While scanning articles about dust mites and allergies I ran across this one from the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Center and feel compelled to point out a few things. Read complete article

In the beginning  it talks about the person going out and buying down pillows. This is one of the worst things an allergy suffer can do. If the dust mites don’t get you the down will. The best thing for allergy suffers to do is sleep with pillows that have a polyester fill.

The article goes on to talk about a study done in 2004  by Dr. Peter Gotzsche. “Dr. Peter Gotzsche, lead author of the study and director of the Nordic Cochrane Center in Copenhagen, said in an e-mail, “The reduction in exposure to mites and mite allergens that can be obtained by encasings, chemicals, vacuum cleaning, etc., is far too small to have any effect.”

It then goes on to say that most allergists and environmental health experts disagree.

I’m with them.

The doctors comment about the reduction is too small does not seem right. Dust mites live in the mattress and pillows. They live there, poop there and then die there. Common sense should tell you that is where the highest concentration of dust mite allergens can be found. Put a cover on the mattress and limit your exposure.

While you can disagree on what dust mite cover is better majority of the people I know will agree they help.

If you think you have allergies to dust mites it makes sense to be tested. It does not make sense to sleep on an unprotected bed.