When the sun beams in, lighting up the dust floating in the air, I try not to think of what I know about dust. It not only contains fibers, dander, and other particles from the home, but it contains hundreds of eight-legged creatures called dust mites. It’s these mini-arachnids, or rather, the waste products from these little pests, that trigger symptoms in the 20 million Americans who are allergic to dust. Dust mite allergies are the most common cause of year-round allergy and asthma.

Dust mites are microscopic organisms that live in house dust. They thrive in areas of high humidity and feed on the dead skin cells of humans and their pets, as well as on pollen, bacteria, and fungi.

A dust mite allergy is an immune system reaction to the proteins that dust mites shed. This reaction triggers inflammation in the lining of the nasal passages (allergic rhinitis), causing sneezing, runny nose and other signs and symptoms usually associated with hay fever.