Are There Dust Mites in My Mattress and Pillow

Since Al Gore invented the Internet, people have been posting and sharing all manner of frightening claims about bugs. Among the most viral assertions are those about the evil dust mites that inhabit our beds. Have you heard this one? Over 10 years, your mattress doubles in weight due to the accumulation of dust mites and their droppings. Or how about this one? At least 10% of your pillows weight is dust mites and their feces. Most people dont like the idea that theyre sleeping on a bed full of bugs and bug poop and find these statements horrifying. Some websites recommend you replace your pillow every six months to avoid contact with the dirty dust mites. Mattress manufacturers love these scary science factoids, theyre great for business. But is there any truth to these claims about dust mites? And what are dust mites,  anyway? What Are Dust Mites? Dust mites are arachnids, not insects. They belong to the arachnid order Acari, which includes mites and ticks. Common dust mite species include the North American house dust mite,  Dermatophagoides farinae, and the European house dust mite,  Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. How Dust Mites Are Classified Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – ArachnidaOrder – AcariFamily – Pyroglyphidae Are Dust Mites Visible? House dust mites are barely visible to the naked eye. They measure less than a half millimeter in length and usually require magnification to see. Dust mites are usually clear to cream colored, with tiny hairs on their bodies and legs, and globular in shape. What Do Dust Mites Eat? Dust mites dont feed on us directly like their cousins, the ticks, nor do they live on our bodies like follicle mites. They arent parasites, and they dont bite or sting us. Instead, dust mites are scavengers that feed on the dead skin we shed. They also feed on pet dander, bacteria, fungi, and pollen. These tiny critters are actually recycling waste. Will Dust Mites Make Me Sick? Most people arent affected by the presence of dust mites and dont need to worry about them much at all. However, if conditions are optimal, dust mites and their droppings may accumulate in sufficient numbers to trigger allergies or even asthma in some people. Anyone prone to allergies or asthma may need to be concerned about keeping dust mite populations and their associated waste to a minimum in the home. How Do I Know If I Have Dust Mites in My Home? Heres the good news. House dust mites are actually quite rare in homes, despite all the scary claims about dust mites accumulating in your bedding. Dust mites dont drink water; they absorb it through their exoskeletons from the surrounding air. As a consequence, dust mites desiccate quite easily unless the relative humidity is rather high. They also like warm temperatures (ideally, between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit). If you shuffle along on a carpet in your home and then get a static shock when you flip on a light switch, its highly unlikely that you have house dust mites living in your home. When static electricity is plentiful, humidity is low, and dust mites are dead. If you live in an arid region, or one where the indoor humidity stays below 50% in the summer, you are very unlikely to have dust mites. If you use air conditioning, you are effectively cooling and dehumidifying your home and making it inhospitable to dust mites. In the U.S., dust mite problems are largely limited to homes in coastal areas, where heat and humidity tend to be higher. If you live in the interior areas of the country or more than 40 miles from the coast, you probably dont need to worry much about excessive dust mites in your home. Does a Mattress Really Double in Weight From Dust Mites? No. There is no factual evidence that accumulating dust mites and their debris add significant weight to a mattress. This is a claim that was published by the Wall Street Journal in 2000, despite the reporter being told by an expert that the statement was unsupported by scientific literature. This claim has been spread on the Internet, unfortunately, leading many people to believe it is true. Sources: House Dust Mites, by Michael F. Potter, Extension EntomologistUniversity of Kentucky College of Agriculture. Accessed online July 9, 2015.Managing House Dust Mites, by Barb Ogg, Ph.D., Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Accessed online July 9, 2015.House Dust Mites, Bohart Museum of Entomology, University of California-Davis. Accessed online July 9, 2015.Does Your Mattress Really Gain Weight Over Time?, by Katharine Gammon, LiveScience, March 7, 2011. Accessed online July 9, 2015.Mite-y Heavy, Snopes.com, March 10, 2015. Accessed online July 9, 2015.Who Should Worry About Dust Mites (and Who Shouldnt), by Lesley Alderman, New York Times, March 4, 2011. Accessed online July 9, 2015.Bugs Rule! An Introduction to the World of Insects, by Whitney Cranshaw and Richard Redak.Borror and Delongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.

