Pillows and Your Allergies

It’s been convention wisdom that people with asthma and other allergic reactions avoid feather pillows and instead use synthetic polyester- filled pillows, say many allergists and physicians.

Dr. Michael Breus, a sleep specialist and doctor reporting for WebMD, states that “the feathers themselves are not the problem. The feathers (for down pillows) are not cleaned properly, so they provide a place for bacteria and dust mites” ( to gather).

However ,the use of a non-feathered pillow, in itself is not a panacea. Non-feather pillows have positively been associated with childhood wheeze.

In a study published in the journal Thorax, in 1997, two surveys of London school boys, in 1978 and 1991, found that the use of non-feather pillows showed a 20% increase in wheezing and asthma. A similar conclusion was reported in the journal Allergy in 1999– that focused on a New Zealand study which showed an allergen increase five times higher in synthetic pillows than feathered pillows. And this was also the finding in a Chinese study in the British Medical Journal, 2004.

So what is the solution to the pillow problem?

Encase the pillow with an airtight, dust-proof cover; wash the dust-proof cover with the bedding once a week in hot water and dry in a hot dryer for at least 45 minutes; and replace pillows every 2-3 years.