Dust mites make Mike Layman's day. Consider what happened this month, for example. That was sweet news for Layman, who runs a store in Davie, Fla., that sells myriad products to stomp out anything that causes allergies, including mites.
Doctors say the products work.
Patients say, at the least, they can't hurt. The microscopic creatures burrow themselves by the thousands into plush furniture and carpeting to feed off flakes from human skin and animal dander. Though the mites themselves are harmless, many people are allergic to their waste. When we walk across the carpet, or settle onto the couch or into bed, the waste particles are stirred up and sent airborne, triggering sneezing and worse in some people. Doctors say the best way to combat the mites is to seal them off from their food source or to eliminate the source as much as possible.