Pillows Dangerous for Your Health

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."

Comments

I prefer to think of it

[Anonymous Coward]

As a challenge for my immune system. If I am weak, I shall die... but if I strong, I shall live and reproduce! My genetic information will spread!

Re:I prefer to think of it

[rbarreira]

Were you inspired by this interesting thread?

Re:I prefer to think of it

[KiloByte]

Even worse, if you remove all the germs, your immune system will stay defenseless. You do need to be in contact with the spores if you want to be able to resist them -- and you will have to resist these sooner or later.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Anonymous Coward]

Reproduce!? You're a slashdotter. Come on, now!

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Anonymous Coward]

Ick.. make sure to wash your sheets sometime.. after spreading all that genetic information everywhere...

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Anonymous Coward]

buddy, you're on /. The chances of you're getting laid are slim to nil.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Won't happen again.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[chooks]

My genetic information will spread!

I'm sorry, but that genetic information is patented material. Any derivative works are the property of Hyperglobalmegacorp.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[ScrewMaster]

No point. These particular lifeforms are known as "Bores" (i.e., Borg Spores) if you do come into contact with them, you will quickly discover that resistance is futile.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Jesus_666]

Which is why it's important that kids play outside, get themselves dirty and come back to a home where it's not SOP to treat every spot with antibacterial spray. The more exposure to germs you get as a child, the stronger your immune system becomes.
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

[Xyrus]

One word: PARANOIA.

We are in constant contanct (and infected by) millions of organisms every singal day. I've made it through life this far co-habitating, I don't think I'm going to worry about this much.

Nothing to see here, move along....

~X~

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Aenema]

Slashdotters can reproduce?

Re:I prefer to think of it

[ash.connor]

Funny WTF this should be Informative!

Re:I prefer to think of it

[NormalVisual]

I agree that it's harmful to go overboard on the cleaning thing for those reasons, however, I also know some people that have gone too far the other way - i.e., not washing hands after using the rest room, claiming the same reasons. Ewww.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[RKenshin1]

This is why I *REFUSE* to wash my hands or brush my teeth!

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Quino]

I actually did see a study done in Germany regarding allergies -- they were asking why it's primarily a disease of the first world.

They followed kids from German farms (where allergies* are less common) and kids from cities (where allergies are more common). One difference was the kids from the country side were exposed more to fecal matter and other "dirty substances" from farm animals, whereas city kids had a tendency to live in much more antiseptic enviroments.

The conclusion was that the human immune system, much like everything else about us, needs to be exercised to properly develop. This seems to be critical at a young age.

So, I think there is something to what you say -- we're actually hurting ourselves (in more ways than just creating resistant bacteria) by obsessing with living in a totally antiseptic enviroment.

*allergies, of course, are nothing more than a malfunctioning immune system, which is over reacting to pollen, etc.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Afrosheen]

This discussion about washing one's hands after going to the bathroom has already been settled. Generally, most men wash after, some men wash before, and some men don't wash at all. Then you have people who don't always wash at home but are freaks of washing when using a public restroom.

  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 the heel of my hand or my foot to open the door.

  When I'm at home, I don't always wash after doing a number one, but a number two demands it. And for those who will say 'man I'm never eating at your house', A. you're right and B. I always wash up before handling food regardless.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Anonymous Coward]

No kidding! Did you know, my pillow launched a Mycon Podship at me the other night...

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Madxx]

A cold is a virus, you can't catch a cold from a temperature shift.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[dogmatixpsych]

The more exposure to germs you get as a child, the stronger your immune system becomes.

That's true to a point, but too much exposure is really bad, just like too much exposure to stress is bad for your health (some stress is good of course).

Don't be worried about anti-bacterial soap creating "supergerms" though. According to this news report of research (click here for a more original article about the research). I know you didn't mention anti-bacterial soap, but all the anti-baterial stuff we use may not be the cause of people not having immunities to diseases.

I do agree kids should play outside more (coming from me, who's spent a lot of life in front of a computer screen).

Re:I prefer to think of it

[accessdeniednsp]

Very true. However, I wonder if the grandparent poster was referring more to a out of nasal congestion. That can often lead to cold-like symptoms including runny nose, sneezing, sinus pressure, and even aches and pain. I recently had some congestion in my sinusoidal cavities and it took about a week and a half to get it all cleared and drained. It sucked.

I got it from wild temperature and humidity changes over a three day period (house -> outside in heat -> hot car -> cooled car with a/c -> outside in heat -> inside a/c store -> back outside -> back inside hot car -> coold car -> outside in heat -> house).

I did that above routine many many times over that weekend. By the following Tuesday I felt like crap. But I didn't have a real "cold" per se.

Ah the joys of life.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[B3ryllium]

Actually, the symptoms of a cold are a result of the body's immune system launching a defensive strike at the virus. Theoretically (as in, assuming what I just said is correct), a sufficiently confused immune system might overreact to external stimulus and launch such a strike for no real reason.

Think of it as the opposite of hay fever ... snow fever. :)

(My personal favourites are Cabin Fever and Beaver Fever, though)

Re:I prefer to think of it

[TetryonX]

A cold is a combination of several hundred (to thousands) common bacterias, not often viruses, that you are exposed to. Your immune system is generally good at stopping these sorts of invaders within the first 2 layers of defense (skin + defense that lives within/near skin tissue), but this can be overwhelmed.

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.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Jesus_666]

That's what I was referring to and it's also why I tend to get my colds during summer... Entering or leaving a car that's a/c'd to 20C (68F) when the air outside is at 30C (86F) is a pretty good way to get the sniffles.
I have been told that it's best to avoid temperature shifts in excess of 6 Kelvin (about 11F?).

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know whether to rate that as interesting or TMI. ;-)

Re:I prefer to think of it

[grammar fascist]

Don't forget that in the winter, people spend more time indoors, around other germy people.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[shokk]

Actually the kids who were exposed to "dirty substances" and did not survive were not alive to answer the survey.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Ira_Gaines]

To sum this all up: http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/120604/self-mad e-immunologist.gif

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Etosoerc]

Do you have any URL or article that supports this ? If you are right, then people living in the north (Canada, Sweden, etc) should be far more sick than people living further south. I am fairly certain that is not the case.
I recall a test done where they had two groups of people being exposed to cold wind and rain (and one third control group). With one group there was known bacteria that make people catch the cold, the other group had nothing of the sort. After having run the test, only the people that was given the bacteria got sick, the other group not get more colds than the third control group. Thus, cold weather per se did not make you sick.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Anonymous Coward]

My genetic information will spread!

You forgot. You read /.. No one is going to sleep on that pillow but you.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe contrary to popular believe, germany and the other 'first world' countries have a rather low child (under five years) mortality rate. It's about 5 deaths per thousand - the US has 8/1000, Canada 7/1000 - making the mechanism of natural selection quite non existant.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[TetryonX]

Not on hand at the moment, I can probably look this up later when I have some time. However I do remember this topic being covered repeatedly throughout any classes that involve pathophysiology.

But with that test, I'm going to apply some (somewhat sane) ideas to it. In an ideal bacterial world I suppose your first argument would be true, however, bacteria is also malaffected by cold weather. That and also the people living within those regions have been exposed to those common breeds of bacteria so they have developed some resistance to them. Warmer regions have generally better living conditions for bacteria (as well as us), but again, we often have some resistance to bacteria that is common around us.

To minimize variables, they likely tested these people from different climates within their own climate (else they are exposing them to foreign bacteria which would toss out the validity of the test), and because they did not expose them to a particularly powerful bacteria, they didn't get sick. That doesn't mean that they were not being infected, it was just that their immune system was capable of defending themselves, even within the weakened state. However, the third group who was exposed to the foreign bacteria caused infection because the bacteria was indeed foreign and the immune system wasn't as apt to stop the infection for what could be completely different reasons.

The problem with any tests that occur about this is: 1. Immune reactions to foreign bacteria is not static between all test patients. 2. The amount that temperature shifts affects a person's immune system is patient dependant. 3. Not everyone has the same immunity/resistances. I'm not saying it is invalid, it just makes it difficult to prove.

Just like they say about Vitamin C when you're sick or how coffee causes cancer, take it with a grain of salt. Everyone's bodies are different, not everything they say will apply to you.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Armour Hotdog]

Also known as cold stress (3rd and 2nd paragraphs from the bottom).

Re:I prefer to think of it

[EvanED]

"Let me tell you a true story about immunization. When i was a little boy in New York City in the 1940s, we swam in the Hudson River. And it was filled with raw sewage. Okay? We swam in raw sewage! You know, to cool off.

"And at that time the big fear was polio; thousands of kids died from polio every year. But you know something? In my neighborhood no one ever got polio. No one. Ever! You know why? 'cause we swam in raw sewage! It strengthened our immune systems. The polio never had a prayer; we were tempered in raw shit!

"So, personally, I never take any special precautions against germs. I don't shy away from people who sneeze and cough, I don't wipe off the telephone, I don't cover the toilet seat, and if I drop food on the floor, I pick it up and eat it! I eat it! Yes I do! Even if I'm at a sidewalk cafe. In Calcutta. The poor section. On New Years morning during a soccer riot."

And you know something? In spite of all of that so-called risky behavior, I never get infections. I don't get 'em, folks. I don't get colds, I don't get flu, and I don't get food poisoning. And I don't get headaches or upset stomachs. And Ya know why? Because I have a good, strong immune system, and it gets a lot of practice.

"My immune system is equipped with the biological equivalent of fully automatic, military assault rifles with night vision and laser scopes. And we have recently acquired phosphorous grenades, cluster bombs, and anti-personnel fragmentation mines.

"So, when my white blood cells are on patrol, reconnoitering my blood stream, seeking out any strangers and other undesirables, if they see any - any - suspicious-looking germs of any kind, they don't fuck around. They whip out the weapons, wax the motherfucker, and deposit the unlucky fellow directly into my colon! There's no nonsense. There's no miranda warning, there's none of that three-strikes-and-you're-out shit. First offence, BAM! Into the colon you go."

-George Carlin

Re:I prefer to think of it

[blueskies]

However, the human body was designed to operate at 98.6 degrees.

Really? So those people not at exactly 98.6 have malfunctioning bodies?

