European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Dust mites trigger allergies asthma by Jane e. Brody new York times gape myriad pollens of Spring and summer h have waned and Falls Cool nights Are finally h bringing the ragweed season to a close. A for Hay fever sufferers wheezing and sneezing Are finally Over for the year. But for 10 percent to 15 percent of the general population and 40 percent of those who have asthma or multiple allergies there is no Relief. For them the problem is dust and it is a ubiquitous year round plague. Actually the allergy is not to dust As a whole but to a microscopic eight legged creature called the House dust mite. In fact chances Are you re not even allergic to the mite itself but to the tiny Tough pellets of focal matter it excretes after dining on flakes of skin from people or pets. Ninety nine percent of Homes offer lodging to dust mites. You May be a persnickety housekeeper but unless you maintain quarters As Pristine As a Hospital room chances Are you share your dwelling with these Pesky critters. Allergists who have studied the problem of dust mite allergy believe it is an important Factor in the recent frightening Rise of serious illness and deaths from asthma. Dust mites thrive when the temperature and humidity Are in the 70�?Ts, and As people seek to conserve Energy by sealing leaks in their Homes and adding carpets and drapes for insulation indoor temperatures and humidity have risen too favouring the yearlong survival and reproduction of dust mites. Though the number of dust mites declines during Winters dry heating season their pellets survive and since people spend far More time indoors when it is cold out they can be exposed to More mites in Winter than during the warm humid months. Dust mites Are so Small that 7,000 of them could fit on a dime. They Are most prevalent where the food Supply is steadies a in bedding upholstered furniture and carpets. When a carpet is walked on or vacuumed or the bedding is jostled or compressed the pellets can become airborne Long enough for people to inhale them. A 10-year study of children in Poole England published last August in the new England journal of Medicine strongly suggested that children who were heavily exposed to dust mites during infancy were much More Likely to have asthma at the age of 11. The heavier the exposure the earlier in life their wheezing episodes began. Another study in British Columbia showed that among children with asthma who Are sensitive to dust mites reducing the mite population of their bedrooms to As close to Zero As possible led to a dramatic improvement in their symptoms. Of course you Don t have to have asthma to be bothered by a dust mite allergy. Some 30 million Ordinary americans react with a Stuffy or Runny nose sinus congestion sneezing or irritating cough when they Are heavily exposed to dust. A variety of dust control devices and substances is widely sold but experts say most offer Little Benefit if any. Or. Andrew b. Murray of children a Hospital in Vancouver one of the researchers in the British Columbia study offered this summary of the status of dust mite control techniques a special mite vacuum cleaners some of which rely on intense heat to destroy the mites have not yet v it it. v dust control is especially important in bedrooms where children spend More time than in any other part of the Home. Proved effective. Some in fact spread More dust around than Ordinary vacuum cleaners. A electrostatic and hepa for High Energy particulate air air cleaners Are not very effective because the mites themselves Are not in the air a their Sticky feet enable them to cling tenaciously to fabrics and the focal pellets Are airborne for Only a Short time then quickly resettle onto the floor or other surface. A Benzyl Benzoate a Mit Icide for use in the Home has Promise. It is sold As a moist powder the Trade name is Aca Rosan that is sprinkled onto carpets and then vacuumed up when dry. It is registered As Safe and effective with the environmental Protection Agency but Murray said it had not yet been proved effective for preventing allergy attacks in a controlled clinical trial. A foam version of the product for use on mattresses and upholstered furniture will soon be marketed. Murray and other experts insist that the most effective Way to get rid of dust mites is to strip the room of dust collectors and fabrics to which the mites cling and encase bedding materials in Vinyl coverings that mites cannot get through. This in fact was the approach he and Alexander c. Ferguson a colleague took in demonstrating How effective dust mite control in the bedroom can reduce asthma attacks a Start by removing the mites favorite dwellings carpets and rugs upholstered furniture Woolen blankets Down quilts and Feather pillows. Plain wooden floors or a linoleum floor covering avoid tiles or irregular surfaces that can collect dust Are Best. If carpeting is a must one with a Short pile is preferable. A use a upholstered chairs and stools like those made of Wood plastic fibreglass Cane or real or fake leather. A remove other dust collectors from the room venetian blinds shades Are better and heavy drapes Wall pennants and other cloth Wall hangings. A keep All clothing in a closet and keep the door shut. Place All books papers toys and trophies in cupboards with tight fitting doors. Better yet get them out of the bedroom entirely. A enclose the mattress Box Spring and pillows in zippered air tight covers. One source of such covers is allergy control products 28 High Ridge ave., Ridgefield conn., 06877. Or use Only synthetic pillows that can be washed often and replaced frequently. A Wash blankets and pillows every two weeks preferably in hot water a cold water Wash gets rid of about 80 percent of mites but hot water kills them All. Wash curtains at least once a month. A if the room is heated by a hot air vent Seal it shut with duct tape and if necessary heat the room with an electric Radiator old fashioned steam or hot water radiators Are Fine. A in warm weather keep room temperatures below 70 degrees and relative humidity below 50 percent by using an air conditioner and if necessary a dehumidifier. Mites die when the relative humidity drops to 40 to 50 percent. A clean the room often preferably when the allergic person is not there. Vacuuming does not remove mites from fabric but it does Spray their pellets into the air. If you Are allergic Wear a dust mask when you clean. Use a Damp cloth or mop wherever possible. Remember that people especially children spend More time in their bedrooms than in any other part of the House. This is Why dust control in the bedroom is of primary importance. However a person allergic to dust mites would be Wise to avoid them elsewhere in the House As Well. For example avoid sitting on upholstered furniture or a Rug when watching television or Reading. Controlling one s exposure to dust mites is especially important because desensitization shots Are not reliably effective in minimizing an allergic persons reaction to this ubiquitous teens turn to steroids continued from Page 16 about 4.7 percent of the boys and 1.3 percent of the girls a used steroids. The reports also stated that adolescents increasingly Are using the drugs at younger Ages with some starting in Junior High school and the majority starting by age 16. No one is quite sure How severe the physical Side effects will be on teens although there is worry about the Impact of massive doses of male hormones on developing bodies particularly among the girls using steroids. Johnson said steroids Are attractive to teens for several reasons. Quot one of the developmental tasks of adolescence is to come to terms with body image and develop self esteem so i think they Are prime targets for a magic drug that will build Muscles. And kids say a that a what i want to do a i want to look Good and be big a a a Johnson said. Quot teenagers feel like they re invincible Quot Johnson added. Quot they Don t have a sense of their own vulnerability. They live for the moment in a not going to get pregnant a or a in a not going to crash driving its the same thing with steroids a of those Side effects wont happen to Quot Johnson said male teen steroid users seem to pose similar profiles to girls with eating disorders such As anorexia or bulimia. Quot using anabolic steroids for Guys i think is synonymous to eating disorders in girls Quot she said. A both become very preoccupied with body image. There san unconscious Hope that changing body appearance will improve their self esteem. And it becomes an obsession with no stopping there is legislation in both the House and the Senate to stiffen penalties against those using and trafficking in steroids. Included lathe House anti come package is a measure that would include felony penalties for coaches and athletic trainers who suggest a or even hint a that someone under 18 use steroids. The Bush administration opposes the legislation out of worry of an increased Burden on the already swamped drug enforcement Agency but is forming an inter Agency task Force on steroid abuse. Tuesday october 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 17
