Health Tips: Dust Be Gone

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

ROCHESTER, Minn. — An allergy to dust mites can show up as chronic congestion or even asthma. It's worth the extra effort to minimize exposure to the allergens that come from these commonplace tiny critters.

The September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers tips to reduce exposure to these allergens:

Focus on the bedroom: About 98 percent of dust allergens are inhaled from the bed. Pillows and mattresses should be covered with dust-proof covers, which can be purchased at many department stores. Bedding should be washed every other week in hot water to kill dust mites.

Clean with a difference: A microfiber dusting product and damp rag are better for grabbing dust than is a dry cloth or dust mop. A vacuum cleaner with a double-layered microfilter bag or high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter will help remove dust from carpet and upholstered furniture. Bedrooms should be cleaned once a week. Keeping dust-collecting clutter — newspapers and knickknacks — to a minimum also helps.

Control the environment: Windows and doors should be shut as much as possible. Using a micron-grade allergen filter with furnace and air conditioning systems helps minimize dust. Filters need to be changed frequently.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,300 physicians, scientists and researchers and 46,000 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, the three locations treat more than half a million people each year. To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. For information about research and education visit www.mayo.edu. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.