Do shifts in temperature or cold temperatures cause colds? Your hypothesis about temperature changes doesn't really explain for example marathon runners or clubbers on E who raise their body temperature without catching a cold. Also, isn't the whole point of a fever to make the body better at fighting infection? It just so happens that the body is overreactive to raising the body's temperature.

If anything overheating the body is much worse for you then cooling the body. But you get sick from rain and cold weather? Here's a quick sanity check on which temperature change is more dangerous...How much does your temperature have to raise before killing you? How low does it have to drop to kill you?

Or check out straightdope like someone else posted.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, that's why your own body increases its temperature so it can help the bacteria/viruses? Huh?

The immune system works better at higher temperatures and the viruses do not (hint: your body overall is not working good at high temps except for the immune system! Guess what a virus does to reproduce.).

As for cold, well, the "cold" is just irritation of your mucus membranes. The cold weather irritates them causing snot production to protect your air passages. That's why you get a cold in the cold.

You *have to* be exposed to virus/bacteria to get sick! But when you are very cold, your body shifts energy from immune response to staying alive (ie. keeping warm). That is why you can get sick easier when you are in the cold. For your immune system to "slow down" due to temp., you'd have to be hypothermic!!!

Re:I prefer to think of it

[TetryonX]

1. First off the average body temperature for a person is 98.6 degrees. There will always be variance due to the fact that not everyone is the same. However the protein structures within the human body generally operate at peak performance at 98.6 degrees. Variance is allowed however.

2. Fevers are a defense the body uses to essentially cook the bacteria out of you since bacteria often works well at the same body temperature, the increased body temperature gives the immune system a slight advantage over the bacteria, enough to control the infection (usually) however fevers are WELL known to kill people because the internal body temperature has risen well beyond what the body is capable of handling.

3. Marathon runners and clubbers body temperatures, although risen, are not far from the average body temperature. Running will make you feel hotter because the surface temperature of your skin is closer resembling that of what your organs are normally accustomed to due to the increased blood flow under the skin.

4. How hot does it take to kill an average person? Usually near ~104 degrees body temperature. How cold does it take to kill an average Person? Usually near ~90 degrees body temperature. Your statement holds no value because: 1. Water conducts heat readily and stores kinetic energy at a relatively high level per mol. Rain will reduce your body temperature at a faster rate than air alone can. 2. You are disregarding the fact that human bodies produce heat.

5. Sure overheating is bad, but so is underheating it. The temperature outside does not matter, if it was 120F outside and it did not raise your body temperature, it will likely not malaffect you. However, prolonged exposer to the shifting temperature can cause your internal temperature to change which is the main problem.

6. It is well known that people's will to live, stress, overall health, nuitrition, and other factors affect how well the immune system functions. Just because some random editorial says "this is it" does NOT mean it is the complete truth, if it is at all truthful.

7. Your editorial specifies that Antarctic people do not get colds often except when germ-laden people visit: Duh. That environment is not the ideal environment for bacteria that affects humans. Bacteria there have adapted to cold temperatures, so when they come in contact with humans, it would be essentially the same as us living inside a room that was constantly on fire.
    Cold tubs if it is not affecting your average body temperature, it will NOT have much affect to the immune system, if any at all.
    Viruses can attack you at any time since they generally perform fine in relatively extreme temperatures (depending on the virus strain). The flu is irrelavent.
    This editorial is speaking in hypotheticals, sign he/she is not a valid source. So you will say "well you are too". I'm basing my stuff on logical fact: The immune system is built on proteins that operate most efficently at normal body temperature (generally 98.6F). Shifting from their will decrease the effectiveness of any/all proteins within the immune system cells causing it to perform less effectively, therefore causing a potential weakening in the immune system. This increases the risk of infection/sickness if the other bacteria/virus is not afflicted by the temperature change. This is basic biology here.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[TetryonX]

Read my other post AC.
I will not repeat for the sake of a troll.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[Red Flayer]

Where did you get all this info? It's speculative hogwash.

A cold is a combination of several hundred (to thousands) common bacterias, not often viruses, that you are exposed to.

Colds are caused by virues, not by bacteria, usually rhinoviruses.

There is much debate about why the are called 'colds' but some of it may be from Galen's classifications of illnesses (Cold vs. Hot, Wet vs. Dry).

Change in core temperature of the human body is often a protective response to toxins or pathogens. Fevers, for example, actually aid the immune system by creating a potentially hostile environment for pathogens.

Chills are often symptomatic of a feverish state (itself a symptom of illness) and might have more to do with the name 'cold'.

Finally, cold transmission occurs more frequently in inclement weather mostly because they spend more time in close proximity with other people who are infected. Regarding moving from hot to cold and vice versa, what happens is that more mucous is produced by the respiratory system in cold air. When you go back into warm, enclosed space, where infected people are coughing and sneezing, that mucous provides a nice little receptacle for the viruses to stick to and infect cells from, bypassing the first two lines of defense against infection.

A quick search of ANY pathology resource quickly discounts almost all of your post. Even Wikipedia has better info.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[quantum bit]

a sufficiently confused immune system might overreact to external stimulus and launch such a strike for no real reason.

Yeah, it's called allergies.

Re:I prefer to think of it

[B3ryllium]

Very well, then. To use your phrasing, then yes, it is theoretically possible to have an allergic reaction to a temperature shift. Also sunlight, and sadly peanuts and seafood.

Glad I myself don't have those allergies. But maybe I had a sufficiently dirty childhood :)

(Surprising, since I had asthma and dairy & wheat allergies as a kid)

how do we "treat" this problem?

[yagu]

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?

[toddbu]

It would have been nice if the article offered up more ideas about approaches to attenuate the exposure and risk of the fungi.

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?

[Anonymous Coward]

> Fortunately, hospital pillows have plastic covers and so are unlikely to cause problems, ..."

To avoid suffocation, do not give this plastic bag to children.

[ methinks plastic covered pillows might be a tad unsafe unless done in a proper manner ]

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Seumas]

I sleep on 1500 threadcount sheets. Not a chance in hell I'd trust those babies in a vat of bleach. Honestly, I'd rather suffer some terrible fungal infection than give up my bedding. It's like sleeping in a Fabricland womb.

But you know, people have been sleeping in beds and worse for a very long time. Somehow, I think they'll continue to survive. Granted, there are some exceptions like yagu, but in general . . .

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[drinkypoo]

buy cheap pillows, make sure they dry completely, and throw them away regularly. I hate to encourage the whole disposable culture thing, but you just can't wash that stuff out of there, and washing pillows tends to destroy them anyway. Hand washing and air drying (weather permitting) your pillows with an antifungal is probably not a bad idea though.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Xarius]

Fortunately, hospital pillows have plastic covers and so are unlikely to cause problems, ..."

Possible side effects include suffocation.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Jeffrey Baker]

What's the deal with the ratcheting up of thread counts lately? I go into Bed Bath and Beyond or some other consumer hell and even the off-brand junk is advertising 1000-2000 threads. It's silly because most of those fabrics are still junk, but junk with a lot of threads. Personally, after going through two expensive sets of name-brand, high-thread bedding that hardly lasted 3 years, I bought a set from a hotel supplier. They don't specify it, but if I had to guess, I'd say the thread count is 250 or so. They feel great and are like-new after years of use.

As for bleach, try hanging your bedding in the sun. It works great and costs nothing.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[xSauronx]

im a drycleaner and im here to tell you that using excessive amounts of bleach is going to cause any fabrics to wear out faster. use whatever amount the directions on the bottle tell you to, and be sure to rinse thoroughly after bleaching anything. hot water boosts the strength of bleaches, though if you prefer, a lukewarm or cool soak can be effective (though not always to the same extent), but will require a longer bath before rinsing to do the job.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Jinxyjeanes]

But then, if you heat plastic? It gives of a Carcinogenic gas. Not only that, if you are smothered with a hospital pillow, your chances of survival are reduced?

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[tolkienfan]

Time to start microwaving pillows, everyone!

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[HairyCanary]

Off-topic, yes, but here goes... There is no such thing as 1500 threadcount fabric. Nothing in four digits at all. What you got there is a cute marketing department that took two fabrics optimistically containing 750 threads per inch and wove them together getting 1500. Except it's not at all comparable to what real 1500 threadcount fabric would be like if you could make it...

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

yeh i'm with you hippy down with the man and modern society I wipe my butt with leaves from the back yard because it's more natural..

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[EnderWigginsXenocide]

How to treat this? With pencils of course.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[ergo98]

It would have been nice if the article offered up more ideas about approaches to attenuate the exposure and risk of the fungi.

Pillows have long been identified as an irritant for people with respiratory problems, which is why you can already buy plenty of asthma specific pillow cases (which usually include a non-porous liner to make it less hospitable for things like dust mites, and of course spores), and of course you should change your bedding frequently.

Strange that these "measure things that have always been there, but a number sounds scary" type of fear mongering news get any attention at all. There was some idiotic British show that recently made the rounds in my area that they advertised with a radio campaign that included a sound snippet of one of the hosts saying "we found three different types of bacteria in this room!". Oh no! Three types!

Oh, wait, there are hundreds, thousands, or millions of types of bacteria all over the place, and they're a completely normal part of this enormous biosphere that we live in.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[InvalidError]

Break out the aluminium foil.

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?

[Seumas]

I never saw the point in high threadcount until I had bedding with high threadcount. I notice a big difference, but being a guy, I'm a bit rough around the edges to start with. Girls notice a HUGE difference though. I think 1500tc is maybe overkill even with good material, but I got a great deal on my bedding. I got like $6,000 worth for $2,000 (comforter, duvet, sheets, pillows). I went from sleeping on a $100 futon mattress tossed on the floor my whole life to sleeping on satin sheets and $400 italian goose down checked pillows. I've never slept so soundly and comfortably. I wish I had spent the money and time investing in high quality bedding (and bed) many years ago. I could have avoided a lot of groggy mornings and painful aching days.

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:how do we "treat" this problem?

[GodGell]

i'm asthmatic as well, and have also noticed this. i always thought it's because of the different way of breathing we use during sleep. seems like i was wrong :)

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[gameboyguy13]

I wish I had that kind of money to spend... my tuition problem would be solved.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Hangin10]

For increadibly high thread counts, be careful your bed doesn't fork.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

buy a hypo alerginic pillow cover. I have had these forever. I even have one on my bed.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Seumas]

I would love to see some sort of documented evidence or explanation for this. Not that I necessarily doubt you - but I have never been able to find anything that suggests any general threadcount scams.

