Pillows Dangerous for Your Health 444
Roland Piquepaille writes "I guess we shouldn't be surprised by the fact that our pillows are miniature zoos containing millions of fungal spores, with some species able to cause diseases and even death. Researchers at the University of Manchester have studied the fungal contamination of our pillows for the first time in seventy years and discovered that these pillows were hot beds of fungal spores. After dissecting both feather and synthetic pillows in regular use between several months and 20 years, they've "identified several thousand spores of fungus per gram of used pillow -- more than a million spores per pillow."
I prefer to think of it (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I prefer to think of it (Score:2)
Re:I prefer to think of it (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I prefer to think of it (Score:5, Insightful)
I know people who barely sneezed once during their childhood and who now can catch a cold from the temperature shift when they get out of bed in the morning, while people who spent half of their childhood sick tend to be more robust.
Re:I prefer to think of it (Score:3, Insightful)
Personally I wash before and after at a public bathroom..which doesn't prevent me from pushing on the dookie door handle on the way out, but if it's a pushy-door instead of a knobbed, turn-the-handle-door, I'll use t
Re:I prefer to think of it (Score:4, Informative)
However, the human body was designed to operate at 98.6 degrees. Shifting temperature can cause the body to either slightly overshoot this, or drop below it. When this happens the immune system is temporarily weakened. Bacteria or viruses can take advantage of this weaker state (generally by reproducing faster than the immune system can destroy) and cause sickness.
Most of the time you will not notice this, the cellular death is too low to trigger adverse body-wide symptoms. However when it truely starts to get out of hand and the 3rd level of defense starts to kick in, you will generally start to feel sick.
Shifts in temperature CAN cause you to catch a cold, hence the name. Cold temps weaken the immune system. Weak immune system = weaker bacteria/virus can invade easier. Invasion = sick. That sums it up methinks. Feel free to insert common sense where needed.
Whoa there, hotshot (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Evolution (Score:5, Funny)
how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:5, Interesting)
Well as one who has struggled with asthma forever I find this interesting news and could offer potential explanations for the ratcheting up of symptoms when going to bed (always, weird). It would have been nice if the article offered up more ideas about approaches to attenuate the exposure and risk of the fungi. For those who scanned, the best and only tidbit I could find in the entire article was this indirect advice: " Fortunately, hospital pillows have plastic covers and so are unlikely to cause problems, ..."
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:2)
How about washing your bedding every once in a while? Buy white sheets so you can use lots of bleach.
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:5, Interesting)
As for bleach, try hanging your bedding in the sun. It works great and costs nothing.
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:5, Funny)
Anyway, I don't care if there's bed bugs in my bed. I figure my pubic lice have to be strong enough to kill them all while I sleep.
Re:I certainly hope you're joking (Score:5, Funny)
If chicks dig 1500 thread count sheets, just wait till they see the plastic sheets on my bed. They'll go nuts.
Re:I certainly hope you're joking (Score:3, Funny)
These people are also known as "premature ejaculators".
Re:I certainly hope you're joking (Score:3, Informative)
But the funny thing about chlorine
The advantage is you get the best of both worlds, safe water, without the ingestion of chlorine. Also, keeping a pitcher in the fridge is an easy way to have cold water on hand.
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:5, Funny)
Fungus AmongUs (Score:5, Insightful)
1.make sure to buy new pillows every year or so (the cheap synthetic kind)
2.wash them often in hot water
3.wash the pillow cases in bleach and hot water every week
4.use protective dust mite covers (not sure if these work for fungual spores?). The plastic ones should work too.
All in all it works pretty well. This article though seems to fall into the "let's play on people's fear of the invisible deadly germs" category. Everyone has been sleeping on old pillows made from animal feathers for centuries and millenia probably and we seem to have survived. So people who are healthy could just continue sleeping the way they did before. There are probably other problems in the world to worry about other than fungus in pillows.
Re:Fungus AmongUs (Score:5, Funny)
You're right.
FUNGUS IN MATTRESSES! OH MY GOD, WE'RE GOING TO DIE! AAAAAAAAA!
Re:Fungus AmongUs (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Fungus AmongUs (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Fungus AmongUs (Score:3, Informative)
Although I'm no allergologist... (Score:5, Informative)
On the other hand, I don't think the parent poster wanted to destroy the spores.
He said his wife was asthmatic and AFAIK (im not allergologist, only MD), Acari [wikipedia.org] are much more common allargen causing asthma and therefor I think that's what they targeted in their cleaning method.
