Did you know, that pillows (and bedding overall) can become a fertile breeding ground for all kinds of bugs, fungi and mould? Exposure to harmful agents in your bed can have profound effects on our health.

You can keep your bed clean with PneumaPure filtered pillows -  clinically proven barrier to allergens, pathogens, viruses and (body)liquids. No machine wash or vacuuming required.

Are you waking up each day feeling revitalized and ready to start a new day? When you sleep, your body does the work of clearing out all the toxins you inhaled, ingested and sipped during the day. If that load of toxins was too much, you won't finish the work and you will awaken groggy and grouchy.

We spend all night with our face pressed against the pillow, potential reservoir of germs. During the average human lifespan, that adds up to 25 years (one third of our life) of direct exposure to fungi, mites and potential pathogens. Therefore keeping your bed clean and free of pathogens, allergens, viruses, but also smells and stains, is smart and easy way to support your mental and physical health.

Common allergies

Substances that cause allergic reactions are called allergens. While they are in our surrounding environment, they also accumulate to soft surfaces (e.g. pillow, duvet, mattress, topper) around us. The more common allergens include:

• grass and tree pollen – an allergy to these is known as hay fever (allergic rhinitis) and it is seasonal (spring). It can trigger sneezing, itchiness, stuffy noses and red, watery eyes. 
• dust mites - these miniscule bugs are related to spiders and ticks, and love to make a home in pillows and bedding. While the mites don’t directly cause any health issues, their droppings can trigger hay fever, asthma, eczema and rhinitis. 
• animal dander, tiny flakes of skin or hair - most often, pet allergy is triggered by exposure to the dead flakes of skin (dander) a pet sheds. Any animal with fur can be a source of pet allergy, but pet allergies are most commonly associated with cats and dogs. Signs of pet allergy include those common to hay fever, such as sneezing and runny nose, for some signs of asthma, such as wheezing and difficulty breathing.
• mould – although those with pre-existing allergies or asthma are at greater risks, mould can also cause health effects in otherwise healthy people. 

 

Allergies occur when the body's immune system reacts to a particular substance as though it's harmful. It's not clear why this happens, but most people affected have a family history of allergies or have closely related conditions, such as asthma or eczema.

Health risks

Even if you don’t have asthma, allergies or other known respiratory issues, breathing in contaminated air puts your immune system under additional pressure. While your body may be capable of fighting these pathogens off, this diverts your immune system away from doing other important work.

Avoid triggers to reduce stress for body

In many cases, the most effective way of managing an allergy is to avoid the allergen that causes the reaction whenever possible. The effect of contaminated bedding to our health is underestimated and -studies. In healthcare, pillow has been found to be the often overlooked link in the chain of cross infection.

While the usual solution is washing the pillows often, vacuuming or even adding additional covers, there is now an alternative from medical industry.

Filtered bedding by SleepAngel is a combination of innovations – a waterproof vapour permeable textile, safe weld non-sewn seams and nanoporous PneumaPure filter which ventilates the bedding while blocking germs and allergens.

PneumaPure filtered bedding provides relief for people with allergies and asthma, is the choice of elite athletes to reduce risks during recovery, suitable for anyone focusing on rest and recovery in a clean environment.

Sources:

• Health Check: how does household mould affect your health?
• NHS Overview: Allergies
• Daily time spent indoors in German homes--baseline data for the assessment of indoor exposure of German occupant
• Is Your Pillow Making You Sick?
• Are your bed pillows making you sick?
• Pet Allergy
• Is your pillow making you sick?

• Pillows: The Forgotten Fomite