Feather allergy is often more common than is believed. People experience allergy symptoms and find themselves allergic to feathers on their pillow or bedspreads and take the necessary steps to cover or remove the bedding. When the symptoms disappear, people assume their conclusion was correct: They were allergic to feathers and getting away from the feathers solved the problem. Often, however, the suspicion of a feather allergy is a dust mite allergy that is encouraged to spread in and around feathers. (Dust mite allergy is actually the most common allergy, while feather allergy is less common.) The most common allergic reaction to feathers you may experience is hay fever, known in the medical world as allergic rhinitis. Symptoms of hay fever include swelling, itching, watery eyes, runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing, runny nose, sinus pressure, facial pain, allergic rash (swelling, blue skin under the eyes), itchy mouth, nose, or throat, and a decreased taste or smell. If you have severe allergies, you may experience breathing problems, reduced lung capacity, and even weight loss. If your bedding is not in order, you can lose sleep and feel tired, less productive, and even depressed. In severe cases, an allergy to feathers can lead to anaphylaxis, which is fatal.
If allergy symptoms appear, get an examination by an allergist to find out if the symptoms are caused by bird feathers. Once you know the cause of allergies, your doctor can tell you what to do and prescribe medication if necessary. Ironically, synthetic bedding is actually more susceptible to mites than feathers. So, if you're allergic to feathers, throw out your bedding, and if you're allergic to dust mites, changing bedding can make your symptoms worse. Either way, it's a good idea to wrap your pillows, duvets, and mattresses in waterproof covers to avoid contact with allergens. How to quickly cure allergies? The best way to reduce allergy symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose and itching is by taking over-the-counter antihistamines in tablet, lotion, or nasal spray form. How to do a pen allergy test? Most allergists do not test feather allergies because such allergies are very rare and largely unproven. However, some do do skin tests for bird feather allergies, so if you really want to get tested, do a search online or call until you find an allergist to do that specific test. Can you be allergic to feathers? Technically yes, but true feather sensitivity is extremely rare. Most of the time a person is allergic to dust mites, which favors their spread in and around feathers. In fact, dust mite allergy is one of the most common allergies in North America.
Can feathers cause asthma? The feathers have a powder called dandruff on them, which can irritate or worsen asthma symptoms. How to treat dust mite allergy? You can use medications such as antihistamines (such as Claritin), nasal corticosteroids (such as Flonase), or decongestants (such as Sudafed) on a regular basis to help treat dust mite allergies. Keeping your home clean is another good way to reduce the number of mites in your space. Replace old, unsecured pillows, duvets, and mattresses with new or synthetic versions that you immediately wrap in protective covers to avoid contact with allergens. It's also good practice to vacuum your home regularly and to wash items such as sheets and towels. If you suffer from a dander allergy, you probably know several factors that trigger allergy symptoms, as well as several effective ways to manage these factors and symptoms. However, you may not realize that the bedding you use can make your allergies worse. A good night's sleep is essential for everyone, but it is even more important if you are allergic to down pillows, as a restless night, combined with allergy symptoms, can make the day very hectic and unproductive. To banish allergens from your bedroom, let's talk about the bedding that can irritate you and what to look for to fix the problem.
Hypoallergenic feathers and relief: Soft and comfortable pillows can cause many problems for allergy sufferers. Even if you are not prone to allergies, putting your nose on these pillows for several hours means that your nose is coming into direct contact with some very irritating substances. Down feathers alone are not a problem. What they are hiding is causing this problem. Feathers not only contain allergens from the birds they come from, but also dust mites, pollen, and other microscopic allergens found in feathers. So, sleeping with down pillows can be like locking millions of allergens in and then tossing and turning with them for hours every night. Fortunately, alternatives to down pillows are widely available, as are other types of bedding that are more likely to contain allergens. These options, which are sold under the name hypoallergenic, are made of a material that prevents the penetration and accumulation of various allergenic spores. The materials used in hypoallergenic pillows are usually synthetic, but there are some brands of pillows that contain feathers that are carefully washed and treated before use, purporting to remove all traces of allergens. While this may give you a chance to keep using them, depending on how they're made, you'll likely be washing these pillows for longer than synthetic hypoallergenic options. Iso-Cool memory foam pillow: This hypoallergenic pillow uses memory foam technology that provides excellent support. Shape Memory Foam products have had thermal issues as people traditionally report that sleeping on these products makes it very difficult to stay cool at night. But because of this, brands have gone to great lengths to find ways to significantly reduce the heat associated with these products. This special pillow has tiny balls that react to your temperature, absorbing heat to keep you cool or releasing it to keep you warm. Remember that this pillow is probably for sleepers who like a little more support.
Pacific Beach Room Pillows: This Pacific Coast goose-feather pillow offers a hypoallergenic, non-allergenic craft option. It is common for many down pillows on the market to have only a small percentage of down feathers, with the rest having larger, regular feathers. These other feathers are more likely to accumulate allergens. This pillow contains all the feathers that have been washed 8 times, giving you a completely hypoallergenic pillow. As if that wasn't enough to guarantee its hypoallergenic properties, this pillow also has a 100% Egyptian cotton outer fabric that is deliberately extra thin to not contain down or allergens. It also has an inner compartment with highly compressed springs for extra support. Many layers of feathers and materials around them make it difficult for allergens to penetrate. Revolt back / side sleeping mat: Filled with soft synthetic fibers, the pillow is resistant to allergenic spores, providing the same softness as traditional feather pillows. Synthetic fibers also allow the pillow to keep its shape much longer than similar products on the market. It is also easy to keep clean as you can put it in the washing machine without worrying about losing its shape. It has a 3-year warranty and is made of 100% cotton. Armor Ultra Allergy Pillow: These pillows have a cover specifically designed to seal out allergens: something that provides an added benefit as many people have to purchase a hypoallergenic pillowcase in addition to the hypoallergenic pillowcase. The fabric is shrunk through a special heating process that keeps the pores between the fibers very small, making it difficult for spores and mites to penetrate. It also has an anti-bacterial coating and is available in a variety of sizes.