Many of us become attached to our pillows. We become convinced that we won’t get as good a night’s sleep with something new. After all, we spend up to eight hours each day snuggled up to our pillow. But if you wake up with a stuffy nose, it may be way past time to throw out that beloved pillow.
Hints That Your Pillow Is a Problem:
Do you wake up with sniffles, nasal congestion or repeated sneezes? Are your eyes scratchy and itchy? If you have come to expect such symptoms you could well be allergic to microscopic critters (roughly 0.2 to 0.4 millimeters long) living in and on your pillow. It turns out that house dust mites (HDM), also known by the scientific name Dermatophagoides farinae, love to take up housekeeping in your pillow, mattress, sheets and covers.
These mites feast on human cells that are shed while you sleep. Think dandruff and other cellular debris. Your pillow is a perfect environment for mites to flourish. You can’t help but breathe in mite poop (the highly allergenic output of these invisible creatures) while you sleep. Researchers have identified DerP1 as a prime allergen excreted by these mites. It collects on bedding and gets into the air, eventually settling on the floor where it accumulates in dust…hence the name house dust mites.
The older your pillow and mattress, the greater the likelihood they harbor lots of dust mites, bacteria and fungi. Moisture and warmth are the perfect medium for encouraging the growth of all sorts of germs and other beasties. A study carried out in London found a variety of nasty bugs growing in and living on hospital pillows. Your home pillow is not immune. A lot may also depend upon the type of stuffing in your pillow, and mattress. More on that in a moment.
Mites, Allergies and Asthma:
Chinese researchers measured house dust mite (HDM) allergens in households in Wuhan, China (American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy (Sept-Oct. 2014). They targeted families where people reported symptoms of allergies (nasal congestion and itchy noses). Their conclusions:
“HDMs are important indoor allergens in Wuhan. Mattresses and pillows that have been used for a long time contain high levels of allergens. High levels of exposure to HDM allergens correlates with the severity of nasal itching.”
Coverings vs Internal Material:
A LOT of research has been devoted to trying to find coverings for both mattresses and pillows that keep mites inside. Tightly woven fabrics have been used because no one likes sleeping on plastic coverings; they crinkle and leave you feeling sweaty. Anti-mite covers of very tightly woven material have become the rage of late.
Check with allergy experts and you will frequently be told to encase your mattress and pillow in special protective enclosures. This pricey fabric material is supposed to keep mites from getting into your pillow or mattress and also prevent them from getting out. The science is not as good as the promotional claims would have you believe, however.
A meta-analysis of more than 55 studies designed to control house dust mites was conducted by the independent Cochrane Collaboration. It was published in the journal Allergy in June, 2008 and concluded:
“Chemical and physical methods aimed at reducing exposure to house dust mite allergens cannot be recommended.”
The lead author, Dr. Peter Gotzsche, director of the Nordic Cochrane Center in Copenhagen, told the New York Times, “The reduction in exposure to mites and mite allergens that can be obtained by encasings, chemicals, vacuum cleaning, etc., is far too small to have any effect.”
Other studies have found some benefit to pillow encasement when accompanied by localized air filtration (Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, May, 2010), but this is by no means a slam dunk. The benefits of pillow and mattress covers remain controversial despite widespread recommendations by experts.
What About the Pillow Stuffing Itself?
There are lots of claims about hypoallergenic materials, but for the most part this term is misleading. The FDA does not really define or regulate the term hypoallergenic. That means you are pretty much on your own when it comes to finding a pillow that won’t be a breeding ground for dust mites or other nasty organisms.
Some people think polyurethane foam is the way to go. But a study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (Dec. 2009) revealed that such pillows can be high in PBDEs (polybrominated biphenyl ethers). These flame-retardant chemicals are hormone disruptors. As far as we are concerned, you do not want any extra exposure to PBDEs.
Feather or down pillows may seem like a great natural alternative because they appear less likely to harbor dust mites than synthetic pillows, but some people are actually allergic to feathers. So, substituting feathers for foam may not be a perfect solution to the allergy problem.
Feather pillows also create a good environment for fungi. A report in the journal Allergy (Jan, 2006) concluded:
“We have examined pillows for fungal contamination, and show that the typical used pillow contains a substantial load of many species of fungi, particularly A. fumigatus. Given the time spent sleeping, and the proximity of the pillow to the airway, synthetic and feather pillows could be the primary source of fungi and fungal products. This has important implications for patients with respiratory disease, and especially asthma and sinusitis.”
Synthetic pillows have higher levels of dust mites than feather pillows according to an Institute of Medicine report. A review of both synthetic pillow materials as well as down feather pillows and their link to fungi and dust mites leaves us shaking our head in dismay (Environmental Health Perspectives, Jan. 2015). Finding the ideal pillow to prevent allergy symptoms seems beyond challenging. And by the way, foam mattresses are not immune to dust mites. In fact, some foam mattresses may be worse than old-fashioned inner-spring mattresses (Allergy, June, 2001) when it comes to harboring dust mites.
Are There Other Options?
Conflict of interest alert. We recently added a new sponsor to our radio podcast. A small family business, ComfyComfy, makes buckwheat pillows and now advertises at the front of our podcast. The company makes no claim about allergy control. Some people might be allergic to buckwheat.
That said, the folks at ComfyComfy have created a really cool pillow. More importantly, they have developed a special tightly woven organic cotton fabric that helps contain dust from the buckwheat hulls. This is a made-in-the-USA-product and one that we are delighted is associated with The People’s Pharmacy.
Check out the ComfyComfy.com website. Should you choose to purchase one of their buckwheat hull pillows, you can save 10% by entering the code Peoples at checkout. And let us know what you think of their products.
If you love your old pillow and think this house dust mite and fungi allergy/asthma issue is a tempest in a teapot, never mind. But if you find your pillow is no longer supporting your head and neck well and that it just might be time to consider a material without flame retardants or other petroleum-based ingredients, why not check out ComfyComfy?
