For Asthma and Allergy Sufferers – Whats Lurking In Your Mattress?

AN UNHYGIENIC MATTRESS CAN TRIGGER ALLERGIES AND ASTHMA

If you have an old mattress, you can bet over a period of time its likely collected many interesting things:

• Dust-mites
• Bedbugs
• Mold
• Fungi
• Human/pet dander

Its not exactly the stuff that dreams are mad of. Your bed can be the perfect place for millions of microbes to thrive providing a warm, dark, moist environment. The most common infestation is the dreaded dust mites and bed bugs that feed on dander such as dead skin flakes from you or your pets. Despite their tiny size, produce millions of waste particles known to contain a protein that trigger allergic reaction and asthma [1]. These proteins are so light that when disturbed from normal activities (e.g. jumping on bed, rustling of linen) they become airborne and dispersed around the bedroom. If persistent, further problems such as eczema can develop causing dry, scaly skin in a variety of places on the body.

Symptoms of dust mite allergies on your skin.

It is estimated that a large population of people are in some form affected by dust mite allergies. The highest prevalence of allergies are in the working age population between ages of 15 – 64 years [2].

---

PREVENTION IS THE BEST STRATEGY

So what can you do? If you can’t make it a habit to wash the covers, vacuum the bed to keep the dust mite population in check, the best option would be prevention. An easy way to prevent and reduce the number of dust mites and bedbugs from colonising your mattress is to use hypoallergenic bedding.

The most widely recommended and used hypoallergenic bedding are made from natural latex, as it is naturally anti-microbial and bacterial making it resistant to dust-mites, bedbugs and other allergens. (This cannot be said for ALL latex, as they can be blended with synthetic materials or toxic chemicals which may affect the material properties of latex). 

The characteristic structure of natural latex with open cells lets water vapor pass through, keeping the material dry and prevents the formation of bacteria, mold and fungus.

Natural latex is inhospitable to dust mites and bedbugs as it has a porous, open cell structure that allows for air circulation prevents build up of any microbial or bacterial growth. Its dry and porous properties prevent dust mites and other allergens from settling in.

Besides the comfort and extreme durability of natural latex, it also provides great health advantages making it popular among sufferers with allergies, asthma or sensitive skin.

If your on a budget and feel your mattress could do with a slight upgrade, you can get a natural latex topper pad. Place it above your existing mattress to provide an effective barrier from all the nasties lurking in your mattress. So dont put up with your unsafe mattress preventing you from getting quality sleep. Try natural latex and get a good, healthy sleep naturally.

How do you get a clean, healthy sleep? Share in the comments below!

---

References