Nevertheless, if you can't tell the difference between the typical 150tc and something closer to 1,000 - your skin must be made out of sandpaper or rock or something like the guys in Martian Chronicles.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Malc]

It could be that you're too warm in bed. If you have problems 10-30 minutes after going to bed, then it could be that your temperature has risen. Asthma often seems to be worse in worse conditions. Try keeping the bedroom cooler or using a lighter duvet or blankets.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[mOdQuArK!]

I actually find this kind of useful - when I start seeing holes in my fabrics, then I figure it's a reasonable time to replace the item containing that fabric.

It's probably the only behavior which causes my wardrobe to change at all :P

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

Cotton can survive spending an hour at over 100C, fungi and germs cannot.

Only the outsides of my pillows are made of cotton. I guess feathers would do okay too though... may give it a try.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Troglodyt]

Or... You could boil it, and not risk setting your pillow on fire.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's even better to freeze your pillow, at least that was what an expert on this subject told me.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[GodGell]

i usually heat up the room instead, since my asthma usually only gives me problems when i've caught some other disease like a cold or something. so it could be that, but i don't know. i should ask a doctor or something :)

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Doppler00]

How about carbon nano-tube blankets? 10,000,000,000 threadcount guaranteed! Not only would they be guaranteed to last forever, stop small bullets and incomming meteors, but would also act as a highly conductive lightning shield! What more could you ask for in a blanket?

Okay, some of those claims may be questionable, I'm sure it's more than 10 billion threads.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[PingPongBoy]

Break out the aluminium foil

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?

[utexaspunk]

i think that would itch, like fiberglass, if not cut you...

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[kevcol]

"Break out the aluminium foil."

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?

[kevcol]

"Not only that, if you are smothered with a hospital pillow, your chances of survival are reduced?"

Thankfully, my name isn't Randle Patrick McMurphy and I don't know anyone named Chief Bromden.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[dyoung9090]

I just spent like 6 minutes typing up an (improperly formatted) but much longer version of exactly what you just said. Just goes to show that conciseness is a virtue.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[pintomp3]

and then you can make a hat out of the disinfected foil!

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[hunterx11]

In addition to giving you lung cancer, of course.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[dracphelan]

There are plenty of hypoallergenic pillow covers out there. You do need to wash them at least once a week (along with the resot of your bedding. As others have said, get white sheets that you can wash in hot water and bleach.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[hunterx11]

I don't know this man, but he speaks the truth: no /.er fights or fucks too much.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is not a good idea if you have any outdoor allergies. A bedsheet hanging outside is likely to catch all sorts of allergens, including grass, tree, and weed pollen, and mold spores.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[toad3k]

And make sure you have drinks to offer the firemen.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[NMerriam]

I know that Consumer Reports has tested this in the past year. Basically anything above 750 or so is just marketing spin on thread count.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Jesus_666]

Yeah, but you can still pick out a thread, get an artificial thumb and combine them to form a mono whip ideal for tring to slice up people called Johnny.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

You are probably allergic to house dust mites - like me and most other people who have asthma. Things you can do that help a great deal: get a synthetic pillow which you can wash at 60-90 degrees celcius. Wash your pillow every month or so at a high temperature as this will kill the mites. And most important: seal your matras completely in an anti mite cover. (note that covering your pillow is suggested mostly too but i find it uncomfortable myself and washing it regularly at 60-90 degrees celcius will kill the mites anyway)

More info on the creature: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_dust_mite :-)

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[tf23]

vacuum your pillows. vacuum your mattress. clean your bedroom weekly. don't eat in/on your bed.

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?

[Alystair]

What about down pillows?

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Hal_Porter]

Paah, they said that about cigarettes.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Vr6dub]

hehe....you haven't seen my microwave!!

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

For increadibly high thread counts, be careful your bed doesn't fork.

This is Slashdot. There is no 'forking' going on in anyone's bed.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

We know that pillows are inhabited by the house dust mite which eats fungi, and one theory is that the fungi are in turn using the house dust mites' faeces as a major source of nitrogen and nutrition (along with human skin scales). There could therefore be a 'miniature ecosystem' at work inside our pillows.

Beds really are ecosystems, and humans are the most important species because we introduce the raw materials to fuel the other organisms. Dried human semen (so I've read in some allergy websites and an old edition of New Scientist) is another key sources of nutrition for bed-based house dust mites.

Of course, who really cares. So maybe sex could give you the sniffles, but who wouldn't rather live on the edge?

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[coopaq]

What you got there is a cute marketing department that took two fabrics optimistically containing 750 threads per inch and wove them together getting 1500.

Pillowcase X2 1500+

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[eiana]

i noticed that it says there tends to be less of the nasty in feather pillows.
an allergy specialist explained this to me, feather pillows have a more tightly woven casing than synthetic ones. often, the higher thread count casing can prevent the dust mites from getting inside, reducing the nasty.

i would have thought synthetic pillows would be better for allergies, but apparently not (unless you're allergic to the feathers i guess). dunno how high the thread count is on one of those pillows, but it must be about the same as some of those ultra high thread count sheets.

plus, higher thread counts feel sooo nice

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[nizo]

...synthetic pillows in regular use between several months and 20 years...

I just want to know where they found a pillow that has been in use for 20 years. Anyone who has been using the same one for 20 years obviously has some kind of weird attachment to their pillow, so how would you get it away from them?? Or did they just hang around the morgue all day until a "death by diseased pillow" case comes in?

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[shpoffo]

Try looking into Chinese Medicine's analysis of 'night sweats' and the resting of the wei chi at night. You may have excess heat in the lungs.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Hello Kitty]

Excellent advice, though I'd lay off the bleach -- baking soda makes a good substitute and doesn't leave everything stinking of chlorine. If you live somewhere where you can hang your laundry out, as someone suggested, that's great too, but around here I'd just be tucking myself into auto exhaust -- and, with this research, I'd be wondering what other sort of biomass might be hitchhiking too.

All this pillow advice is, by the way, pertinent to those /.ers suffering from acne, particularly of the sort that's worst along your cheeks and chin. The fault may lie -- at least in part -- with the critters lurking in your pillows and/or pillowcases. Using a hypoallergenic pillow cover *and* a clean pillowcase (buy a few sets and swap every 2-3 days) cuts down on your exposure to dust/mites/spores/grime that may be messing you up; I adopted the practice for my asthma but after a few days realized that my skin was getting some serious benefits. Recommended.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[ichandarin]

Fungi and Bacteria cannot survive at 100C, but fungal spores can. It takes temperatures of about 121C to destroy them. So boiling your pillows won't help...

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

Buy pillow dust covers. For example, here: http://www.allergyshop.com/

They cost up to $20-30 for a dust cover, depending on the quality. You should also get one for your mattress, which will go up to 110 for a good one. These help to keep dust mites (and their poo) contained, and I assume it'll help with the spores as well. There are a variety of ways to help keep your bedroom clean, just google.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

No problem. Not much forking happens in my bed.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Anonymous Coward]

I am turning 15th in a few days but I will tell you about my family:
My parents excaped iran (they are jews...) and came to Australian 20 years ago... they got a vacume cleaner, a toaster and a lot of kitchen wear in the first year... they got a son (me) a few years later... they got him a propper bed and pellow when he was 3... and still now (20 years later) they are using the same vacume cleaner, toaster and kitchen wear and their son (me) is still using the same bed and same DEAD!!!!! pillow... serously this pillow is soooooooooooooooooooooo flat... when ever I ask my mother to get new stuff her excuse is 'there is no need'

So there you go...

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[bill_mcgonigle]

yeh i'm with you hippy down with the man and modern society I wipe my butt with leaves from the back yard because it's more natural..

The three-leaved shiny plants work best.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[InvalidError]

I did not say 'boil'... my oven can go up to 375C and I am guessing 140C would still be safe enough for most natural fibers.

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Thu Anon Coward]

"Na na na na na na na na
Sheets of Egyptian cotton"

"Na na na na na na na na
Sheets of Egyptian cotton"

that's how we treat this problem.....:)

Re:how do we "treat" this problem?

[Aumaden]

Yeah, but the first flash of the camera's strobe during the pr0n shoot and you're a gonner.

(See the link at the bottom of the page for a video clip.)

And how many spores....

[MetalliQaZ]

And how many spores do I inhale just by walking outside my front door? How many live in the rugs at my place of work? How many may be found in the seats at the movie theater? Millions. Thats why he have an immune system IIRC.

-d

Re:And how many spores....

[madprof]

Exactly. If this was worth panicking over then why are we not all dying en masse due to the widepread use of pillows across the globe?

Re:And how many spores....

[bheer]

Great point. The germs->scary link the media plays up is ridiculous. Hygiene is important but you can carry it too far, and when you've done that you've screwed up your immune system so bad that you need ever increasing levels of sanitization (and associated costs) *just to live*.

Makes you wonder how the millions living in unsanitary poverty stricken conditions around the world manage to out-do first-world growth rates.

Re:And how many spores....

[going_the_2Rpi_way]

Hygiene IS important? Well I'll be damned -- I thought my girlfriend was just being difficult.

;)

Re:And how many spores....

[zippthorne]

I remember reading somewhere that movie theater seats tend to test very high for fecal coliform bacteria (compared to other seats). Maybe we should petition for theaters to bring back intermission...

Re:And how many spores....

[noy]

Its on the order of 10,000 bacteria and fungal spores a day for an average city dweller, not to mention the soot, debris, and who-knows-what from the towns next door.

A healthy immune system can handle a tremendous number of bugs in the lungs.

Re:And how many spores....

[Snaller]

If you checked the stats smartass, you'd see the allergies are on the rise all over the westernworld.

Re:And how many spores....

[Domo-Sun]

I don't remember anyone saying to panic over this. Most of the over reacting is being done by the people who think that because we have an immune system it means that we should sleep on a bed of fungus.

This information could be useful for people with allergies or weakened immune systems. Regular people can simply clean their pillow with bleach periodically, or replace it occasionally.

Just because we have an immune system doesn't mean we should overload it. From what I understand, animals in sterol environments live longer.

Re:And how many spores....

[madprof]

Well the chances of us humans living in a sterile environment are nil. Clean what you like but you'll never ever escape pathogens sorry.

Re:And how many spores....

