I’m talking about dust mites, those microscopic, insect-like creatures that live in places like your carpet or mattress and munch down on dead skin and dander.
An allergic reaction comes from your immune system overreacting to things like pet dander, the microscopic flakes of dead skin and hair they shed, or their saliva.
It can contain grains of sand, dead skin cells, tiny hairs and threads, animal dander, pollen, manmade pollutants, minerals from outer space, and, of course, dust mites.
Allergic reactions are the result of our immune system going haywire, and doing battle with completely and totally harmless stuff like pollen, dust, or pet dander, because it clearly has nothing better to do.
Researchers are still debating why early pet exposure helps keep allergies at bay. Some think that all the extra dust, dander and bacteria train a baby's immune system, stopping it from reacting unnecessarily.
Pollen is a common offender, just because we encounter so much of it, but there's a long list of substances: dust, animal dander, insect venom, medications, certain foods, that can send your immune system into overdrive.