大象传媒

Can't see the dust mites?听Click here to watch the film.

In the latest of his Sleep Watch films Michael Mosley met Rob - he often struggles to get to sleep because his asthma flares up when he goes to bed.听

When expert Gary Farron听takes a sample from Rob's bed it reveals听flakes of dead skin.

Look closer at the flakes and they're seen to contain dust mites. Five thousand could fit on the head of a pin. Each of us shares our bed with approximately 2.5million dust mites. For asthma sufferers this can be a serious problem as dust mite excrement can trigger inflammatory responses.听

So, how to ? Here are some tips:

鈥⑻齍se complete barrier covering systems on your mattress, duvet and pillow.
鈥⑻齊emove all carpets and replace with hard flooring.
鈥⑻齎acuum all areas frequently. Use a vacuum cleaner that has good suction and a filtered exhaust that does not scatter dust. Damp dust all surfaces or use an attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Be sure to vacuum your curtains.
鈥⑻齊emove all soft toys from beds. Put them into a bag in the freezer for a minimum of six hours every one to two weeks to kill house-dust mites.
鈥⑻鼿ot wash (at 60 degrees C) sheets, duvet covers and pillowcases once a week. Although some people are allergic to feathers, there is no conclusive evidence to show that synthetic, 'hypo-allergenic' pillows are any better.
鈥⑻鼵lean your soft furnishings with anti-house-dust mite chemicals.
鈥⑻齍se a dehumidifier to dry the air, as this makes it more difficult for the house-dust mites to survive.

Do you have dust mite banishing tips? Are dust mites a problem in your household?