Oral Hygiene for People with Dementia Essay - 2192 Words

Assignment 1 Evidence based practice Oral Hygiene for adults with Dementia -Introduction- The purpose of this essay is to discuss a clinical skill or nursing action by referring to the nursing and allied health literature to explain and support evidence based practice. The skill I wish to examine is the practice of oral hygiene for adults with dementia in residential aged care facilities. In this essay I aim to provide the reader with adequate references to support the best practice for oral hygiene for people with dementia. -Evidence based practice - Good oral health is important for a persons sense of well being and quality of life (Fiske, 2001). Inadequate oral hygiene can lead to pain, tooth loss, oral disease,†¦show more content†¦Another assessment tool is the Oral Health Assessment tool and is a condensed alteration of the BOHSE. It can be completed before implementing an individualized oral hygiene care plan. Completing this assessment will help the health care professional assess the patients current oral status and factors, which can contribute to their risk for oral disease. This makes it possible to put into practice the most appropriate care, plan for the residents needs. There is only a small amount of literature providing quality evidence based on the use of a successful oral health assessment tool for people with dementia (JBI, 2004). There is no published evidence to this date that has directly linked the use of the assessment tool and the standard of oral hygiene and care given within residential age d care facilities (JBI, 2004). For successful assessment of the residents with dementia the assessment should be undertaken by trained staff and on admission the assessment should also involve a dentist (JBI, 2004). Assessment should be done on a regular basis, at least every 8 weeks (JBI, 2004). Research has shown that staff training in oral hygiene and the use of an individualised Oral Hygiene Care Plan is beneficial to the resident and also the nurse and will allow appropriate care (National Guideline Clearing house [NGC], 2003). The Oral hygiene careShow MoreRelatedBenefits Of Good Oral Hygiene Essay1709 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The advantages of good oral hygiene can help prevent existing and prevalent dental problems, primarily plaque and calculus, which are the major causes of caries (cavities) and tooth decay. Dental caries are not only found in the adolescent population, but are also found in adults, due to gums receding throughout the aging process. This exposes the roots of teeth to the different types of bacteria that cause plaque and tooth decay. 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In cold blood truman capote Essay Example For Students

In cold blood truman capote Essay English book report. 1. Title: In Cold Blood. 2. Author plus biographical background information: Truman Capote, one of Americas most famous writers was born in New Orleans in 1924 and died in California in 1984. He wrote both fiction and non- fiction stories. (for example this book, In cold blood) short stories, novels, travel writing, profiles, reportage, memoirs, plays and films. 3. Number of pages: 336 4. Theme (s): Murder Feelings 5. The Clutter family. Herb Clutter: Hes the father of the murdered family. Hes forty-eight yr. old. Herb is a normal man, who makes a living with the farm he owns. His social contacts in the neighborhood and the people of Holcomb community are very good, people love to talk with him and Mr. Clutter is a member of the agricultural society. Mrs. Clutter: Shes the mother of the family, and loves miniature things. She has two kids, a girl named Nancy and a boy named Kenyon. The daughter is very much loved in town by boys who like to hang out with her, but she already has a boyfriend named Bobby Rupp. Nancy has another love, and thats her old fat horse named Babe. The brother of Nancy is Kenyon, hes a boy who likes to fish and hunt. Chase coyotes on his Coyote wagon, just a normal boy. Perry and Dick. Perry Smith is a very quiet person who had a lousy childhood, which affected his behavior in worse form. He seems to be a quite decent person to talk with, but hes very easily influenced. In the end you feel a little sorry for him because Truman Capote describes him as a person who had a very difficult childhood. Perry was the person who killed the Clutters by shooting their brains out with a . 12-gauge shotgun. Hes feels no sorry for the crime he has committed. But he also says he liked Mr. Clutter, and thought he was a very nice man. Then there is his companion named Richard (Dick) Hickock. Hes the one who comes with the idea of robbing the Clutter family and to kill any people in the house on the moment of the robbery. When theyre looking for the safe of Mr. Clutter, they find out that there isnt any safe in the office of Mr. Clutter. They decide to tie the family up and kill them. Dick doesnt dare to pull the trigger so Perry has to do the dirty work. Dick first was planning to rape Nancy Clutter, but Perry kept him from doing that. People who are sexually obsessed make him mad. In the story youll know them better and understand how they could come to these plans, in the end you sort of feel a little sorry for them both, you get some sympathy for them. Inspector Alvin Dewey This is the head police chief whos in charge of the murder investigation. In the beginning hes very motivated to catch the murderers of the Clutter family. But when hes caught both of the killers and questions Smith, he begins to feel some sympathy for Smith. 6. Where and when does the story take place? The story takes place in Holcomb, Kansas. Where the Clutter family owns a farm. The story line covers about six years, from 1959 till April 14 Th. 1965, the time both criminals are hanged for their deeds. Other scenes of the book take place in the car of the two murderers who travel across the States. They also go to Mexico to flee for the police. Later parts of the story contain a scene of the prison cells where they are kept before their hanging. Hamlet Soliloquy Essay 7. Summary of the plot The story begins with the family Clutter, who lives in Holcomb, Kansas and own a farm. Mr. Clutter is very much loved in the Holcomb society aswell as the rest of the Clutter family. Then Dick plans to rob the Clutter family and plans to leave no witnesses alive when they rob the place. Together with his companion Perry, he robs Mr. Clutter at night. They go in and scare the gun-shy dog, so the Clutters dont .