[madprof]

Is this due to increased pillow usage?

New pillow^Wpoll, guys!

[Anonymous Coward]

Find it here.

Serenity NOW!!!

20 years?

[grinwell]

The real question is who uses a pillow for 20 years. That fungus could be older than your kids.

Re:20 years?

[DarkBlackFox]

Hey, I'm 21 and have been using the same pillow since I was 3 or 4. It's hard to break a pillow, so it makes sense that they can last many years. Just like with a computer- as long as it keeps doing it's job, there's no reason to replace it (Unless you want more power, but I dare you to find me a more powerful pillow than the one I've been using for 18ish years.)

Re:20 years?

[Anonymous Coward]

The real question is who uses a pillow for 20 years.

Me! I had the same pillow from when I was a small child until earlier this year, when I moved into a furnished flat with new pillows on the bed. That's about 30 years. Actually, I've still got it for when I next move house.

Re:20 years?

[BrookHarty]

The real question is who uses a pillow for 20 years. That fungus could be older than your kids.

What about pillows in guest rooms or sofa throw pillows. Those could be around for a very long time.

Re:20 years?

[Jamu]

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?

[EnderWigginsXenocide]

The real question is who uses a pillow for 20 years. That fungus could be older than your kids.

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?

[Bill Dog]

I, for example, am prone for some reason to muscle spasms in my neck, and have settled on a combination of two pillows, one extremely old and probably irreplaceable, that I've found prevents them in me. I take these with me when I'm traveling, and throw the hotel's or host's pillows on a chair. I will keep them until they are pried from my cold dead fingers.

Re:20 years?

[poopdeville]

Those aren't going to be oozing facial oils, sweat, or dead skin though. If it weren't for our direct contact with our bedding, it wouldn't be nearly as hospitable for fungi.

Re:20 years?

[Anonymous Coward]

I've got a pillow I know is at least 60 years old. Had at least 3 different covers sowed on over the years. Hasn't killed anyone yet.

Re:20 years?

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not all packed down by now? I usually pick up a few new pillows every few years just because they get packed down to the point where fluffing 'em no longer does anything useful.

Re:20 years?

[originalnih]

Eh, me. :( I inherited my parents pillows when I moved out a decade ago and I've been too lazy to replace them. You know, they're comfy and they're all I've ever known.

I think those pillows are going on 30 years old now. Under the pillowcases they've gone from what I'm told was the original white to a very deep golden yellow. Yuck!

Re:20 years?

[Anonymous Coward]

I found one... I call her my wife

Re:20 years?

[Anonymous Coward]

And here I was about to go to bed... well, thank you.

Re:20 years?

[DarkBlackFox]

It is packed down, but that's what makes it nice. I use it in conjunction with a relatively new pillow (which gets replaced every few years). Two new fluffy pillows elevate my head too much, so it's uncomfortable to sleep. But one fluffy pillow with the packed down pillow is just right.

Re:20 years?

[eboot]

Oohh the Battlestar Galactica must be getting close to Earth. They're emailing us now!!!!

And just in case you used the word frack because the word fuck offends you...

Disclaimer: Sorry about the offensive sig but, as I tell the other workers at the orphanage when they ask me to stop smoking in the playroom, I guess deep down I just don't really care about the kids

Re:20 years?

[nogginthenog]

No childhood nosebleed stains? Mine have a few...

Re:20 years?

[zCyl]

I dare you to find me a more powerful pillow than the one I've been using for 18ish years.

I guess that pillow has really started to "grow" on you...

Re:20 years?

[whorfin]

Eeeeeewwwww

Re:20 years?

[DarkBlackFox]

Actually, there are a few on it. That's how I'm reminded I've had the pillow for that long.

Re:20 years?

[jarich]

I've got a pillow I know is at least 60 years old. Had at least 3 different covers sowed on over the years. Hasn't killed anyone

Riiiiight.... and what happened to the previous three owners?

;)

Re:20 years?

[jonastullus]

did you just use "frack" in your active vocabulary? please tell me, that you didn't pick that one up from "battlestar galactica" ;-))

Re:20 years?

[xgamer04]

My mother-in law had this elephant. My wife had it as a child.

Wait, so your mother-in-law and wife gave birth to the same stuffed animal?!?!??!

Re:20 years?

[trendyhendy]

I bet he did just to sound clever, the gorram loser.

Re:20 years?

[danheretic]

Sounds like one o' them Arkansas logic puzzles.

Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[dshaw858]

Although I have no doubt that our pillows are "hot beds of fungal spores", I don't think that not using a pillow would make it any better. I mean, short of sterilizing your bed after each "use" (daily), there's really no way we can avoid this problem. Well, short of a self-sterilizing pillow... but that's yet to be invented.

- dshaw

Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[axonal]

Well, short of a self-sterilizing pillow... but that's yet to be invented.

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.

[bleckywelcky]

Well, I'm probably guilty of not cleaning or discarding my pillow often enough, but I think a regular wash would do the trick. How many people clean their bathrooms every day? And they aren't cesspools of disease. I'm willing to admit that I only clean my bathroom when needed (usually a quick clean every 1 week, and a thorough clean every 2 weeks), but it isn't used all that often, and only by 1 person (me). But still, there are no fungus colonies running rampant in there. Weird stenches from rogue bacteria do not emanate from there. In fact, it smells and looks cleaner that other people's bathrooms that I've been in. So what's the point? Wash your pillow once every 1 or 2 weeks and discard it every 2 or 3 months. Feel free to change those numbers as you wish. I'm not an expert, just speculation. Besides, pillows are cheap. Although my problem is that once I've broken in a pillow and it has that nice soft cushiony feel to it, I don't like to get rid of it and start over with a new annoying-fluff-in-your-face pillow.

Warning, IANAPE - Pillow Expert

Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[mikael]

To get rid of dust mites, there was one company that offered to nitrogen-freeze your bed and fabrics. They would seal the bed in plastic, then pump in chilled nitrogen - above absolute zero, but below -30C. Enough to kill off all the dust mites (and maybe the spores as well?).

Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[Bill Dog]

Forget pillows -- do you have any idea how germy our mouths are? Next a group of scientists will tell us we should stop eating with our mouths. We should all sleep suspended in a vat of anti-bacterial solution, while nutrients are delivered intravenously.

Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[tolkienfan]

Actually, they probably could impregnate the fibres inside pillows with a anti-fungal barrier.

Not sure I actually like the idea, but then I don't like the idea of all those microorganisms seething around my head for 6+hours every day, either.

I don't particularly like carpets for similar reasons.

Maybe a simple solution would be to create a sheath that acts as a barrier between the pillow and pillow-case.

Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[cornface]

Not sure I actually like the idea, but then I don't like the idea of all those microorganisms seething around my head for 6+hours every day, either.

I don't particularly like carpets for similar reasons.

Maybe a simple solution would be to create a sheath that acts as a barrier between the pillow and pillow-case.

An even simpler solution would be for you to stop being such a baby. Eat your vegetables and bathe regularly, you'll be fine.

Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[russellh]

Well you could always just wash/shower before you go to bed every night. I do that in the summer when it is hot anyway.

Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[tolkienfan]

I suppose you feel that our being in contact with more bacteria and fungi is a good thing?

Maybe we should return to the good old days when you were more likely to die if you went to hospital, because they didn't know about such things?

Perhaps asthmatics should just shut the fuck up?

And perhaps I shouldn't have put my 4 week old daughter through those 8 weeks of intravenous antibiotic therapy for a staph infection that she nearly died from, hoping that her immune system would be the stronger for it; in the unlikely event she made it?

Next time you get an injection, tell the nurse not to swab - citing the fact that you're definitely not a baby.

Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[cornface]

Next time you get an injection, tell the nurse not to swab - citing the fact that you're definitely not a baby.

Yes, because getting an injection is almost exactly the same as sleeping on a pillow.

Sheesh.

Re:Not that we Shouldn't Use Pillows.

[bleckywelcky]

Weird. I'm guessing this was for like $2000 insane-thread-count Egyptian silk sheets and not your $30 per set regular ol' sheets down at Target.

witchcraft

[Anonymous Coward]

i've been using pillows all my life and i've never had a problem. burn those scientists at the stake

Re:witchcraft

[Mr2cents]

This is only phase one, called "spreading pillow-FUD". Phase two is called "sell new anti-fungal pillows", closely followed by phase three, "Profit!". Watch my words.

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

[marsperson]

"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."


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:witchcraft

[Mr2cents]

Please don't tell her!

Think that's bad?

[aliens]

They should have studied my Calc 2 text book from college. I caught myself asleep and drooling on that poor book more times than I can remember.

Re:Think that's bad?

[cvd6262]

They should have studied my Calc 2 text book from college. I caught myself asleep and drooling on that poor book more times than I can remember.

Did you sell it back?

Use the bacteria killing Pencil!!!

[Fluffy_Kitten]

Maybe we should use that bacteria killing pencil to kill all that fungus!!!

Re:Use the bacteria killing Pencil!!!

[TooMuchEspressoGuy]

Er, maybe not... unless you think that a pencil that kills BACTERIA would kill FUNGI. :P

Re:Use the bacteria killing Pencil!!!

[Hognoxious]

What's with all the antibacterial pencil malarkey? An iodine crayon or a peroxide felt-tip would probably work though.

Re:Use the bacteria killing Pencil!!!

[bigtrike]

An iodine crayon or a peroxide felt-tip would probably work though.

Covering the entire surface would take hours. Why not just buy a new pillow for $10?

just eat it

[Anonymous Coward]

mmmm... fungi

Goodnight

[smvp6459]

Goodnight Timmy and don't let the fungal spores cause you respiratory distress.

Re:Goodnight

[Anonymous Coward]

And forget about the fact that a lot of people die in bed.

Re:Goodnight

[Belseth]

Used to be Timmy just had to worry about what was under the bed. Now he has to worry about what's in the bed. No wonder kids aren't sleeping as well as they used to.

Well, toss out that pillow and go...

[ForestGrump]

adopt a dog from the SPCA. Great companions, and great pillows too!*

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.

Re:Well, toss out that pillow and go...

[NotWorkSafe]

Oh yeah...a dog will be much cleaner than my pillow.

Re:Well, toss out that pillow and go...

