Health experts around the world agree that allergies caused by dust mites are a serious health problem today. Ultra-Fresh can help.

Ultra-Fresh treated articles create an inhospitable environment for dust mites. There will always be dust mites in the world but Ultra-Fresh can limit their numbers in bedding, carpets, furniture and other areas in the home. Although the problems associated with dust mites are widely acknowledged, many jurisdictions will not allow health claims to be made for antimicrobial product treatments.

The Source

Dust mites are microscopic creatures, almost large enough to be seen with the naked eye. They are closely related to spiders and ticks. The ideal habitat for the dust mite is a place which is warm, moist and gives access to their prime source of nourishment, human skin cells. Many parts of our homes, especially beds and bedrooms, provide this habitat. Research has shown that the average bed contains 10,000 mites⁽¹⁾.

There are a number of signs that a person may have dust mite allergies, rather than a common cold. They include:

• Runny or stuffy nose, chronic rhinitis
• Itchy and watery eyes
• Sneezing
• Asthma attacks
• Wheezing coughs
• Shortness of breath
• Symptoms worse in the morning, just after rising
• Allergic symptoms while making beds
• General feeling of being unwell, without being extremely ill.

Dust mites are not directly responsible for these symptoms. The actual cause is an allergen, an enzyme called Der p1, which is found in the waste products of dust mites.

Mites excrete pellets that break up into small particles. Some of these particles become air-borne, and are easily inhaled. For most healthy people this is not a problem. In a susceptible person, the particles settle in the passages that feed air to the lungs. The enzyme attacks the walls of the air passage causing irritation and swelling, which reduces its size. The result can be difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, and asthma.

Researchers⁽²⁾ have concluded that Der p1 concentrations of greater than 2 micrograms in a gram of dust can cause an allergic reaction. 10 micrograms in a gram of dust is enough to cause an acute attack. Measurements taken in homes around the world have found levels higher than these, especially in carpets, pillows, beds and furniture. The places where people sleep may contain enough allergens to trigger acute allergic reactions.

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(1) Allergy Society of South Africa
(2) Platts-Mills, T.A.E, de Weck, A.L., “Dust mite allergens and asthma - A worldwide problem”, J Allergy Clin. Immunol, 80(6), 755-775. 67