Patients allergic to house dust mites are not uncommon these days. Due to the relevance of the issue, there is a lot of conflicting information about the ticks Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. What it is is the subject of our article.
A bit of history
In 1964, scientists from Holland and Japan discovered dust mites. They investigated that it was Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and studied the response of patients who had sensitivity to house dust. The response from their body was positive. Thus, scientists have found that the presence of mites in house dust is an allergenic factor for people who have a genetic predisposition to atopic dermatitis. It was after these discoveries that the active study of dust mites began. How to get rid of them at home will be discussed later.
Varieties
In our time, there are more than 150 species of dust mites. All of them can be classified in three directions:
1. The first onesfind food in house dust and reproduce there. Such mites feed on skin scales and particles of microflora living on the skin. These are pyroglyphids, as well as barn-grain mites that live in places where cereals and flour are stored. The last of them feed on human products and mold. It is this variety that causes allergies in agricultural workers. There are mites that cause allergic reactions in bakery workers (Acarus siro and Tyrophagus putrscentiae), others (Tyrolichus casei) are responsible for the appearance of "cheese" dermatosis, Glycyphagus domesticus cause dermatitis in grocery workers.
From the beginning of the 90s, such inhabitants were increasingly found in people's apartments. This is due to the storage of a large number of products in unsuitable premises. People suffering from bronchial asthma acquired sensitization to barn mites, its rate ranged from 6 to 20%.
2. The second variety includes predators that eat ticks of the first species. These include cheyletid, gamas and others.
3. There are also mites that get into the dust by accident, not being able to breed there. This is the third variety. Such mites do not survive in human pillows and beds, unlike representatives of the first group. According to experts, they do not cause allergies in humans.
Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus - what is it for a person?
This is the designation of pyroglyphid mites that live in house dust and form allergens for humans. They areare considered the most harmful to humans. How to get rid of dust mites is a question that worries many allergy sufferers.
The body of a tick produces a large amount of protein and other molecules. It is these products of their vital activity that cause such allergic pathologies as:
- allergic rhinitis (the symptoms in adults and children are a runny nose);
- atopic dermatitis, neurodermatitis, eczema (skin rash);
- bronchial asthma (coughing fits).
In rare cases, the development of systemic anaphylaxis can begin, especially when ingesting foods high in ticks and their waste products. Then symptoms such as rhinorrhea, Quincke's edema, shortness of breath appear.
In response to exposure to tick proteins, IgG antibodies begin to form in the body of sensitive people to block the path of the allergic reaction. In medicine, the method of determining the amount of these antibodies is used to establish a diagnosis in allergy sufferers.
General description and distribution path
The size of these ticks is from 0.1 to 0.4 mm, in their development they go through several phases (larva, nymph), have a gender, that is, they are male or female.
The body of the tick forms substances that are allergens for humans. These particles enter the external environment along with faeces and accumulate in house dust. The sizes of the balls in which the allergens are stored are in the range from 10 to 40 microns, the weight is 10-20 ng. fecal ballseasily enter the air during, for example, cleaning, then settle on the mucous membranes of a person, thus penetrating the body.
Medical names
In our time, scientists have discovered and described at least 11 allergens of pyroglyphids mites. They are designated by the names Der1-Der10, Der14. Mostly digestive enzymes.
For example, the mite allergen Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus often causes hypersensitivity reactions in humans. Simply put, this is an allergy to house dust. In response to the presence of ticks, a person may also experience rhinorrhea, shortness of breath, Quincke's edema, and allergic rhinitis. Symptoms in adults and children will be similar.
Where do they live?
Described dust mites are distributed throughout the planet. They are scientists in all corners of the globe. And in all countries there are people who have a hypersensitivity reaction to tick allergens. Doctors call such people sensitized.
According to one of the hypotheses, pyroglyphids mites appeared in the dwellings of people from bird nests. At first they populated the nests of birds, and then, together with the feather, they got into the houses of man. No wonder they find ticks in pillows these days.
The people themselves contribute to the spread of ticks. They bring them on shoes and clothes, with used furniture, soft toys.
Ticks are found not only in homes, but also in children's institutions, hotels, hairdressers, laundries, sanatoriums, buses (in soft seats), trains (in mattresses).
In the apartment
In modern apartments, the distribution of ticks is uneven. Most of all they can be found in the bedroom, namely in bed. Optimal conditions for their life are created here - the temperature is about 25 degrees and the humidity is 75%.
The number of ticks may vary depending on the apartment, the place in it, and also changes in different periods of the year. The largest number of mites, which was recorded by specialists in apartments in Moscow, is 13,000 individuals per gram of dust.
What affects the number of ticks in the apartment?
Scientists say that the number of house dust mites directly affects the occurrence of hypersensitivity in humans. If there are more than 100 individuals for every gram of dust, this leads to the appearance of an allergy in a person who has a genetic predisposition to it. If there are more than 500 mites per gram of dust, this situation can trigger an asthma attack.
Scientists have found that the increase in the number of ticks in the apartment is associated with seasonality. Most of them are in late August - early October. It is at this time that patients with allergies discover their most frequent manifestations.
Dust mites: how to get rid of at home?
To control the number of ticks, various methods are used: mechanical, physical, chemical.
In any case, anti-tick treatment should be carried out after the apartment has been examined by a specialist and the exact number has been clarifiedindividuals. The use of household chemicals in the apartments of patients with allergies should be extremely careful.
Special acaricides recommended for the control of house dust mites are produced. An expert can help you choose the right one. Such drugs guarantee the rapid death of all ticks in the apartment.
In the fight against ticks, washing bedding at a high temperature, as well as calcining them in the summer sun, helps. As folk remedies, weak solutions of bleach or s alt are also recommended, which are used to treat surfaces.
So we found out that it is Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. This is the most common type of house dust mites. The study of this issue remains relevant for patients who have a similar kind of allergic reaction in the body.