[Anonymous Coward]

Title: Development of a technique for the in vivo assessment of flatulence in dogs
Author(s): Collins SB, Perez-Camargo G, Gettinby G, Butterwick RF, Batt RM, Giffard CJ
Source: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY RESEARCH 62 (7): 1014-1019 JUL 2001 Document Type: Article
Language: English
Cited References: 12 Times Cited: 0
Abstract: Objective-To develop a noninvasive method for the in vivo assessment of flatulence in dogs.
Animals-8 adult dogs.

Procedure-Rectal gases were collected via a perforated tube held close to each dog's anus and attached to a monitoring pump fitted with a sensor that recorded hydrogen sulfide concentrations every 20 seconds. Patterns of flatulence were monitored for 14 hours after feeding on 4 days, and within- and between-dog variation was assessed over 4 hours on 4 consecutive days.
Rate of hydrogen sulfide production (flatulence index) and frequency and number of emissions were evaluated as potential indicators of flatus characteristics. An odor judge assigned an odor rating to each flatulence episode, and the relationship between that rating and hydrogen sulfide concentration was determined.

Results-Flatulence patterns varied within and between dogs. Variation was most pronounced for flatulence index; mean coefficients of variance within dogs over lime and between dogs on each day were 75 and 103%, respectively Flatus with hydrogen sulfide concentrations > 1 parts per million could be detected by the odor judge, and severity of malodor was highly correlated with hydrogen sulfide concentration. Odor ratings were accurately predicted by use of the equation 1.51 x hydrogen sulfide concentration(0.28).

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-The technique described in this report appears to provide sensitive, reliable, and relevant data and will enable further studies of the factors that influence flatulence in dogs. Use of this technique also has the potential to aid in investigations of colonic physiology and pathology.

KeyWords Plus: FLATUS
Addresses: Collins SB (reprint author), Uncle Bens Australia, Kelly St, Wodonga, Vic 3690 Australia Waltham Ctr Pet Nutr, Melton Mowbray, Leics LE14 4RT England Univ Strathclyde, Dept Stat & Modeling Sci, Glasgow, Lanark G1 1XH Scotland
Publisher: AMER VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOC, 1931 N MEACHAM RD SUITE 100, SCHAUMBURG, IL 60173-4360 USA Subject Category: VETERINARY SCIENCES IDS Number: 447RB

ISSN: 0002-9645

Re:Well, toss out that pillow and go...

[Anonymous Coward]

Cats use their pets for pillows too.

Re:Well, toss out that pillow and go...

[gameboyguy13]

I'd hate to be one of those "odor judges"...

Re:Well, toss out that pillow and go...

[ThousandStars]

I think your comment:

*until it farts or wants to get up and leave.

Explains your signature:

--
still looking for a wife...

Re:Well, toss out that pillow and go...

[MrScience]

A great pillow... before, or after the end? :)

Re:Well, toss out that pillow and go...

[ForestGrump]

Before. I had him cremated afterwards.

Grump

Plastic covers...

[Auraiken]

Plastic covers aren't exactly the most comfortable thing to sleep on. There is a reason that our pillow are soft and morphable. Is this going to turn into a safe vs comfort debate in the future?

Re:Plastic covers...

[h4rm0ny]

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 matress. Not using a bed also saves on a lot of floor space in studio apartments. You just roll up your duvet(s) and you're done.

Sleeping without a pillow feels odd at first, but you quickly get used to it and now, sleeping with a pillow can make my neck ache a little in the morning. Sleeping on your side requires one, but on your front doesn't and on your back is definitely better without. I'm seriously considering trying one of those wooden blocks the old japanese use.

Somebody has to say it....

[Kahless2k]

Dont let the bed bugs bite!

Re:Where's the Roland Piquepaille summary?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is Roland Piquepaille V2.0: Kindler, Gentler, less Spammy.

Obviously...

[Auraiken]

...the evil spore creatures are plotting our demise in a much more devastating fashion. All we can do is wait.

Re:Obviously...

[gbjbaanb]

oh no, its not the evil spore creatures.. its the evil pillows... you think they wrap themselves in a knot to help us sleep? Push all their innards to one end so you have a lumpy pillow to assist us in sleeping? Gradually make feathers come out of the fabric pointy end first...

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 night's sleep.

What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[SirChive]

Aren't there some kind of Japanese pillow filled with Barley husks or somethig like that. Wonder if that would be any more resistent to fungus.

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[ViX44]

As far as I know, traditional Japanese bedding is very susceptible to rotting, since it's made from organic matter, and has to be properly aired, sunned, and maintained.

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[belmolis]

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...

[debauched sloth]

I'd think barley husks would be a pretty good growth medium for mushrooms. Mmmmm...

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[jahknow]

I had a buckwheat hull pillow for about a decade (the longest I can recall using a pillow). I ended up suspecting it of giving me sinus problems so I got rid of it. Voila, the allergies cleared up and the sinuses felt much better. I had heard the buckwheat hulls disintegrate over time, so I'm not sure if it was that, fungi, or just a decade of dust. At any rate, I miss that pillow. As far as doing its job (supporting my head and neck), it was by far the most comfortable pillow ever.

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[Tim]

Given that those pillows resemble bags of cement (without the softness or warmth), I doubt that anything could live in them.

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...

[adagioforstrings]

Do the pillows look like this?

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[Anonymous Coward]

How about one filled with rye husks. The only fungus you'd have to worry about is ergot. Mmmmmm... halucenogenic pillow....

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[EnderWigginsXenocide]

They give you really good support and are really comfortable.

Yeah, we all know why you like Japanese pillows.

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[Hognoxious]

The dude in that advert has sure ruined his chances of ever getting into that position on the real thing. Like, for ever.

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[Anonymous Coward]

What about these Japanese pillows? I don't know if they're filled with barley husks, but they sure sound nice...

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[originalnih]

The barley pillows tend to get weevils. But I hear they keep your head cool.

Forget clean pillows - I want a self-cooling one so my head doesn't overheat at night.

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, if anyone could tell him apart from any other middle-aged Jap male. A big If, that.

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[Anonymous Coward]

Or what about these?!

Re:What about Those Japanese Pillows...

[Anonymous Coward]

The barley husk pillows (sobokhan) attract bugs like insanity. Then they set up shop and start hatching eggs...

Indeed

[Data Link Layer]

This is why every couple of weeks or so I bleach the hell out of my pillow and wash it.

Re:Indeed

[maxume]

Do you enjoy that chlorine fresh smell when you go to bed at night? Or does the bleach come out pretty well? I have a feeling my body will have better luck with the fungus than with the bleach...

Re:Indeed

[Data Link Layer]

I love the fresh smell, but after a few nights its mostly gone. The main reason why I do that is because for some reason at night I sweat profusely, so after a few weeks it starts to smell rather horrible.

Just like the news

[pellik]

A lot of this comes accross as scare tactics, imo. Fungal spores are very, very small things. So you have several thousand per gram, and a million of em on your pillow. How does this compare to other non-pillow personal objects? Is this unusual? It would have been nice if the reporter commented on data from the negative control such as a pillow nobody sleeps on. Furthermore, what percentage of these million fungi are actually pathogenic?

Re:Just like the news

[blueadept1]

"Fungal spores are very, very small things."

That's what they said about the plague.

(don't go and correct me saying the plague was before there was knowledge of bacteria and viruses that spread disease, asshole.)

Re:Just like the news

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, since you've already preemptively called me an asshole, I might as well go ahead and tell you that the plague was before there was knowledge of bacteria and viruses that spread disease.

Re:Just like the news

[ZeeExSixAre]

Non pillow personal objects? I remember trying to sleep one night with something poking in my back... I was really tired and didn't realize what I had been sleeping on until I realized it was a PCI SCSI card.

Re:Just like the news

[sm00f]

How small are they compared to bacteria? I know I sometimes take Acidophilus bacteria pills since it's good for your digestive system and there are 2.5 billion bacteria in a 300mg or so pill... so 1 million spores in a whole pillow seems like absolutely nothing.

Death by Pillow

[ploafmaster general]

I'd have something to say about this, but I think I just contracted a terminal illness from my pillow...

Good

[Muppski]

Who wants to be 40 anyways?

Re:Good

[grub]

Who wants to be 40 anyways?

Me! In 2 months, 9 days. ;)

Re:Good

[Jamu]

Who wants to be 40 anyways?

It's better than the alternative.

Re:Good

[ConceptJunkie]

I've be 40 for about 6 months now, and I don't want to stop. Well, I'll have to stop in another six months, but I'll be sure to complain about it.

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 just whisk my anti-bacterial cold plasma pencil over it in the morning to keep the spores from reproducing in the first place. Or maybe just hit with Professor Farnsworth F-Ray.

Re:Good

[Anonymous Coward]

Not me, if I am going to go back in time then 18 perhaps, then I would take off like I originally wanted to do and see the world on shank's mare and temp jobs. What the hell, I have done the college and career route, it's time for a vacation and I was in much better physical shape for one at 18.

Re:Good

[Killjoy_NL]

An early happy birthday from the Netherlands then from a 26 year old, see you in 14 years ;)

Re:Good

[cornface]

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.

You married your mom???

Re:Good

[ConceptJunkie]

Heh. No, but it sure sounds like it, doesn't it?

This is too important for blog spam

[Anonymous Coward]

As a pillow biter, he's very worried about this issue. He's all about safe sex.

So THAT's why King Tut used a rock for a pillow

[schwaang]

The solution to fungal-spore producing pillow mites was discovered thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt: the stone pillow.

NOT to be confused with this chinese knock-off.

Re:So THAT's why King Tut used a rock for a pillow

[iminplaya]

I wouldn't count on it. He died when he was 18. Evidently, those bugs are really nasty.

Re:So THAT's why King Tut used a rock for a pillow

[schwaang]

I wouldn't count on it. He died when he was 18. Evidently, those bugs are really nasty.

Yeah but the hieroglyphic records show that in 1328 BC they moved royal pillow production offshore. See what happens when you outsource?

Wrap 'em

[PhotoGuy]

My son has dust allergies, and the Dr. recommended wrapping his pillow in polyethlyene and taping it. With a good thick pillow case over it, you barely notice it, yet retain the comfort of the pillow.

I would imagine that would go a long way towards reducing fungus and other pillow-dwellers.

Re:Wrap 'em

[Anonymous Coward]

Too bad polyethelyne causes cancer. Sleep tight!