Like he said : people are living with all these bacterial spores for ages without much problems. There's no point at all in sleeping in a surgical-grade sterile bed. Only some people have asthma problems and must pay a little attention.
Reasons why sterile bed sheets are stupid :
- There's litteraly millions of bacterial spore around. A few more or less in the bed aren't making change at all.
- Out of the incredible amount of bacterial species, only a really tiny fraction are pathogens. The biggest fraction don't harm the human body at all. Mostly because they just don't reproduce well in "body environnement" (for exemple : most bacteria have an optimal temperature of 20C or less, whereas pathogenes are usually among the few that work better around 37C)
- TFA is about fungal spores (Aspergillus in this case). Normally, fungi *are completly harmless*, except in some very *special* occasion, like reduced immunological function (the article mentions leukemia, AIDS and drugs like steroids and drugs used for transplantations) and/or free sterile niche (we human aren't sterile at all. But most of the time we are covered with completly harmless bacteria, that just sit here and take the place, so there's no more free room for pathogens. - Example : when taking antibiotics that are to strong and not enough specific, too much of the normal harmless bacteria may die and thus leaving place for Candida to proliferate). Healthy people shouldn't care.
- Allergies (and asthma) don't develop just like this by themself. For an allargen to create a new allergy, there must be always some chemical that triggers the immune system, usually an irritating one (in case of Acari, it's the protease that they secrete in their feces. In case of animal fur, it's other enzymes that are present in the saliva and that the animal spreads on his/her fur when cleaning him/herself). But spores are, as you said, an inactiveted form of the bacteria, sleeping and waiting for better time. And thus, they don't secrete much, so they cannot produce irritating chemicals that could trigger an immune reaction. Therefor, they cannot create a new allergy on their one. There's only an allergic reaction if something else has previously created an allergy and if antibodies of this new allergy can also cross-react with the non-irritating stuff.
- Some evidence tend to show that sterile environnement *may* be bad for allergy. Because allergy is a form of immune system malfunction, and in non sterile environnement you keep one's immune system busy with other things, therefor preventing allergy to happen in those people who have such allergic immune system.
Once again, I'm not an allergologist, so maybe there's some revelent detail that I haven't studied.
Re:Fungus AmongUs (Score:3)
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:3, Insightful)
microwave you pillow (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:3, Informative)
get rid of things that can harbor dust (drapes, carpeting) or that bring on allergens (ie animals).
oh, and eat your veggies too, like mom always told you to
yeah, i suffered through asthma for most of my childhood. till we figured out i was allergic to just about every animal with hair there is (and we had dogs) till I was 15.
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:5, Insightful)
Cotton can survive spending an hour at over 100C, fungi and germs cannot. Cover one oven tray with foil, put the second tray at the next lowest position and put your pillows on it. The foil should prevent the cotton from burning due to direct IR exposure.
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:5, Funny)
Not to worry. If you don't have an oven, you can still use the foil to wrap your pillow or your head.
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:4, Funny)
Done. Ready...
"... Cover one oven tray with foil..."
Damn you. I was all ready for a new Slashdot homemade tin foil hat recipe.
Re:how do we "treat" this problem? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Plastic covers... (Score:3, Interesting)
As I've grown up, I've started questioning the fundamentals of beds and beddings. First off - "soft is good." I went through a period of sleeping on the floor. So long as I had a layer of the duvet between me and the carpet I actually found it quite easy to sleep on the floor. For the sake of company, I've now gone back to beds, but I need to have the hardest matresses available, otherwise I feel like something's trying to eat me. My back always feels a little off in the morning if I sleep on a soft matres
And how many spores.... (Score:5, Insightful)
-d
Re:And how many spores.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Obviously... (Score:2)
No... they're b*st*rds slowly plotting our downfall. Now they've just found a new way to get to us. If only science would work towards finding a replacement, then world peace would ensue and we'd all be happy and relaxed from a good n
Re:And how many spores.... (Score:3, Funny)
20 years? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:20 years? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:20 years? (Score:2)
What about pillows in guest rooms or sofa throw pillows. Those could be around for a very long time.
Re:20 years? (Score:2, Funny)
The real question is who uses a pillow for 20 years. That fungus could be older than your kids.
Hmmmm, I really need to buy some new pillows...
Re:20 years? (Score:5, Interesting)
Frack pillows. Stuffed animals are made of similar construction. How many of us have grandma's first stuffed animal in their child's crib. My mother-in law had this elephant. My wife had it as a child. Now our oldest child is the new keeper of the elephant. People throw pillows because they have little emotional investment in them. The same isn't true for our beloved animal shaped pillows/stuffed animals.
