A normal healthy person will shed an astounding 30 to 40 thousand dead skin cells every minute, which adds up to about 4 kilograms a year, and though one cannot see or feel it happening, most people are effected by the consequences of shedding these cells. Though the cells don’t pose any danger themselves, they are the primary food source for dust mites, which account for a considerable amount of allergic reactions. Dead skin cells together with the faeces and corpses of dust mites can make up to 70% of household dust.
“Dust mites themselves are harmless and in fact fulfil a vital role in the biodegradation of microscopic debris. Without the help from dust mites, we would shed so many dead skins cells that the amount would lead to very harmful diseases. Dust mites are therefore a beneficial assistant in our lives, however, their faeces contain allergens which trigger, in some cases, very severe allergic reactions such as asthma,” says Avin Levy, MD for Germophobe Laboratories - a pharmaceutical company, specialising in the production of safe, non-toxic product ranges for the alleviation of dust mite, bed bug and pet allergies.
The proteins in the digestive juices of the mite gut are estimated to be a factor in 50 to 80 percent of asthmatics, as well as in countless cases of eczema, hay fever and other allergic ailments. Though a genetic predisposition to having an allergic reaction is the most common cause of these allergies they can also arise over time through prolonged exposure to high levels of allergens. This is especially true for children – in particular during the first years of life – and in the aged.
Every household contains a degree of dead skin cells and they are usually kept to acceptable levels through everyday airing and cleaning of areas. This in turn keeps dust mites and the allergic reactions they can trigger under control. However, this becomes more of a problem when the dead skin cells are not eradicated or in areas that see a lot of human and animal traffic, such as public areas, transport, accommodation and so forth. Furthermore, dead skin cells, or dander as it is more commonly known, does not only come from humans, animals also shed dead skin cells on a daily basis.
“Dead skin cells are most common in areas where people spend a lot of time in contact with furniture, such as couches, chairs and most predominantly – beds. This in turn leads to greater populations of dust mites in these areas which like warm, moist areas with an abundant food supply. In fact, a typical bed can contain on average, between 100 000 and 10 million mites and ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be composed of dead mites and their droppings,” says Levy.
Levels of dead skin cells are more concentrated during the winter months when we spend more time indoors on furniture and keep our living areas closed up against the cold. Drier skin in the winter months can also lead to an increase in the shedding of skin. This leads to increased concentrations of dust mites, and as a result an increase in the severity of allergic reactions.
Some of the most common allergic reactions, which are often ascribed to other factors, are in fact caused by dust mites. These symptoms include hay fever, watery eyes, running noses, sneezing asthma, coughing, facial swelling and general irritation of the mucous membranes.
Levy explains that the amount of dead skin cells and dust mites can be controlled through the effective cleaning of furniture, carpets and the like, however they can never be totally eradicated. You can however do something about the allergens that they produce.
“Knowledge of the problem combined with the right actions can lead to a dramatic change in the symptoms caused by dust mites. This is precisely what Germophobe’s new MiteFree™ range of products have been developed to do in order to drastically reduce the allergic effects of dust mites on those affected,” concludes Levy.