Just found out I'm allergic to dust mites!  The main species are cosmopolitan pyroglphids but I call them House dust mites. 
I've always heard of them but don't know much about them.
they are so gross - they feed on skin flakes from people and pets, and sometimes mold. 
That does sound nasty, can people see them? Or are they microscopic?
they are so small and have translucent bodies so they are barely visible to most people 
Is there a way to get rid of them or reduce them? I'm wondering if they cause some of my family's allergy problems
Allergies are so bad and can cause red, itchy eyes and rashes, sneezing, face swelling - is that what your family has?.  So hard to treat them.
Not all the time but yes. It's hard to pinpoint allergies because theres so many causes
Allergy
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are a number of conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, allergic asthma, and anaphylaxis. Symptoms may include red eyes, an itchy rash, sneezing, a runny nose, shortness of breath, or swelling. Food intolerances and food poisoning are separate conditions.
Common allergens include pollen and certain food. Metals and other substances may also cause problems. Food,
of birds and animals. These mites are largely parasitic and consume blood, skin and keratin. Dust mites, which feed mostly on dead skin and hair shed from humans instead of consuming them from the organism directly, evolved from these parasitic ancestors.
Parasitic mites sometimes infest insects. "Varroa destructor" attaches to the body of honey bees, and "Acarapis woodi" (family Tarsonemidae) lives in their tracheae. Hundreds of species are associated with other bees, mostly poorly described. They attach to bees in a variety