This disgusting video reveals millions of dust mites writhing under a microscope.
The film shows the squirming creatures crawling on top of one another, surrounded by their own yellow faeces.
Each produces around 20 droppings a day.
As the camera zooms in, hundreds of the brown, many-legged mites are revealed.
The creepy clip, filmed by the Ohio State University Acarology Lab, shows how bedding can become the perfect breeding ground for the bugs.
Dust mites are tiny creatures, about a quarter of a millimetre long, known to cause allergies in some people.
They live off human skin scales which have been partially digested by moulds, and thrive in humid environments, according to Allergy UK.
Mattresses, duvets, pillows, carpets and soft furnishings become reservoirs of human skin cells, encouraging dust mites.
Dr Lisa Ackerley, a home hygiene expert, said people could be unwittingly suffering from ‘sick bed syndrome’ due to dust mites.
She told MailOnline: ‘Humans shed half an ounce of skin week and a lot of that will be in the bed.
‘Dust mites like warm moist environments, the bed’s the perfect environment. They reproduce so there will be about 10 million per bed.
‘Often people are away in the day, so they shut the windows and the moisture stays in the house.
‘Houses are more insulated and there are no drafts so there can be a build up of humidity.
‘If you make the bed when you go out that traps the duvet and the moisture, and the dust mites have a great time.’
In two years, 10 per cent of the weight of a pillow will be made up of dust mites and their droppings, she added.
Whilst dust mites themselves are harmless, their faeces and body fragments can trigger allergic reactions, prompting the body to release histamines to attack the allergen.
Each mite produces about 20 of these waste droppings every day and the droppings continue to cause allergic symptoms even after the mite has died.
They can cause eczema and hay fever, and estimates suggest dust mites may be a factor in up to 80 per cent of people with asthma.
Dr Ackerley added: ‘They can cause rhinitis, a cough, dry eyes. They can disturb sleep. People with other allergies can have them made worse.
‘People might think they just have a cold the whole time. Dust mites really are an issue.’
Pocka Dola Cleaning Melbourne on your side. Call us now on (03) 9111 5619 for all your mattress cleaning cleaning needs. You’ll be glad you did!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3334986/Horrific-video-shows-mattress-perfect-breeding-ground-millions-dust-mites-feed-skin.html
Comments are closed.