新奇事件簿 不整理床铺对健康更有益（在线收听）

Scientists in England believe that not tidying your bed after you wake up may be healthier for you. Their research suggests that the dust mites that live in our mattresses do not like messy and unmade beds. This could be good news for people with asthma. The research team, from Kingston University, said the tiny bugs could only survive in sheets and mattresses that were slightly damp – they live off the moisture and sweat from our bodies. If a bed is unmade, air circulates between the sheets and dries them out. Dry sheets means the creatures will die from dehydration – a lack of water. The researchers said that the average bed contained around 1.5 million mites. They are less than a millimetre long and they feed on the flakes of skin that fall from your body.

英格兰科学家相信，醒来后不整理床铺可能对健康更有益。他们的研究显示，寄居在我们的床垫中的尘螨不喜欢乱七八糟的床。对于哮喘患者来说，这应该是好消息。来自英国金斯顿大学的研究小组表示，螨虫只在稍微有点潮湿的床单和床垫上生存——它们依靠我们的身体产生的湿气和汗液。如果不整理床铺，空气在床单之间流通，会使床单变干。干燥的床单意味着螨虫会死于脱水。研究人员表示，一张床上平均有大约150万个螨虫。它们的大小不足1毫米，食用我们的身体脱落的皮屑。

Lead researcher Dr Stephen Pretlove said his research could cut amount of money spent on treating illnesses that are caused by mites. We breathe in the waste produced by bed bugs or get bitten by them. These can lead to asthma and other health problems. The British health service currently spends over $1 billion a year treating illnesses caused by mites. Dr Pretlove believes his research could change the way our houses are designed. “Our findings could help building designers create healthy homes and healthcare workers point out environments most at risk from mites, he said. Allergy expert Professor Andrew Wardlaw agreed, saying: “It would be good if ways were found to modify the home so that mite numbers were reduced.

首席研究人员Stephen Pretlove表示，他的研究或许可以减少在治疗螨虫引起的疾病方面的花费。我们吸入螨虫产生的废气，或者被螨虫叮咬。这些会导致哮喘和其他健康问题。英国卫生部门现在每年花费超过10亿美元治疗螨虫引起的疾病。Pretlove医生相信，他的研究会改变我们房屋的设计方式。“我们的发现可以帮助建筑设计师设计出更健康的房屋，医疗工作者指出，螨虫导致的环境问题最为迫切。”过敏问题专家Andrew Wardlaw教授表示赞同：“如果找到能使螨虫数量减少的家庭改装方法，这将会是非常好的。”