NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Based on two dozen clinical trials, U.S. researchers find that expensive mattress covers make no difference in reducing dust mite allergies or their symptoms.Up to 40 percent of the world population has allergies, and dust mites are thought to be one of the most common causes. Doctors often tell patients to buy special mattress and pillow covers despite a lack of evidence they relieve the problem, the authors say."Based on this analysis which combines data from many different studies, there doesn't seem to be any benefit to using dust mite covers to prevent allergic disease or to prevent symptoms," lead author Whitney Arroyave told Reuters Health.Arroyave, a researcher with the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, and her colleagues combined results from 24 trials of methods to reduce dust mite exposure and prevent allergy signs and symptomsThe study team found that use of the mattress covers had a large effect in reducing exposure to house mite dust levels - about 20 percent - but this reduction had no statistically significant impact on house dust mite sensitization, or symptoms such as wheezing, asthma, runny nose or dermatitis.
The results are published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.Arroyave said it isn't clear why dust mite covers don't seem to be effective in relieving allergies, but it's possible they don't lower mite levels enough to improve symptoms, or maybe beds aren't the main source of exposure for the dust mites. "Or maybe it's not the dust mite at all - maybe they're not causing the problems," she said.Arroyave said that dust mite covers cost around $100, which is a burden, particularly for very low-income people."It's expensive to ask them to pay for this," she said.She added that other researchers have done bigger studies, looking not just at dust mite covers, but all kinds of dust mite prevention measures. "They didn't find any results either," Arroyave said, "so I think we're just saying, you know, look at this again - maybe we need to revisit the recommendations." Dr. Samuel Friedlander, an allergist with University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, said he doesn't plan on giving up recommending dust mite mattress covers."
What's important to understand is that avoidance measures are very important for allergy controls, and one of the three ways we treat allergies by avoiding your allergies, medication and immunotherapy or allergy shots," said Friedlander, who was not involved in the new study."This article is helpful to show a single measure to control allergies is not always effective - we have to use multiple measures," he said. "So the take home message for me is that dust mite covers are still very important, but they should be part of a comprehensive treatment plan," he said.Researchers try to modify one thing at a time, to show a cause and effect, but in real life, allergists make multiple recommendations necessary to resolve patients' symptoms, Friedlander said."If you do a single thing like dust mite covers, but you're still exposed to dust from other sources in your house or work, or if you have other allergies like pets or pollens, then of course a single measure like dust mite covers is not going to be effective," he said.
Friedlander said he doesn't want people to think that dust mite covers are not important."I think the point is that we need to make multiple recommendations to relieve multiple allergies that our patients are allergic to," he said. "Dust mite covers are very important, but they have to be part of a comprehensive treatment plan."It's important to see an allergist to determine what your allergies are, Friedlander added, so the allergist can make a treatment plan to take care of all of your allergies.SOURCE: bit.ly/1dtFL1U Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, online January 30, 2014.Create a cleaner sleep environment in every bedroom in your home with PureCare's clinically proven 5-Sided mattress covers. Designed to fit like a fitted sheet around your mattress, our 5-Sided protectors provide a physical barrier against allergens, dust mites, stains, moisture, mold and mildew. Our clinically proven OmniGuard® Advance lightweight performance fabric is approved for all mattress types and won't alter the feel or comfort of your mattress.
Completely washable, our 5-Sided protectors are specially designed so that you can wash and dry on hot settings for optimal sanitization. Our mattress and pillow protectors are treated with antimicrobial silver chloride that inhibits bacteria, mold and mildew that causes deterioration, stains and odors in these products. Our clinically proven protectors are also the official mattress and pillow protectors of both the National Sleep Foundation and the Women's Choice Award. PureCare 5-Sided Mattress Protector PureCare Aromatherapy 5-Sided Mattress Protector PureCare Aromatherapy Total Encasement Mattress Protector PureCare Celliant 5-sided Mattress Protector PureCare FRIO 5-sided Mattress Protector PureCare Total Encasement Mattress Protector (Be the first to review) StainGuard Cotton Terry Mattress Protector StainGuard PolyFlex Tricot Mattress Protector (Be the first to review)Finding the right bed sheets and buying a mattress that works for you are important to a good night's sleep.
However, sometimes a well-appointed bed is not quite restful enough. Enter: The mattress pad. Also called mattress toppers, these can range from a thin padded protective sheet to thicker slabs that are almost like a small mattress. Moreover, mattress pads are great for providing extra cushion to a firm mattress and they can often help guard against dust mites. The style, thickness and size of a mattress pad will depend on your personal sleeping habits and your bed. But, if you're looking for one in the market, here are some very general things you should keep in mind.Cotton, latex and wool are commonly used for mattress pads. Cotton ones are usually thinner and quilted, but they are machine washable. Latex and wool pads are dust mite and mold-resistant, which makes them more durable than cotton. Almost counterintuitively, wool pads can work for the warmer months -- since they're absorbant, which helps keep you cool. However, natural latex will stand up to the test of time (20 years or more!) because it's derived from rubber trees.
Another alternative to materials for mattress pads is memory foam, which molds to your body. Although it's lightweight and comes thicker than the other options, this option absorbs heat and can sometimes get too hot during the night. However, because of memory foam's thickness, some thicker pads can actually be a good alternative to buying a completely new mattress when you need one. Good to know: If you're often hot when you sleep, the perfect temperature to sleep in is about 65 degrees. In that case, a wool or cotton pad will definitely be a better option than memory foam. Keep featherbeds in mind. These are extremely soft and great alternatives to mattress pads if you're looking for something that's more lightweight and soft. Filled with down, they're great at regulating body heat when you're sleeping, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. If you're looking for one, go for one with about 200 thread counts, which makes it more durable but still soft. Go for the extra features.