How Your Bed May Be Causing You To Become Ill

Ah, your bed. You look forward to going there after a hard day. You’re feeling comfortable, secure, and cuddly. What’s inside your bed, on the other hand, may be making you sick rather than keeping you safe. You can’t see a lot of bed contaminants like bacteria, fungi, and allergies, but studies show they’re there. You kick them up into the air and breathe them in as you move around while sleeping.

Here’s are some of bed contaminants in your bed.

Poop from dust mites

According to the American Lung Association, four out of every five houses in the United States have at least one bed infested with dust mites. The bugs, believe it or not, aren’t the main issue. It’s their waste.

“Dust mite droppings are extremely allergic,” according to Dr. William Berger, a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

Even if you aren’t allergic to dust mite feces – and only an allergy test can tell you that – they can irritate you in the same way that pepper would if it blew into your nose and eyes.

Solution: The American Lung Association offers numerous methods for reducing dust mites, including removing carpets and damp cleaning your floors.

Fungi and Mold

Brendan Boor, an assistant professor of civil engineering at Purdue University’s College of Engineering, specializes in bed research. According to his research, beds contain mold, fungi, and bacteria, all of which are contaminants smaller than the width of your hair.

The very mention of fungi will make you cringe. One researcher examined ten regularly used pillows and discovered that they contained 47 different types of fungus.

Solution: Boor suggests placing an air purifier with a HEPA filter next to your bed.

Gallons of sweat

Consider this: You spend one-third of your life in bed, which means you’re going to sweat a lot – up to 26 gallons each year, according to some studies.

“You could have strep or staph on your skin and infect yourself or your partner,” Berger explained.

Solution: According to the American Lung Association, you should wash your bedding in hot water at least once a week.

The body waste of your pet

You may be allergic to your pet’s dander, urine, or saliva, no matter how much you adore them.

Solution: Boor recommends vacuuming your mattress and pillows at least once a week if you have a pet. Even if you don’t have one, he says, vacuuming can help remove other impurities.