Causes

The presence of mites in bed does not automatically indicate unhygienic behavior. The fact that house dust mites settle in the bed cannot actually be avoided. By adherence to rules of conduct for the defense of mites one can lower the number of mites in the bed, despite everything however still many mites are in the bed.

Because for mites, especially for house dust mites, the bed offers the perfect living space. Why do mites cause diseases? The house dust mite, which is the main topic of this article, only affects people with a house dust mite allergy, because the proteins that the mite secretes as excrement and is inhaled together with house dust are perceived by our body as allergens and lead to an allergic reaction.

People with a suppressed immune system are particularly affected by a disease like scabies. This also includes children, because they have not yet come into contact with many pathogens, so that the immune system is not yet fully developed. The function of the immune system is also restricted in older people, which is why scabies is also frequently found within nursing homes or homes for the elderly. In addition, the immune system is reduced in cancer patients as a side effect of chemotherapy and in HIV patients.

Diagnosis

If the affected person describes typical allergic symptoms, which occur mainly at night in bed, the suspicion often falls on a house dust mite allergy. The allergy diagnosis of a house dust mite allergy can be done by a simple allergy test (prick test) at the family doctor or dermatologist. A blood test can also prove the allergic reaction.In the presence of a scabies disease one can recognize typical, so-called mite ducts on the skin.

However, these are only visible after four to six weeks. In some cases they can be seen with the naked eye. If not, they can always be seen with the help of a so-called dermatoscope.

This is a special device which is used mainly by dermatologists, but also by general practitioners to examine skin findings in an enlarged form. In simple terms, a dermatoscope corresponds to a magnifying glass. If these mite ducts can be seen, the diagnosis is scabies. Often the doctor also sees the mite itself in the form of a small triangle.