The unfortunate answer to this question is yes. Dust mites, also called bed or pillow mites are real microscopic members of the same class of living things as spiders and ticks, the Order Arachnid. Dust mites are about 0.3 millimeters in length, have eight legs, and are rather round shaped. They live on virtually every surface of the house where even a fine layer of dust collects, and they like to live in pillows, bedding and furniture as they eat on the skin cells that we are constantly losing every second of the day. Dust mites are not an indication of dirty conditions, but they do become more numerous in damp and dirty conditions than in drier and cleaner areas.
Dust mites or pillow mites love to live in areas where the temperature is between sixty-five and eighty five degrees, and where there is moderate humidity - ideal conditions in most homes. In addition, they require constant food sources, and the skin cells we shed from our bodies provide just that. Also people often snack in bed, and the small crumbs and pieces of food that are left on the pillow and bedding adds more for the mites to eat.
The mites are really not as much of a problem as the allergens they produce. The allergens settle into the pillow, sheets and bedding, and then when we sleep we literally breathe in the allergy-causing spores produced by the mites. If you are allergic to these allergens you may find that you sneeze, cough and have itchy or watery eyes when you wake up in the morning, or when you are relaxing on your bed reading or watching TV. Asthma, eczema and hay fever symptoms can also be significantly affected by the presence of the allergens from mites.
There are some easy and inexpensive ways to control pillow mites, although you will never be able to totally eliminate them from your bedroom. The first step is to buy allergen impermeable covers for your pillows and mattress. These covers prevent the mites from gathering in your bedding. Hypoallergenic mattresses, pillows and bedding can also be purchased to prevent the mites from becoming established. In addition it is important to wash bedding at least once a week in temperatures over one hundred and thirty degrees Fahrenheit. Vacuum along the seams and contours of the box spring and mattress, as well as keep good air circulation and ventilation in your bedroom. Avoid high humidity and warm temperature combinations, and consider a de-humidifier if you live in a humid area.
If you are reasonable careful about keeping the bedding as clean as possible, and use hyperallergenic covers over pillows and mattresses you should have little concern. There are also chemical treatments available that usually last for several months before they need to be re-applied. Taking some care and keeping your house as mite unfriendly as possible is probably the best advice to minimizing the pillow mites in your bedroom.
