Dust mites are microscopic organisms (i.e. invisible to the naked eye) that belong to the phylum Arthropoda, the subphylum Chelicerata, the class Arachnida, the subclass Acarina, and the order Acariformes.
Analysis of dust samples from homes showed that in Greece, the mites Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides Farinae of the Pyroglyphidae family constitute 90-100% of the mite population found in mattresses and 75 – 95% of the mites found in carpets and rugs, regardless of geographical region.

Generally
They live in all homes in concentrations that depend on environmental conditions.
Usually there are 100 to 500 mites per gram of dust, but sometimes they can reach 20,000/gr.
Their greatest concentrations are found in mattresses, pillows, sofas, carpets, curtains, upholstery and soft toys. Bed mattresses are the ideal microenvironment for their development. The number of mites in a 5-year-old mattress can be from 5,000 to 15,000 mites per square centimeter of mattress!
Their presence is directly related to the particular temperature and humidity conditions that prevail in the home environment.
The ideal conditions for their growth and multiplication are a relative humidity of 75% and a temperature of 25 - 30°C.

What do they cause?
The most common symptoms are a stuffy nose, sneezing, runny nose with itching in the nose and eyes, especially upon waking in the morning.
At this stage, someone has allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis.
In more severe cases, coughing or even episodes of shortness of breath are caused, leading to the development of allergic asthma.
Symptoms usually appear throughout the year with some exacerbation in the autumn and winter months, depending on humidity conditions.

The diagnosis
The diagnosis of allergy to dust mites is made by specialist allergists by taking a complete history and performing special allergic skin tests, easily and quickly (within 15 minutes).
Correlating symptoms with test results gives us the diagnosis.
When we hear that someone “is allergic to dust” it does not mean that dust is the cause of the allergy.
House dust particles carry the feces of dust mites, to which one can be allergic and experience the usual symptoms we mentioned.
Today it is estimated that 6 to 35% of the population is sensitive to dust mites, while in some areas the percentage of asthmatics who are sensitive to dust mites reaches 90%.

Treatment
The treatment consists of 3 stages:
In AVOIDANCE, where if someone is allergic to dust mites they must reduce the dust mite population in the home, which will result in an improvement in symptoms and a reduction in the use of medications, but this is certainly not always sufficient and does not change the progression of the allergy.
It is really difficult to avoid because mites are everywhere and it has temporary results while improving the situation to a small extent.
It is recommended to reduce the relative humidity in the home to <50%. by good ventilation of the home and the use of air conditioners.
Avoiding materials that are breeding grounds for mites, e.g. carpets, thick rugs, upholstery, blankets, etc.
Cleaning the house with an electric, suction vacuum cleaner at least twice a week with regular changes to the filter and vacuum bag.
It is recommended to use a vacuum cleaner with special filters (HEPA).
Placing special covers on mattresses, pillows, and duvets reduces dust mite levels in the home to some extent.
If we consider that an average person spends a third of their time in bed and that the largest quantities of mites are observed in beds, we focus our efforts on the bedrooms of allergic people.
In PHARMACOLOGY, using antihistamines, corticosteroid preparations and antileukotrienes, which bring about immediate improvement in symptoms, but as soon as their administration is stopped, the symptoms return.
In DESENSITIZATION THERAPY (IMMUNOTHERAPY), which is the only permanent solution and is only performed by specialist allergists.
This is the natural way of treatment that has permanent results.

General advice
Always dust with a damp cloth.
No food in bed.
Maintaining humidity in the home at levels below 40%.
Regular bedroom ventilation.
Change the mattress, if it is over 5 years old. .
Washing bed linen in the washing machine at a temperature above 60°C.
‘Any clothes that cannot be washed in the washing machine are sent for dry cleaning.
Removing stuffed toys from the child's bed, e.g. teddy bears
Removal of permanent carpets or rugs
Removal of down pillows and duvets (fungi may grow there that serve as food for mites).
Use of special acaricides for mattresses and carpets.
Use a special acaricide for washing in the washing machine.
For deep cleaning of the mattress, a cleaning machine with vibration and vortex suction is recommended, so as to remove the “internal dust” 99.97% without recycling it back into the space.
Use special covers for mattresses, pillows and duvets that do not allow the passage of dust mite feces. .
Use vacuum cleaners with special filters that trap mites and their droppings.
Avoiding pets entering bedrooms.