DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What’s all this about dust mites? Do they carry disease? How do we kill them? A baseball bat? — R.H.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: About dust mites — I am getting nowhere with them because they are practically invisible. They crawl in and out of my mouth and on my face when I am in bed. I have suffered too long with them. — P.B.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you please write about dust mites? — C.M.

ANSWER: Dust mites are hardly visible; they’re smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. They don’t transmit diseases, but they can create trouble for those who are allergic to them or their waste material. The mite skeleton and waste products can provoke asthma, skin itching, eye itching, sneezing and dripping nose. Most people, however, live in blissful ignorance of the mites. They have no symptoms.

Dust mites don’t bite. They feed on dead skin cells, mostly cells that have fallen off the body. They don’t enter the mouth. You really can’t tell they’re around. They like living in bedrooms — in mattresses and bedding, including blankets — upholstered furniture and carpets. They can take up life in stuffed animals. Allow only washable stuffed toys into a bedroom. They prefer a warm, humid environment, a preference that can be used to evict them.

Keep the bedroom cool and dry with a dehumidifier, an air conditioner or both. The humidity should be less than 50 percent. Mites dehydrate at that humidity. Wash all bedding weekly. Vacuum mattresses and pillows. Encase them in coverings specially made from cotton, polyester or plastic.

Mites don’t disappear overnight. The battle against them has to go on for months and months. A victory isn’t total elimination, but a reduction in their population.

If after all these measures a person still suffers allergic symptoms, visit an allergist for desensitization therapy.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My ear canals itch. What can I do to relieve this? — K.C.

ANSWER: Make sure that hair sprays, shampoos and harsh soaps aren’t getting into your ear canals and irritating them. Eczema, psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis (a dandruff variant) make ear canals itchy. Seborrheic dermatitis is a common troublemaker. Infections from bacteria or fungi are another cause of itchiness.

On your own, you are limited by trying to diagnose conditions that are hard to diagnose. A doctor inspecting your ears can make life much easier for you.

Swimmer’s ear, a common summer problem, comes from water trapped in the ear canal. That promotes the growth of bacteria and fungi, and they both can bring on an itch. A solution made from equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol usually takes care of swimmer’s ear. Instill two drops in the ear and let them stay there for two minutes. Then tilt the head to drain out the drops. This is done two or three times a day for 10 days.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’m having my first child at the age of 35. Will you comment on the risks involved at this age? I am healthy and exercise and I’m at a good weight. — B.T.

ANSWER: I’ll start by quoting a respected gynecologist: “The decade between 25 and 35 is the ideal time to have a child.”

Infertility increases with age. You are not suffering from that. Ectopic pregnancies, pregnancies that result in fetal development outside the uterus, as in the ovarian tubes, increase with age. Miscarriages are more common at older ages. The possibility of chromosomal abnormalities also increases with aging. However, 35 is not old age. Women older than 45 usually have good outcomes from their pregnancies. If you’re worried that age 35 presents a problem during the delivery of a child, it doesn’t. Furthermore, you are in excellent shape, so you ought not to have any trouble at all.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What’s all this about dust mites? Do they carry disease? How do we kill them? A baseball bat? — R.H.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: About dust mites — I am getting nowhere with them because they are practically invisible. They crawl in and out of my mouth and on my face when I am in bed. I have suffered too long with them. — P.B.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you please write about dust mites? — C.M.

ANSWER: Dust mites are hardly visible; they’re smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. They don’t transmit diseases, but they can create trouble for those who are allergic to them or their waste material. The mite skeleton and waste products can provoke asthma, skin itching, eye itching, sneezing and dripping nose. Most people, however, live in blissful ignorance of the mites. They have no symptoms.

Dust mites don’t bite. They feed on dead skin cells, mostly cells that have fallen off the body. They don’t enter the mouth. You really can’t tell they’re around. They like living in bedrooms — in mattresses and bedding, including blankets — upholstered furniture and carpets. They can take up life in stuffed animals. Allow only washable stuffed toys into a bedroom. They prefer a warm, humid environment, a preference that can be used to evict them.

Keep the bedroom cool and dry with a dehumidifier, an air conditioner or both. The humidity should be less than 50 percent. Mites dehydrate at that humidity. Wash all bedding weekly. Vacuum mattresses and pillows. Encase them in coverings specially made from cotton, polyester or plastic.

Mites don’t disappear overnight. The battle against them has to go on for months and months. A victory isn’t total elimination, but a reduction in their population.

If after all these measures a person still suffers allergic symptoms, visit an allergist for desensitization therapy.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My ear canals itch. What can I do to relieve this? — K.C.

ANSWER: Make sure that hair sprays, shampoos and harsh soaps aren’t getting into your ear canals and irritating them. Eczema, psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis (a dandruff variant) make ear canals itchy. Seborrheic dermatitis is a common troublemaker. Infections from bacteria or fungi are another cause of itchiness.

On your own, you are limited by trying to diagnose conditions that are hard to diagnose. A doctor inspecting your ears can make life much easier for you.

Swimmer’s ear, a common summer problem, comes from water trapped in the ear canal. That promotes the growth of bacteria and fungi, and they both can bring on an itch. A solution made from equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol usually takes care of swimmer’s ear. Instill two drops in the ear and let them stay there for two minutes. Then tilt the head to drain out the drops. This is done two or three times a day for 10 days.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’m having my first child at the age of 35. Will you comment on the risks involved at this age? I am healthy and exercise and I’m at a good weight. — B.T.

ANSWER: I’ll start by quoting a respected gynecologist: “The decade between 25 and 35 is the ideal time to have a child.”

Infertility increases with age. You are not suffering from that. Ectopic pregnancies, pregnancies that result in fetal development outside the uterus, as in the ovarian tubes, increase with age. Miscarriages are more common at older ages. The possibility of chromosomal abnormalities also increases with aging. However, 35 is not old age. Women older than 45 usually have good outcomes from their pregnancies. If you’re worried that age 35 presents a problem during the delivery of a child, it doesn’t. Furthermore, you are in excellent shape, so you ought not to have any trouble at all.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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