Re:Wrap 'em

[Anonymous Coward]

"Sleep tight!"

haha priceless

Re:Wrap 'em

[MatthewNewberg]

I've had pretty bad alergies to dust mites for the past 10 years. I have found a few simple things work the best for controlling my allergies, one of which is a pillow cover. I can notice the difference when I use it, and they easily to clean, hardly noticeable when on a pillow, and not that expensive. I would really suggest ordering a set from any respectable home store. Just keeping the amount of dust down in the bedroom also does wonders. With limited dust the amount of dust mites is reduced. Another key to reducing dust mites is humidity. I try very hard not to sleep in basements or other humid areas. If you dont know what areas are humid, you can get a digital guage at Wal-mart for about 10 bucks. These simple things have worked better then any drug or teatment so I highly recomend it to anyone.

Re:Wrap 'em

[commodoresloat]

He can still get spores from the mattress, sheets, the floor, etc. Why not just wrap your son in polyethylene? It makes things easier.

Re:Wrap 'em

[Anonymous Coward]

Worked for John Travolta.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074236/

Re:Wrap 'em

[Jesus_666]

Also, it might be a good idea to not neatly fold up the sheets after getting up. If you just toss aside the sheets the surface exposed to the air is larger, thus the sheets give off more humidity, thus more mites die (as they can not keep humidity from diffusing through their skin).
YMMV, though, as I don't have a dust mite allergy and thus no way of checking whether this actually helps in any way.

Re:Wrap 'em

[srleffler]

You can buy commercial pillow (and mattress) covers that are designed to be impervious to dust mite allergens, yet still allow the pillow to breathe. The texture is much nicer than wrapping the pillow in plastic.

shirt

[Anonymous Coward]

I've made it a habit to cover my pillow with a T-shirt, the next day I would flip it around and after 2 uses it gets tossed into the dirty laundry pile. I'm not sure how big of a difference that makes but it should amount to something.

What about the matress?

[Anonymous Coward]

The matress catches dead skin, hair, blood, sweat and cookie crumbs. It's probably loaded with all kinds of microscopic nasties.

Personally, I've solved the problem by peeing in the bed every night. Everyone knows that urine kills bacteria and fungus.

Re:What about the matress?

[Bloke down the pub]

The matress catches dead skin, hair, blood, sweat and cookie crumbs.

Not to mention spunk dribbles and the odd bit of fanny-batter. Ooops, forgot where I was for a moment.

And the point is?

[b100dian]

Am I already dead?
..nope

Then why the heck are they researching this kind of things?

I am sure those scientists aren't using a pillow and all their informal discussions are "did you know that your pillow... (yadda yadda)...?".
Oh, please...

The Best Solution Evar

[Anonymous Coward]

Sleep on a hardwood floor. No more nasty fungal spores to deal with!!

In other news...

[Anonymous Coward]

Health experts are now warning of population explosions of foreign life forms able to subsist upon only sunlight and air. These dangerous beings, dubbed "plants" by leading scientists, pose a grave new threat to humanity.

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."

Re:In other news...

[sunwolf]

I was in Bio the other day, and a friend of mine whispered, "If we die, we stop oxidizing glucose to CO2 for the plants...and then they can't photosynthesize, and they die. And then we win!"

Yeah, I don't get it either.

Bacteria, funguses, and viruses are everwhere.

[Futurepower(R)]

The article fails to mention that there are bacteria, funguses, and viruses everywhere.

Probably the article is a public relations effort. Probably the Fungal Research Trust 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.

Re:Bacteria, funguses, and viruses are everwhere.

[getnate]

I agree. There are germs everywhere. I think this be a prime example of irresponisble/hype reporting on scientific studies.

Re:Bacteria, funguses, and viruses are everwhere.

[dajobi]

The web site says it is a "not-for-profit charity".

As opposed to a profitable charity amirite.

Evolution

[Anonymous Coward]

Since when do slashdot posters reproduce?

Re:Evolution

[britneys 9th husband]

Especially slashdotters who expect to get a girl into a bed full of filthy pillows that they're using to "boost their immune system"

Re:Evolution

[Anonymous Coward]

"Stop the Democrats from using the tragedy in New Orleans for political gain."

Do you think any such inclination on the part of some Democrats could possibly be a survival reaction in response to four years of the Bush Republicans using 9/11 for political/power/monetary gain?

(I draw a distinction between "Bush Republicans" and other Republicans, as there are many Republicans I've met whom I *would* trust as far as I could throw them.)

Thanks a lot scientists

[ZachPruckowski]

Oh, great. now I have a serious case of insomnia. Check your mail for the lawsuit for about a dozen years of psychologist's bills.

phew

[Joe the Lesser]

First I thought this danger was related to pillow fights!

suck on a corner ...

[bushboy]

... of your towel, the nutrients will take out those nasty pillow bugs.

Simple Neglect

[Anonymous Coward]

"first time in seventy years"

I wash my pillows more often than that.

Just what I wanted....

[MarkusQ]

Just as I turned in disgust from the latest Dan Lyons OSS flamebait (nominally about MySQL but mainly about his fear and loathing of Open Source) I thought to myself "What to I want to read now to get the taste out of my metaphorical mouth?"

I Dvorak flamebait? No, we just had one of those, and anyway reading two flamebaits in a row is bad for my blood pressure.

I know what would hit the spot! A Roland Piquepaille troll! We haven't had one of those for a while.

It's as if the gods heard my plea.

Darn those gods to heck anyway. I never thought I'd say it, but I miss Jon Katz!

--MarkusQ

Bout damn time....

[ShyGuy91284]

There are pillows in my parents house that are 10 years old and still in use. I can't believe my mother refuses to throw them out and still uses them.... Pillows are not washed.... Thus, they would seem like something that should be replaced once every couple years at least....

Decontamination

[PenGun]

  Two ways. In a really cold country, leave your pillow outside for a couple of days at below 0, kill most of em'.

  Nuke yer pillow if yer MW is big enough. Should get em' all :). Watch out for zippers, rare but not unknown.

  Lots of mites on em' too, they like to drink from your eyes at night.

    PenGun
  Do What Now ??? ... Standards and Practices !

You mean we can buy MORE, now?

[geekpuppySEA]

*1950's housewife* Why, I never knew I could throw away everything in my house, every day, and get fresh, new things! And it seems every product works this way. My family will never be happier. Thanks, capitalism!

Re:You mean we can buy MORE, now?

[Anonymous Coward]

*1960's hippy/geekpuppySEA* Why, I never knew I could just stop bathing and shaving and smoke doobies all day and have all kinds of unprotected sex with anything warm! Thanks, counterculture!

OMG@!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

I had better just start walking around in a self-contained biosuit now. Now that there are germs on my PILLOW!! OH NOES!

Seriously, think about how much crap there is in the average hamburger, on the average keyboard, outside in the average air. This is insignificant.

Does anyone else think that our habit of MAXIUMUM STERILIAZATION might be making our immune systems weaker?

Other dangers in the air at home

[Tandoori Haggis]

Protect yourself from breathing household poisons:
http://www.calpoison.org/public/breath.html

TOP "10" HAZARDOUS HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS: http://consumerlawpage.com/article/household-chemi cals.shtml
Also at http://www.ghchealth.com/top-10-hazardous-househol d-chemicals.html

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%20 18%20IAP%20from%20Soid%20Fuels.pdf

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/expos ure.htm

Oh, I guess thats enough exposure to URL's in this posting.

Re:Other dangers in the air at home

[Anonymous Coward]

+1 for the info, but next time give us actual links please

URLs
http://example.com/ will auto-link a URL

Re:Where's the Roland Piquepaille summary?

[Anonymous Coward]

Where is the typical Roland Piquepaille summary, at Roland Piquepaille's blog? You know, where all the ads are displayed.

Is it possible that Scuttlemonkey edited it out?

Roland sure does have the article on the top of his blog.

Oh, the blind rage he must be feeling now! Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!

Fungus AmongUs

[drgonzo59]

My wife has bad asthma so we :
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

[Bastian]

There are probably other problems in the world to worry about other than fungus in pillows.

You're right.

FUNGUS IN MATTRESSES! OH MY GOD, WE'RE GOING TO DIE! AAAAAAAAA!

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Headcase88]

Fungus in mushrooms! OMG!

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[MagicDude]

Something I want to point out is that spores are different from bacteria. A spore is structure of protein encapsulating bacterial DNA. It is formed by certain species of bacteria in conditions of low moisture, nutrients, temperature, etc. They are metabolically inactive and are incredibly tough to destroy. Once a spore finds itself in a suitable environment (like your nose or throat), it will germinate into a single bacterium and attempt to multiply. Getting back to killing spores, bleach is a good sporicide, but your solution should be about 1:5, or at least 1:10 (You want a minimum of 2500 ppm of chlorine in your solution, and normal household bleach is 5% available chlorine). Hot water will not kill spores. Boiling water will not kill spores. Spores require a temperature of about 121 C to be destroyed, and boiling water only reaches 100 C. Hospital supplies have to be autoclaved for 15 minutes to be sterilized. Basically, autoclaving involves superheated steam at high pressures to reach the required temperatures. Also, remember that there are various levels of disinfectants. A cleaning agent doesn't kill spores unless it specifically says its a sporicide, which is different from it being "antibacterial".

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Aqua OS X]

My allergist recommended that I start using those pillow covers, but had had to ditch them after a few months. They all have metal zippers on them. I couldn't stand waking up with a zipper slider being ground into my cheek, or rolling over and having a zipper slider grind across my eye socket.

You'd think they be molded plastic and padded. I don't know why they're made of metal with YKK stamped on them.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[peterpi]

There's a newspaper over here in the UK called the Daily Mail. At least once a week there's a 'X is going to kill us all' scare story.

Old people tend to buy the paper and blame X on young people, immigrants, single mothers, etc.

The rest of us find it a reliable source of entertainment.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[failedlogic]

Since one of the other posters has given what bleach concentrations are needed to kill fungi, I am curious as to what effectivness laundry detergent has on killing fungi? Isn't detergent made to make dirt, bacteria etc "slippery" and washes off the fabric? Would it wash away some of the fungi or does the fungi attach itself to the fabric quite well?

