At the end of a long day, when you lean back into your pillow and bury yourself under the covers, you may not realize just how happy you've made thousands of dust mites. All day long, the dust mites that inhabit your bedding mull around deep inside your mattress, waiting for you! It's when you curl up in bed that the hoards of mites swarm to you to feed off of your dead skin cells, bask in the warmth of your body heat and wet their whistle in your body's moisture.

If this wasn't a disgusting thought in and of itself, there's the added factor of how dust mites impact your health. Because dust mites are so tiny, their existence is easily overlooked. However, if you find yourself having a hard time opening your eyes in the morning, it may not be from a lack of sleep. Waking up with puffy, itchy, or hard-to-open eyes can mean that you are reacting to the dust mite population in your bed.

This hub is the beginner's guide to understand the truth about dust mites - and what methods are best for eliminating them.

The House Dust Mite is a tiny insect in the same animal class as spiders (so it technically is an arachnid, but is closer related to ticks). It is possible to see a dust mite under 10x or greater magnification, when on a dark surface like a black pillow case with good over-head lighting. The mites are a creamy white color with eight legs and many small hairs covering their bodies.

Dust mites have found a utopian environment in our homes and, more specifically, our beds. Naturally, there would be microscopic predators, as well as weather changes and direct sunlight keeping dust mite numbers in check. Inside our homes, we have created a stable environment: the temperature fluctuates very little, the humidity is steady and there are millions of places to hide from sunlight. This perfect environment causes dust mite numbers to explode, particularly in the summer months, when the air is a bit warmer and moister.

On top of the alarming number of mites that are living in your home, the effect these little bugs have on your delicate sinus and bronchial regions can cause quite a few problems. If you are not already allergic to dust mites, long term or heavy exposure can cause your body to become sensitized to them. If you already have allergies, out-of-control dust mite numbers could cause more severe reactions, or even cause you to develop asthma.

• Hay fever-like symptoms, like runny nose, itching and sneezing
• Nasal Congestion
• Itchy throat or roof of mouth
• Swollen, blue-colored skin under your eyes
• Watering eyes
• Asthma symptoms, like difficulty breathing or a tight feeling in the chest
• Eczema, a skin condition that is caused by allergies
• Irritability
• Feeling pressure or pain in areas of your face

There are 3 factors that play into whether you will develop dust mite allergies, and if your allergies will be mild or severe:

1. Hereditary: If you have family members who have or had problems with allergies, you are more likely to have allergies as well. If both of your parents were allergic to dustmites (or anything else for that matter), you have a 75% chance of developing allergies as well. If only one parent or relatives on only one side of your family have allergies, your chances of being allergic to dust mites drops to 50%.
2. Exposure: Depending on how many dust mites you have in your home, your body ay react accordingly. Variables like location, weather, types of furniture or carpeting as well as cleaning habits impact how much you are exposed to dust mites. It is estimated that 100,000 mites live in the average home-- and the more exposure you have to them, the more likely you are to develop allergies.
3. Age: Most people will develop allergies as a child or young adult. If you are within this age range, your chances waking up with dust mite allergies are increased. This doesn't mean that you only become allergic to mite swhen you are young-- if you already have allergies, you can become sensitive to new allergens at any time.

The parts of the mite that will be most aggravating to your allergies are the fecal matter and shed skin. As mites grow into their adult stage, they will shed their skin. The skin is light and easily carried in the air when you sit down on the sofa and jump into bed. During it's 1 to 2 month lifespan, a dust mite will create approximately 2000 fecal particles. Both the skin and waste from dust mites contain the proteins that cause allergic reactions.

1. Target your bedroom and namely, your bed. Wash sheets weekly in very hot water and consider using a anti-dust mite detergent in the loads of laundry that contain sheets, comforters and pillow cases. Specially made cases for your bed and pillows can be purchased through allergy-friendly shops, like the Allergy Buyers Club. These cases are woven so finely that dust mites cannot penetrate them and greatly cuts down the number of mites that take refuge in your mattress.
2. Cut out Wall-to-wall Carpeting and Other Upholstered Furnishings. Wall-to-wall carpeting is one of the biggest hurtles to staying healthy if you are allergic to dust mites. If you are severely allergic to dust mites, you might want to remove all the carpeting and other soft furnishings like window treatments. Hard wood or linoleum floors give dust mites no safe place to hide, and bamboo blinds in place of fabric curtains cut mite numbers as well. If you can't part with your carpet, consider purchasing a vacuum cleaning with a built in HEPA filter, like those made by Miele-unlike ordinary sweepers which throw dust mite debris into the air, the HEPA filter will ensure all their tiny particles are captured and removed.
3. Run An Air Filter. HEPA filters are able to catch even the smallest particles, which is why they come highly recommended for allergy and asthma sufferers. You bedroom is often the best location to place an air purifier for dust mites, because dust mite fecal matter and shed skins are swept into the air and into your lungs every time you toss or turn; get in or out of bed. Many companies have specialized in making air purifiers to remove allergens-one of the best brands for allergies and asthma are the IQAir Purifiers.

Is it possible to get my home 100% dust mite free?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Dust Mites have always been present with humans, but have not presented such a huge problem until we began to develop more and more comfortable homes. The environment we make for ourselves-shaded from the sun, controlled warmth and cool, stable humidity with lots of nesting sites-is perfect for dust mite numbers to explode. Altering this environment would start to make a dent in the dust mite population, but at the same time, it would be uncomfortable to humans to inhabit as well.

Can two people sleep in the same bed and only one be affected by dust mites?

Yes-two different people may have different tolerance levels to mite allergens. This depends on their genetic make-up (history of allergies in their family) and exposure levels to mite allergen. Two people will often share the same bed, but only one individual will suffer from allergy symptoms. About 20% of the population is sensitive to dust mite allergens, whereas the other 80% may have no idea why their partner is suffering.

Is there a way to treat fabrics and other surfaces in my home without taking down my curtains or tearing up my carpeting?

Some allergy-friendly stores may carry sprays that contain benzo benzoate, which is a chemical that cuts down dust mite populations. Please ask advise from your doctor or allergist before adding another chemical to your living space, because this might cause another health concern.

How can I avoid developing dust mite allergies?

There are some preventative measures that can be taken against developing dust mite allergies, but often the main cause of allergies is a predisposition to them that have been passed down from your parents or grandparents. Though limiting your exposure to dust mites through fastidious cleaning and bedding laundering can help reduce your chances of becoming sensitized, for some, there is no escape from allergies.