Knock Down the Dust Mite Population with Cold Air

Many folk suffer from dust mite allergies more specifically from dust mite droppings. Dust mites are microscopic insects that live in our home feeding off of dead skin. The problem is dead skin accumulates in dust as a normal part of our daily activity because we are always shedding skin. In homes with carpeting and upholstered furniture or in rooms with a lot of textiles (eg. stuffed animals), the dust mite population can explode into large numbers causing those allergic to dust mites to have an increase in allergy symptoms ranging from minor (eg. sniffles, runny eyes) to life threatening (eg. severe asthma attack). My allergists and respiratory therapist have drilled it into me over and over that the best control is to reduce the dust mite habitat by removing all carpeting and upholstered furniture. We've been working towards that goal and in September 2011, we finally bought a house with no carpeting. All floors are hard so the dust mite population here is quite low. Not everyone can rip out their carpeting or buy a house with no carpeting. If you live in a cold climate as we do, you can use the reduced humidity and cold air treatment to knock down the dust mite population in your home. If you have a humidifier, do not set the humidity level higher than 25%. This will still help keep your mucosal membranes from becoming too dry. The cold air treatment ideally needs 24 to 48 hours so is best done during the winter when you can be away for one or two nights. The ideal magic temperature you want to get your house to is 50°F, no lower as you don't want pipes freezing. Turn the furnace off and replace the filter about 3 hours before leaving the house. Gather all textiles (eg. stuffed animals, pillows, afghans) and place in plastic garbage bags. Put them in the freezer or if you have an unheated garage or shed in there while you are gone. Strip the beds leaving them bare. Thoroughly vacuum all floors both hard and carpeted. Empty the vacuum bag or cup, clean if necessary and replace as you will need to use the vacuum cleaner as soon as you arrive home. Now, leave the house with furnace off for at least 24 hours. The inside air temperature will dip and continue to dip, killing off dust mites. The closer the temperature gets to 50°F the more effective the kill off is. At the same time, the dust mites in your textiles in the plastic bags are being killed off. When you return home, it will be chilly but houses don't take long to warm up. Turn the furnace on. Carefully open the garbage bags with your textiles and place the textiles in the dryer on air fluff for at least 15 minutes. This will remove dust mite carcasses and feces. Next, vacuum thoroughly all floor surfaces to also remove dust mite carcasses and feces. The dust mite population has been basically knocked down to an ultra low level so will take a couple of months or more to get to the level to cause allergic symptoms providing you do regular vacuuming. While you are doing dust mite control, this is a good time to put allergy covers on all pillows and mattresses. The cover forms a barrier between you and the dust mite droppings. Use the cold treatment on pillows then cover. Vacuum mattresses well then place a zippered allergy cover on the mattress. If your house has a lot of carpeting (eg. all rooms except bathrooms and kitchen), this treatment can be used monthly or three times during the cold weather depending on your lifestyle. When we are at our vacation home in Florida during December, our house is left at 50°F for the entire duration of three to five weeks. This was particularly helpful for dust mite control in our last home where there was a lot of carpeting and while it is more of an eco-friendly solution here to avoid using a lot of energy to heat our house when we aren't here, it still kills off the dust mites. Oh, and while the treatment sounds like a lot of work, it really isn't! It usually takes me about a half hour on each end of the treatment. The results are definitely worth it in increased comfort, reduced allergy symptoms and reduced medications.

Respiratory Steam Inhaler

Respiratory Steam Inhaler

I suffer from chronic sinusitis that developed into infected sinuses,  allergies, asthma and congestion.  Years ago my ENT told me one of the worst things you could do for these types of problems is to use over the counter medications for these types of problems.  These medications dry the mucosal membranes making them irritated which causes inflammation compounding the problem.  In addition to that problem irritated mucosal membranes are more prone to infection.  Dry, irritated mocosal membranes can also cause asthma flare-ups, nose bleeds and sore throats.  There are two excellent, safe and yet effective ways for symptomatic relief of sinusitis, allergies, asthma, and congestion.

The first way to get relief is through proper internal hydration.  Water intake should be increased to 2 L (64 oz) per day.  This should be plain water.  Caffeinated drinks (eg. tea, coffee, colas) should be avoided as they are dieuretic causing your body to lose the valuable moisture it needs to clear mucosal membranes.  There are several delicious herbal teas that will meet your craving for a hot beverage without the drying effects of caffeine.  There are also special herbal tea blends designed to help reduce mucose production.  Alcoholic beverages should also be avoided due to their dehydrating effects.

Until your body is properly hydrated and even when it is there will be times you need relief.  Steam vapor is a safe and effective way to relieve congetion.  I use a personal respiratory steam inhaler to relieve congestion symptoms as necessary.   No chemicals or salt is needed, only plain water.  My steam inhaler is rather unique in that the hood folds down and is held in place by release tabs for easy travel.  It is only 3½- inches high with the hood folded down so is quite compact.  I really like the design as it takes up little storage room or room in the suitcase.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Arnica Cream

Shortly after injuring my leg a week and a half ago I learned about arnica cream.   In addition to using the RICER method for dealing with sever bruising, arnica cream is a topical ointment used to promote tissue healing.  The cream helps reduce swelling and inflammation while relieving pain.  The anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties also makes this cream suitable for joint pain, arthritis, and sore muscles.  It is applied on to three times daily for up to seven to ten days.

Arnica cream contains extract from  Arnica montana, a European relative of the sunflower plant.  This natural remedy is considered to safe for regular use although prolonged use may cause skin irritation (redness, itching, blisters).  If this happens you should stop using the cream.  Arnica cream can aggravate eczema and adverse reaction are most likely to occur if you are allergic to members of the sunflower family.  The level of extract used in the cream is 20mg/g.  It is toxic if ingested so should be kept away from children and pets.


I'm finding that the arnica cream is helping somewhat but it is a rather nasty bruise with a lot of swelling so even with the cream it will take some time to heal.  I have not experienced any negative side effects.  The cream does help with pain relief which is nice.

Garden Gnome