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Anonymous Coward]

My wife has bad asthma so we :
1.make sure to buy a new mattress every year or so (the cheap synthetic kind)
2.wash them often in hot water
3.wash the mattress 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.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd be more worried about the fungus from the copious amount of cum left around your wife's crotch area, not your pillow.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Wilson_6500]

Uh? I thought this article was about fungal spores, not bacterial spores.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Hannah E. Davis]

Wait... aren't we talking about fungal spores? To my knowledge, they're a lot easier to get rid of than the bacterial spores that you're talking about :)

Fungi are pretty cool too, though. I like how they have many many different genders, and can reproduce in multiple different ways (including, of course, spores). It's also pretty neat thinking about how the things that we generally think of as fungi(ie. mushrooms, etc.) are just the fruiting bodies of truly enormous underground/otherwise hidden fungal colonies.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Billly Gates]

Would lsysol work? I am thinking of sprying my matress. Its the same one I had for years in addition to my pillows

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Anonymous Coward]

All of the people who lived centuries ago are DEAD now, probably because of their pillows!

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[juxel]

While your description of bacterial spores is accurate, you missed the key word in the article. They are not talking about bacterial spores, but rather fungal spores which can be significantly different than what you described above.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Snaller]

has been sleeping on old pillows made from animal feathers for centuries and millenia probably and we seem to have survived.

As a race yes (because we are rabbit like that way), that doesn't mean that millions haven't had a crappy life because of it and died too soon.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Anonymous Coward]

I'd been struggling with sinusitis for some time. Finally saw a specialist and got the problem diagnosed as dust mite allergy. Pillows are a major breeding ground for dust mites, which is why many allergy sufferers have more problems at night.

Bought a new pillow yesterday and a special anti-dust mite pillow cover, and seem to be sleeping better. So don't laught at the article - dirty pillows can be a major source of problems.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[tivoKlr]

So would drinking a bleach solution be a good way to clean out that spore in my throat?

"the lawyer in me suggests that you not take my advice in any way shape or form"

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[Jeffv323]

My wife had bad asthma, so we put her down last spring.

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[drgonzo59]

YKK is just a conspiracy to take over the world, one zipper at a time.
But seriously, I solved "attacking zipper" problem by using a pillow cover on top (which you would have to wash with bleach every week...)

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[h4rm0ny]

The rest of us find it a reliable source of entertainment.

Oh the Daily Mail is really funny until you realize that it has a circulation of about 2.5million, compared to say the Indpendent at 250k. Then you're just frightened. :(

Btw, you missed out the regular Graham Hancock book tie-ins about crystal skulls, ancient civilisations and prophecies of doom when Cthulhu returns to eat us, etc. :)

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[hachete]

this "pillows" nonsense...that's just you rich americans boasting again. Just sleep on some bare slate! no germs at all!

Re:Fungus AmongUs

[pipingguy]

My wife has bad asthma so we :

Should probably get over it. If she's gonna die if you don't go through all those hoops, well, then...

I've seen people make all kinds of environmental changes *just for me* and all it does is to reinforce the condition and make me uncomfortable. I prefer to suffer alone rather than force everyone else to accomodate. And the sufferring should never be used for gaining attention - actually this is the first time I've expressed this.

I have asthma (intensified by allergies), and 40 years ago a solution was to move to Arizona where the air is dry.

Now I use what is medically prescribed and have very few problems. I don't think that my lungs will last much further than 80 though. When you spend a lot of time in an oxygen tent as a kid you tend to come to terms with your own mortality.

If you think this is bad....

[Anonymous Coward]

...try reading The Secret House. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0425 188426/102-6215914-2321763?v=glance

Grams?

[RandomPrecision]

Maybe I'm missing something, but fungus per grams seems like an odd measurement. That would imply that a lighter pillow of the same size would have less fungus.

Actually, if there's a range of fungal spores per gram, according to their study, maybe it simply means that fungi tend to live on the heavier things they studied (they say feathers and synthetic, and I'm not up on synthetic pillow substance design, but if we assume that it's lighter, that would mean the material is more fungus-resistant than feathers).

The Curse Of Piquepaille

[Y-Crate]

I was hoping that perhaps the editors had finally broken their unspecified "arraignment" with Roland Piquepaille due to the enormous outcry, but alas, they waited until things cooled-down from his 50 submissions a week, and are now once again accepting anything he submits.

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 /. reader again.

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.

Re:The Curse Of Piquepaille

[Anonymous Coward]

look around. it's pretty obvious scuttlemonkey is a sock puppet for timothy.

Re:The Curse Of Piquepaille

[DeepDarkSky]

I objected to Roland Piquepaille's way of submitting stories to drive traffic to his web site as well. To me, this particular article is the way it should be.

But I do check his web site from time to time, and apparently, now he's writing his stuff but posting it on ZDNet as well. It's the same stuff, but I guess he's getting paid for it too.

But I think 50 submissions a week is an exaggeration - on his web site, he writes about one article per day now...

Re:The Curse Of Piquepaille

[Anonymous Coward]

If you're so unhappy, then leave. I am getting absolutely sick of people with nothing better to do than waste my time bitching and moaning and how terribly slashdot is, karma whoring for bullshit "insightful" mods. Just stop already.

(Posted anonymously to avoid the "now you're karma whoring!" allegations.)

Re:The Curse Of Piquepaille

[Sax Maniac]

I was hoping that perhaps the editors had finally broken their unspecified "arraignment"

It would make my day to see Piquepaille at an arraignment.

Breathe chlorine vapors all night instead

[DECS]

Breathing chlorine vapors all night will probably be worse than exposure to some spores. I just use my immune system.

Re:Breathe chlorine vapors all night instead

[Hognoxious]

Right. Because ALL bleaches are chlorine based. Hence the expression "hypochlorite blond".

Re:Breathe chlorine vapors all night instead

[Shano]

Not an expression I've ever heard, and Google lists nothing. Hypochlorite is regular chlorine bleach, anyway.

Peroxide blond, yes. However, you won't find peroxide sold as generic bleach. It's also even less kind to natural fabrics than chlorine. There are several other chemicals used as bleaching agents (iodine is the other common one, normally used for food containers), but only chlorine is referred to as "bleach" without qualification.

Re:Breathe chlorine vapors all night instead

[Hognoxious]

"hypochlorite blond"

Not an expression I've ever heard [...] Hypochlorite is regular chlorine bleach, anyway.

Is it really? You know, I'd never heard of it before. Maybe you should see if google has an entry for "WHOOOOSH!"

The feather pillow

[kaos.geo]

I read this in school when i was a child.
It's Horacio Quiroga's short story The Feather Pillow.

http://www.horrormasters.com/Text/a0568.pdf

So much for fungal spores...try this and you will throw your pillow out the window (or buy synthetics, like the one I have ;))

Re:The feather pillow

[KeiKusanagi]

Among his famous tales is the haunting 'The Feather Pillow,' in which a young bride, Alicia, withers in a large silent house. Jordan, her husband, watches helplessly as her life fades away. After Alicia's death a servant finds in her pillow a grotesque animal with hairy legs, a parasitic creature, swollen from the blood it has sucked from Alicia.

        "These parasites of feathered creatures, diminutive in their habitual environment, reach enormous proportions under certain conditions. Human blood seems particularly favourable to them, and it is not rare to encounter them in feather pillows."

Re:The feather pillow

[Guillermito]

Thank you for the link.

I read that story in highschool too (although in spanish). It really impressed me, so it was the first thing I thought when I read the article. Also I remember that in the same class the teacher showed us an article from a newspaper telling a similar story (a real one). So that must be a not so uncommon thing.

Re:The feather pillow

[kaos.geo]

Yo soy de Argentina, tambien lo lei en español. Por suerte nuestra maestra no nos mostro el articulo! :)

Maybe I'm jaded... but I couldn't care less

[brxndxn]

I have an old expensive 100% down pillow that is more than 15 years old. It's never really been washed. It has a nice 'musk' smell to it - like an old tent. I have 3 other pillows - all newer - and they're all 100% down, but they just don't feel near as nice. I like my old pillow.. it's yellowish/tan in color (used to be pure white).

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!"

Re:Maybe I'm jaded... but I couldn't care less

[MyHair]

Next thing you know, I'm gonna read an article that says "OMG OMG STOP EVERYTHING.. There's fungi in cheese!"

Yup. I happened to be eating cheese when reading the summary and comments (haven't RTFA'd, of course) and immediately thought of my fungal lunch. Yummy.

This particular selection of cheese is pre-sliced sharp cheddar for my sandwich. They not wrapped individually but fanned out with paper in between. It's a fairly new package, but several slices had some green fungus along one edge or corner. Did I panic? No, I re-checked the stamped date, shrugged my shoulders and broke or scraped off the green fungus as appropriate and ate those slices. I also pondered what percentage of the U.S. population would cringe at those actions. (Wait 'till they hear what's in yogurt!)

Re:Maybe I'm jaded... but I couldn't care less

[Jesus_666]

I'm not from the USA and I cringed at that - ever since as a child I once drank orange juice containing lots of nice little white bits (because someone was smart enough to put the package next to the kitchen sink but not smart enough to actually pour it out) I'm overcautious when it comes to fungus. Drinking the same juice twice in half a minute is just one of these defining moments in your life.

Re:Maybe I'm jaded... but I couldn't care less

[ZippyKitty]

Next thing you know, I'm gonna read an article that says "OMG OMG STOP EVERYTHING.. There's fungi in cheese!"

I thought cheese was made with bacteria? mmm....cheese....

ZK

Re:Maybe I'm jaded... but I couldn't care less

[noy]

"Blue" cheese and some others have mold (fungi) to add color/flavor - thats why they put them in cellars or caves

Re:Maybe I'm jaded... but I couldn't care less

[BorgHunter]

I once found, I kid you not, some sort of shrimp-looking thing in my OJ. I was 8 or so. To this day, I refuse to drink Albertson's OJ. Other brands don't bother me, however.

To the parent: OMG WATS IN YOGURT?!?!??!

not that comfy as people think

[Frozen Void]

and not to mention pillows are capable distorting the neck when you sleep.

The solution is obviously to...

[going_the_2Rpi_way]

... just drench your pillow in a cocktail of fungicide and DDT and a few other nerve agents. That should lower your risk substantially.

Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees.

Re:The solution is obviously to...

[tumbaumba]

... just drench your pillow in a cocktail of fungicide and DDT and a few other nerve agents. That should lower your risk substantially.

The other way would be to spray your pillow with Raid every night. Don't know how you gonna sleep though.