Re:20 years? (Score:5, Funny)
Wait, so your mother-in-law and wife gave birth to the same stuffed animal?!?!??!
Re:20 years? (Score:2, Interesting)
Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows. (Score:3, Insightful)
- dshaw
So THAT's why King Tut used a rock for a pillow (Score:2, Funny)
NOT to be confused with this chinese knock-off [cafepress.com].
Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows. (Score:2, Funny)
I can imagine one of these pillows going into self-sterilization mode while someone is sleeping on it. Someone waking up to their pillow autoclaving the side of their face.
Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows. (Score:2)
Think that's bad? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Think that's bad? (Score:2)
Did you sell it back?
Use the bacteria killing Pencil!!! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Use the bacteria killing Pencil!!! (Score:2)
Goodnight (Score:5, Funny)
Well, toss out that pillow and go... (Score:5, Funny)
I used to have a german shep/rot mix. loyal as can be and a great companion to the end. He also made a great pillow too!
Grump
*until it farts or wants to get up and leave.
You sick freak! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Well, toss out that pillow and go... (Score:5, Funny)
*until it farts or wants to get up and leave.
Explains your signature:
--
still looking for a wife...
What about Those Japanese Pillows... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows... (Score:2)
I don't know whether they are better or worse as breeding grounds for fungi, but those barley husk pillows are terrific. They give you really good support and are really comfortable.
Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows... (Score:2)
Yeah, we all know why you like Japanese pillows [msn.com].
Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows... (Score:3, Insightful)
I just returned from a trip to Japan. The Japanese do many things well (public transport, food, bathing), but unfortunately, sleeping is not one of them. I'm pretty sure that "futon" means "aching back" in Japanese....
Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows... (Score:2)
Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows... (Score:2)
Indeed (Score:2, Insightful)
Just like the news (Score:5, Insightful)
Death by Pillow (Score:2, Funny)
Wrap 'em (Score:5, Interesting)
I would imagine that would go a long way towards reducing fungus and other pillow-dwellers.
Re:Wrap 'em (Score:2)
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
An excerpt from the Journal of Science quotes Dr. Hys Tarea of the University of New Dehli: "With unlimited energy sources, these plants will cover every corner of arable land and consume large quantities of the earth's atmosphere if left unchecked, expelling only oxygen waste. These life forms have been living among us for millions of years and only now is the danger apparent. We must move quickly if we are to save lives."
Bacteria, funguses, and viruses are everwhere. (Score:5, Informative)
Probably the article is a public relations effort. Probably the Fungal Research Trust [fungalresearchtrust.org] is a money-making scheme of one or more large pharmaceutical companies, a way to preserve deniability.
The web site says it is a "not-for-profit charity". However, there are many ways that those who control the "charity" can use general research for profit. If there's some social cost, however, a "charity" provides a barrier between the work and the pharmaceutical companies.
Maybe people will spend more money on fungus medicine because of the article.
The fact that the article has no balance or perspective indicates the real purpose is different than telling the truth, in my opinion.
Kindness, or maximizing shareholder value? (Score:5, Informative)
Question: Are the pharmaceutical companies funding the Trust out of the kindness of their hearts, or is the Trust a way of maximizing shareholder value?
If a pharmaceutical company wants to do some research that is risky to people, the company can avoid liability by having the work done by a "charitable" trust.
The Trust can even collect money from the public [fungalresearchtrust.org], and use it to fund research that will eventually end in a profitable product.
Thanks a lot scientists (Score:3, Funny)
phew (Score:5, Funny)
suck on a corner ... (Score:3, Funny)
Bout damn time.... (Score:2)
You mean we can buy MORE, now? (Score:3, Interesting)
Other dangers in the air at home (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.calpoison.org/public/breath.html
TOP "10" HAZARDOUS HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS: http://consumerlawpage.com/article/household-chem
Also at http://www.ghchealth.com/top-10-hazardous-househo
Air Friendly Household Products:
www.lung.ca/cando/content/FS-HOUSE.pdf
Solid fuels seem to be a primary contibutor to fatalities. This pdf lists other health affecting materials:
ehs.sph.berkeley.edu/krsmith/Publications/Chapt%2
A useful sheet on exposure points out that as we know, different people have different sensitivity to differnt exposure levels and methods of differnt substances:
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/environ/expo
Oh, I guess thats enough exposure to URL's in this posting.
