattress toppers, because there is an abundance of moisture and heat they need. While sleeping, we shed at about half a kilogramme of dead skin per year, and this is the ideal food for dust mites.
There are various fungi and mould in mattresses, such as alternaria, aspergillus, cladosporium and others, that can also trigger serious allergic reactions.
It is a mistake to think that precisely in your mattress there are no bacteria.
How does this affect our health?
It cannot be expected that the contact with dust mites will have an immediate effect on the body, even if swallowing them. A health risk is posed by a substance they emit which, according to The World Health Organization, has a carcinogenic effect on the body in the long run. Furthermore, this protein is an allergen and can lead to development of an asthma attack.
Symptoms of asthma include wheeze, cough, difficulties with breathing, and tightness in the chest. Young children may manifest eczema, rash, dermatitis, conjunctivitis. According to scientific data dust mites are a factor that causes asthma in 50-80% of cases.
The symptoms are typical for allergic reactions - fever, sneezing, coughing, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, sinus pain, itching, red eyes, and headache.
How can we help ourselves?
- People prone to allergies should buy dust mite-proof pillow and mattress covers, because they trap allergens. When buying them they should pay attention to the relevant instructions. Antibacterial cases successfully prevent nesting of mould, bacteria and dust mites.
- Different mattress materials may affect the accumulation of dust mites. In mattresses made of materials containing animal protein (e.g. horsehair, wool, camel hair, etc.) the number of dust mites is significantly higher. It is preferable to use mattresses made of certified harmless materials.
- The pleasant dry climate in bed (or in other words - the lack of excess moisture during sleep) reduces the number of dust mites and the likelihood of the formation of mould. Therefore the proper ventilation of the mattress provided by an air permeable core, its frequent turning, as well as the maintenance of constant air temperature in the bedroom around 17ºC, is of great advantage to our health. During sleep our body breathes, losing from 0, 5 to 1 litre of moisture per night. Therefore we recommend a mattress, whose core is able to regulate the moisture in bed, thus creating the required healthy dry climate.
- Regular washing of the quilted fabric (approximately every 2 months) at a temperature of 60°C, or cleaning of the mattress with steam, destroys dust mites and remove the cause of allergy - their feces. Therefore removable and strong quilted fabric is very important. For this purpose the mattress cover should have a zipper.
Our mattress Stepin2Nature, thanks to the used materials, has 100% protection against dust mites. During several microbiological laboratory tests performed by Situ Biosciences LLC it was proven that the materials the mattress is made of do not provide environment for proliferating of dust mites, but even when it is deliberately infected (this is the way the test is conducted) their number decreases by 10% every week.
Be healthy!