(HealthDay News) -- Dust mites, each smaller than a period at the end of a printed sentence, produce waste that's a common cause of allergies and asthma.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help you get rid of dust mites:

• Cover your mattress in a dust-proof cover with a tight weave.
• Wash all bed linens weekly in very hot water.
• Place pillows in dust-proof covers or wash them weekly.
• Avoid putting carpeting in your bedroom.
• Vacuum all carpeting and upholstery in your home weekly.
• Use an air filter that helps get rid of dust mites.
• Wipe down hard surfaces with a moist rag each week.