Substantially down & down/feathers mix bed pillows: the connection to allergies debunked

Contrary to conventional wisdom, you're not allergic to de-bed bugged, de-dust mited, de-dusted, cleaned, sanitized and deodorized down and/or feathers

But you may be allergic to the protein allergens in the dust mite feces that might be embedded in the fill of your substantially down or down/feather mix bed pillows.

The two most common species of dust mites found in the United States are the:

• North American dust mite (dermatophagoides farinae aka the Der f dust mite), and
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• European dust mite (dermatophagoides pteronyssinus aka the Der p dust mite)

As you sleep, your skin sloughs off skin cells (commonly called dander) that pass through the pillow shells covering your pillows and into the down fill or down/feather mix fill inside your pillows.

Every day, a human being sheds 0.5 to 1 gram of skin cells, enough to feed thousands of dust mites for many months.

Dust mites feed on these dead skin cells.

These dust mites, in turn, excrete dust mite feces that contains a protein allergen called the Der f 1 allergen and the Der p 1 allergen respectively.

Dust mites produce about two thousand times their own body weight in feces during the course of
their short lives.

It’s the protein allergens in the dust mite feces embedded inside your down fill or down/feather mix fill that triggers of asthma and allergies -- not the actual down and/or feathers.

You could be exposed to these protein allergens if:

• the fabric used by the manufacturer your pillow was not certified to be a 100% barrier to the transfer of Der f 1/Der p 1 protein allergens
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• the fabric used by the last refurbisher of your pillow was not certified to be a 100% barrier to the transfer of Der f 1/Der p 1 protein allergens
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• the down fill or the down/feather mix fill inside your bed pillows does not meet the highest standards of cleanliness.

The conventional wisdom is wrong

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The conventional wisdom says that the down fill or down/feather mix fill inside your pillows cause and/or accelerate asthma and allergies.

That’s not true.

The notion that down and/or feathers trigger allergic reactions is a myth “promoted” by the manufacturers of synthetic and down-alternative pillows.

You’re probably familiar with that myth. It goes like this: synthetic and down-alternative pillows are “healthier” than substantially down and down/feather mix bed pillows.

That’s also not true.

Fact is, a number of scientific studies have proven, beyond doubt, that the “average” synthetic and down-alternative pillow harbors far more dust mites and protein allergens from dust mite feces than the “average” substantially down or down/feather mix pillow.

A ground-breaking study by Kemp et al (House dust mite allergens in pillows, British Medical Journal, Volume 313, Page 916, March 1996), found that the “average” synthetic polyester pillow contained up to 8 times more protein allergens from dust mite feces than the “average” substantially down or down/feather mix pillow.

And the reason for this is quite simple: the fabrics used to construct the pillow shells for synthetic and down-alternative pillows are typically cheap, ultra-thin, low thread count (loosely woven) cotton, polyester or blended fabrics.

And the result?

Dust mites easily penetrate the pillow shells of your synthetic and down-alternative pillows and grow into large colonies as they feed on the dead skin cells sloughed off while you sleep.

And when you go to sleep, the dust mites go to work!

Manufacturers of synthetic pillows are smart
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Now, the manufacturers of synthetic and down-alternative pillows are a pretty smart bunch.

They know that the “average” two year old synthetic and down-alternative pillow harbors far more protein allergens from dust mite feces than the average two year old substantially down or down/feather mix bed pillow.

So they developed “allergen-avoiding” zippered pillow protectors.

The irony is that you now have to buy their “allergen-avoiding” zippered pillow protectors to protect yourself from their “healthier” synthetic and down-alternative pillows.

And the result?

The allergen-avoidance market is a multi-billion dollar industry.

A pretty smart bunch, eh?

Fact is, you’re not sensitive to cleaned, sanitized and deodorized down or feathers.

What’s more likely is that you’re sensitive to the “dirty” down fill or down/feather mix fill inside your pillows.

Your fill could be dirty for any number of reasons, including:

• the down or down/feather mix fill did not meet the highest standards of cleanliness when you initially purchased the pillow
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• the pillow shell used in the original construction of your pillow wasn’t certified as a 100% barrier to the transfer of Der f 1/Der p 1 protein allergens in dust mite feces
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• the down fill or down/feather mix fill has been improperly cared for
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• your pillow hasn’t been cleaned and refurbished within the past 1 to 2 years
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• the “pillow refurbishment” service that last refurbished your pillow omitted one or more of the 6 critical steps required to properly “clean” your substantially down fill or down/feather mix fill
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• the pillow shell used by the “pillow refurbishment” service that last refurbished your pillow wasn’t certified as a 100% barrier to the transfer of Der f 1/Der p 1 protein allergens in dust mite feces.

Substantially down or down/feather mix bed pillows – adjusted to your personal preference for softness or firmness – have always provided a comfortable sleeping surface that cradles your head in comfort.

There’s no reason to deny yourself one of the small pleasures in life just because the manufacturers of synthetic and down-alternative pillows have successfully indoctrinated the public on the “health benefits” of synthetic and down-alternative pillows or because your current substantially down and down/feather mix bed pillows are not as clean as they should be.