Is it possible to completely get rid of dust mites?

So if dust mites are harmless, why worry about getting rid of them? For those who suffer from a dust mite allergy, it can mean the difference between suffering daily allergy symptoms or not.

A dust mite allergy is considered a type of indoor allergy, and is often confused with hay fever because the symptoms are similar. The biggest difference, though, are dust mite allergy symptoms can strike year-round and often include the following:

Here's what's going on. When the body's immune system detects a foreign substance (also known as an antigen) such as a virus or infection, it mounts an attack, helping to keep us safe and healthy. An allergic reaction happens when our immune system responds to a foreign substance such as pet dander, pollen or dust mites -- substances that normally aren't our enemy -- in an exaggerated way, resulting in symptoms that range from sneezing and congestion to itching and rashes. Sometimes a severe, whole-body allergic reaction called anaphylaxis may occur, which requires immediate medical attention.

People allergic to dust mites are actually having a reaction to proteins that are part of the waste dust mites produce. Controlling a dust mite allergy comes down to eradicating them from your home. Regardless of how often you dust and how clean a house your keep, you can't eliminate 100 percent of them. But there are steps that you can take to significantly cut their numbers, from some simple changes in how you clean to making allergy-friendly decisions regarding the bedding and furniture you buy.

A clean home. It seems like it'd be a big part in reducing dust mites and dust mite allergies, right? Yes, but how well-dusted a room is won't take care of the problem, and since it's pretty much impossible to remove all dust particles it's also impossible to remove all dust mites.

Dust mites are vulnerable to low humidity levels and high temperatures, and dust mite preventative strategies often include a combination of strategic cleaning, hot water and controlling the humidity levels in your home. Let's look at the bedroom first, since we spend about one-third of our lives sleeping -- and since bedding is a popular spot for dust mites to gather.

Most often, the highest concentrations of dust mites are found in our beds, including the mattress, pillows and bedding. Researchers have found that after just one to two years, your pillow may contain as much as 10 to 25 percent dust mite waste [source: DustMiteFacts.org]. Experts recommend encasing your mattress and box spring, as well as those pillows, in air-tight zippered covers. Wash all bedding, from sheets to blankets to pillows, a minimum of once per week in very hot water, at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit (which is higher than what most hot water heaters are often set to) because cooler water temperatures will leave dust mites and their allergens behind.

In addition to bedding, dust mites are often found in carpeting and upholstered and overstuffed furniture, as well as in drapes and stuffed toys. Replace any wall-to-wall carpeting with hard flooring, and use special filters (HEPA, which stands for high-efficiency particulate air) with your vacuum cleaner to reduce the number of dust mites in carpeting and furniture, as well as the number of particles that release into the air during cleaning. If you suffer from a dust mite allergy, also consider wearing an allergy mask while cleaning to avoid breathing in dust stirred up in the cleaning process. Concerned about removing dust mites from items that can't be thrown into the washer and dryer? Freezing may help. Place the item in your freezer for no less than 24 hours to kill any dust mites living within. Alternatively, dry cleaning fabrics will remove dust mites.

Finally, reduce the humidity level in your home with the help of a dehumidifier or an air conditioner. Ideally you want to keep the moisture level below 50 percent to make the environment undesirable for dust mites.

By removing the places dust mites like to gather, such as carpeting, and encasing and cleaning items that you can't live without, such as your mattress, it's possible to significantly reduce the number of dust mites in your home, despite not being able to completely live without them.