The Curse Of Piquepaille (Score:5, Insightful)
This time, the only link to his "news" site is the link for his name, but I don't think that will last for long. By his 40th story this time next week we can be assured that a quick paraphrase....er..."overview" will quietly slip in again, and multiply from there.
To think, I almost became a regular
The really interesting thing is that if the editors came clean on a lot of things from the outset, it would allay a lot of concerns, instead they give us a wall of silence except when it comes time to ask for subscriptions.
The feather pillow (Score:4, Interesting)
It's Horacio Quiroga's short story The Feather Pillow.
http://www.horrormasters.com/Text/a0568.pdf [horrormasters.com]
So much for fungal spores...try this and you will throw your pillow out the window (or buy synthetics, like the one I have
Maybe I'm jaded... but I couldn't care less (Score:3, Interesting)
I read this article and then hugged my old pillow.
Next thing you know, I'm gonna read an article that says "OMG OMG STOP EVERYTHING.. There's fungi in cheese!"
You are not alone (Score:2)
Synthetics are for old women.
Nobody with half a nad washes a pillow. That's what pillow cases are for.
not that comfy as people think (Score:2, Insightful)
The solution is obviously to... (Score:5, Funny)
Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees.
Bad science? Bad writeup (Score:5, Informative)
"Aspergillus fumigatus, the species most commonly found in the pillows, is most likely to cause disease; and the resulting condition Aspergillosis has become the leading infectious cause of death in leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients. Fungi also exacerbate asthma in adults."
The reason aspergillus is the leading cause of death in leukaemia patients is because their immune systems are comprimized. This is similar to Candida Albicans (see: yeast infections), which is THE leading cause of death in transplant patients, IIRC, due to its buildup on cathoders, and on implant devices. For normal people, Aspergillus has only minor effects.
This article continues to raise the areas of danger including this gem:
"Invasive Aspergillosis occurs mainly in the lungs and sinuses, although it can spread to other organs such as the brain, and is becoming increasingly common across other patient groups. It is very difficult to treat, and as many as 1 in 25 patients who die in modern European teaching hospitals have the disease. "
Wow. 4% of deaths can be attrubuted to aspergillis species. Pardon me, but this is not particularly impressive.
My best guess is that this press release is either because the researchers are working with a pillowcase disinfectant company, or because they're trying to play up the importance of their research to get more funding.
All in all, unimpressive, and I expect better of slashdot than to blindly believe headlines.
Hrm, that explains a lot.. (Score:2)
Hypoallergenic Pillow Cases (Score:3, Informative)
surprise--life is messy (Score:2, Redundant)
FUD. (Score:2)
Funded by the Pillow Industry (Score:2)
I, for one, welcome our toxic pillow overlords!
Actually, I do sleep on the same pillow I have had for about 30 years - it is urethane foam, I think. I never got rid of it because it is just right - not too soft, not too hard. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Boy In The Bubble Syndrome (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm still a clean person and people (women even!) tell me so. But I shower without soap and rarely use deodorant... I've found my skin works better. I don't disinfect everything around me. I don't get sick often anymore, and when I do it is mild and brief. I've been doing this more than five years now.
Anyways, I don't really care what's in my pillow. I'm sure it's full of fungus, dust mites, electrons and protons even. Who cares? There's also billions of bacteria multiplying in my colon. It's the way the world works.
I get the sense most people here know this already, but I just get surprised when I hear these kinds of stories -- like the one where they said there are more bacteria on a keyboard than on a toilet. And your mouth has more bacteria than your genitals. But it seems to work out okay.
Cheers.
Breasts (Score:4, Funny)
(I realise this is not an option for most
Horrors of the Universe (Score:4, Funny)
This just in (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Where's the Roland Piquepaille summary? (Score:2, Funny)
Roland sure does have the article on the top of his blog.
Oh, the blind rage he must be feeling now! Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!
Re:witchcraft (Score:3, Interesting)
I will probably die of a traffic accident, cancer or (my favorite) old age. A stupid spore is no match for my immune system. If I'm sleeping with them every night, they are most probably well known to the immune system, I trust it will take care of any intruders.
Re:witchcraft (Score:2, Funny)
That's not a very nice way to talk about your wife, is it? I guess you've been married a really long time, maybe...
Re:Good (Score:2)
I have some seriously old pillows, and they are probably more spore than fluff, but I have not been able to find ones as good as the ones my Mom bought us shortly after we were married. Of course, since I'm allergic to pollen and dust (and seem to have a mild allergy to matter in general), it would probably help if I did something about it.
I'd really like to jus
Re:huh? (Score:2)