Re:Where's the Roland Piquepaille summary?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it possible that Scuttlemonkey edited it out?

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhohohohohoooooooooo OHHHHHHHHHHHHOhohohoho...

Slashdot... editors... editing... oh gosh... ohhhhhhhahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaaaa

Somebody mod this dude Funny, quick, please... pleeeeeeeease...

Kindness, or maximizing shareholder value?

[Futurepower(R)]

Here is a list of contributors to the Fungal Research Trust: Fujisawa Corporation, Oxford Glycosciences, F2G Ltd, Chronic Granulomatous Disorder Research trust, Aventis, Janssen Research Foundation, Roche, Schering Plough Corporation, The Liposome Company, Merck Inc, Imedex Inc, Bristol Myers Squibb, Aronex Ltd, Vestar Inc, Eli Lilly, BioMerieux, Alza Corporation, Pfizer Inc, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Phairson Ltd, GlaxoWellcome, The Gossett Trust, The Clear Group, British Medical Association, Basilea, Valeant, Orthobiotech.

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, and use it to fund research that will eventually end in a profitable product.

microwave you pillow

[max born]

I wonder if putting your pillow in the microwave for a few seconds would help?

Re:microwave you pillow

[ichigo 2.0]

There shouldn't be any metals in a pillow, and unless there's a huge spore colony in it it shouldn't burst in flames, but maybe I missed something? Anyone with an extra microwave care to try it? I am not a microwave engineer, so keep that in mind if someone's microwave oven explodes or whatever. :P

Re:microwave you pillow

[shutdown -p now]

Oh, great. Now the next pillow I'll buy will have a 'do not microwave' sticker on it, thanks to your efforts, sir!

Re:microwave you pillow

[SavvyPlayer]

+1 Insightful

Re:microwave you pillow

[bill_mcgonigle]

Mine has a zipper on it so you can wash the case. I should probably bake the buckwheat hull fillings after reading this article.

It all makes sense now.

[ScaryAlienCreature]

This may explain why my pillow seems to be growing a leg.

It has also been demonstrating signs of sentient behavior. Without getting into too much detail, I will say that it brings a whole new meaning to "pillow fights".

huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

Who keeps the same pillow for twenty years?

Re:huh?

[ZeroExistenZ]

Collectors of fungus.

Bad science? Bad writeup

[perrin5]

This appears to have been a decent, if pointless bit of research. They found fungus in pillows. Then some idiot came up with stuff like this:

"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.

You are not alone

[simetra]

Screw the woosies who can't handle a classic pillow.

Synthetics are for old women.

Nobody with half a nad washes a pillow. That's what pillow cases are for.

OK great thanks for the news but...

[TarrySingh]

are they also gonna tell us how to sleep fungus-free then? Because I need that information badly before I die of lack of sleep!

Hrm, that explains a lot..

[Klowner]

That explains why I heard high pitched screaming last time I torched one of my pillows.

Hypoallergenic Pillow Cases

[simetra]

...are available for less than $10.00 USD at Target, and other places. They're supposed to keep bad stuff from leaking out of your pillow. I got some for my 20+ year-old pillows because my wife and kids seem to have allergies. Whatever.

surprise--life is messy

[idlake]

While the thought may be uncomfortable to many techies, people aren't sterile machines, and we don't live in sterile environments. You have more bacteria in your gut than you have cells in your body. Your body is full of persistent viral infection. There are fungi and parasites growing on your skin and in your hair. If you are a normal adult, your body has no trouble coping with it, and many of those microorganisms actually also have beneficial functions, not the least of which is to keep more harmful organisms from colonizing the same niches.

As for pillows, you clean them and air them regularly, and replace them every few years. And if you don't know how do deal with your household, you should marry someone who does.

FUD.

[Darth Muffin]

Way to spread the FUD there guys. Scream the sky (or pillow) is falling and NOT give us any recommendations on how to mitigate the circumstances.

Until it farts...

[Anonymous Coward]

Your choice of pillow might explain your lack of wife...

Funded by the Pillow Industry

[NotQuiteReal]

Of course, the study was funded by the Pillow Industry.

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.

Slashdot corruption?

[Futurepower(R)]

There have been so many of these fake science public relations articles published on Slashdot recently that I guess that either Roland Piquepaille or Slashdot editors or both are taking money on the side from P.R. firms.

remove the pillow...and

[guynorton]

my head still rests on a sheet and mattress, also hotbeds of fungal spores.
What should I do?
Levitate whilst sleeping?

You sick freak!

[Mustang Matt]

Dogs are man best friend. How could you adopt it just to kill it and stuff it like a pillow?!

What I really need to know...

[elgee]

Is can I get an STD from my pillow??

Re:What I really need to know...

[Emeye]

...I don't even want to know what you're doing with your pillow to be worried about that...

Nuke em!

[peter1]

And this is why I get up every two hours and nuke my pillows in the microwave... Never give the little buggers a chance to get a foothold (do they even have feet?!) As a nice fringe benefit, during the winter months the warm pillow is rather nice to sleep on.

Damn right those spores are deadly!

[Anonymous Coward]

I totally believe those spores can kill - I've seen many a movie where someone was killed by someone holding a pillow over their face for about 4 minutes, forcing them to inhale the spores directly apparently killed them dead!

23 publications of a fake science article, & e

[Futurepower(R)]

It is amazing how successful are these fake science public relations efforts: 23 publications already.

In my opinion, entirely corrupt.

Ah!

[mok000]

That explains why so many people die in their beds...

The Pillows?

[woot account]

Oh man... The Pillows are hazardous to my health? Well, no more Ride on Shooting Star or Skeleton Liar for me, I guess...

trippin

[Anonymous Coward]

So that's why I've been having those weird dreams...

I Win.

[Lord Omlette]

I'm allergic to dust AND fungi.

Cartoon

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/f/fungus_inf ections.asp

What about Memory Foam Pillows

[N8F8]

I this another argument to buy some Memory Foam pillows?

A million spores? So what.

[barneyfoo]

I think the fungus growing in my coffee pot contains more than 100 million spores.

Spores can, though

[FlippyTheSkillsaw]

Actually, there are several species of bacteria(see archaea) and many (dare I say, "most") spores can survive 100C.

A spore is an adaptation to cope with a harsh environment: see Wikipedia: endospore.

Boiling your pillow may render some of those spores innert, but I imagine throwing it in a washing machine with detergent would do about the same amount of good.

To "kill" the spores you'd pretty much have to "kill" the cotton in the pillow, too.

Re:Spores can, though

[InvalidError]

I know that some bacteria can live at ~120C... but there is no volcanic mud pits or geysers within hundreds of kilometers from most people's homes so, contamination by these is highly unlikely - assuming they can thrive under typical household conditions.

Just putting the pillows in a dryer would remove the pillows' moisture, shake oout some of the stuff that got in it and force organisms to die or at least shutdown from dehydration. Many people already do this to re-fluff pillows.

Depending on the type of pillow, soaking them can cause the material to permanently compact. For many synthetics, the dryer and oven might melt the material and end with a similar result though.

I'm just happy that I am not inconvenienced by whatever might be in my pillows.

Re:Spores can, though

[Austaph]

The article is about spores, not bacteria.

Comes out in the wash?

[RevMark]

Probably TMI.. I'm a heavy sweater at night, and I used to go through good synthetic pillows about every two years. My mother once said I should try washing them, when I do my laundry.. So I did.. put them in the dryer too.. careful cheaper pillows will not hold their form. I'm wondering if the pillows they tested had ever been washed or not.. I could not imagine sleeping on a pillow for 20 years and not washing it.. Ewww.. Any one else wash their pillows?

The obvious solution

[FunkyTune]

The obvious solution to this would of course be to expose your pillow to phazon for a little while. Then the fungal spores will have grown so large that you can easily pick them away by hand.

use blankets

[immakiku]

Many of my relatives have this habit of folding a blanket (or two) and stuff it neatly into a pillowcase. It feels more comfortable for them and is easier to wash.

Personally, I don't find this finding so important that I'd risk straining my neck on some lower-quality disposable pillows.

I certainly hope you're joking

[dyoung9090]

Unless my sarcasm detector blew up, I'd have to say you're being serious. If you are, then here's my serious response. If you're not then... um... this is sarcasm too? Actually, no, even if you are being sarcastic, this is still serious. Well, I find it funny, as will everyone who knows people that waste money in hopes of appearing high class. There are studies upon studies saying anything about 380 for a thread count is practically indistinguishable. I know Consumer Reports has run their tests on high thread count sheets before and come to the fact that most people will never know the difference between "high quality" Egyptian cotton and a set of 300 thread count Sears special. Besides, the sheer fact that you simply can't manufacture threads fine enough to achieve more than 500 (I don't have the official scientific sounding number but without the source, and without the inclination to look online for some back-up, I'll err on the high side) thread count can't be denied. For the larger thread counts you claim to be purchasing you're actually getting two-ply sheets. Unlike toilet paper, two ply sheets do nothing. The sheet isn't any finer, softer, silkier or better; it's simply twice as thick, thus doubling the number of actual threads you can claim. I'm doing a disservice by saying its two-ply though; it's kind of like having two-ply toilet paper with a little stitching through-out to keep it together. I'm not questioning your apparent income (or girlfriend's income, or credit line, whatever the case may be) but $2,000 is already at the point where you're spending the money just to say you're spending it with no actual benefit (and I'm including the imaginary benefits, like the kind you get from calling cow crap manure so it goes from waste product to valuable commodity) so if you were told these sheets were worth $6,000 and you were getting a good deal, then congratulations, you saved $4,000 that nobody who knew what they were buying would ever spend. And please, spare me the argument that your tastes are just so refined *you* will know the difference and thus I must not be as sophisticated as you cause trust me, that is not the case. I have no problem paying for quality; I just have a problem with people who don't know what quality is. Besides, I can't remember ever running across anyone trying to peddle anything more than "1200 thread count" so congratulations to whoever is purchasing these mysterious 1500 thread count sheets but you would have been better off (a) buying 400 thread count sheets and (b) knowing what you were buying. Oh well, I suppose its better that their money went to linen-shysters and not terrorists, drug lords or politicians.

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[dyoung9090]

And in the height of my seriousness, I forgot to properly format my response. I guess the linen-shysters win after all.

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[Anonymous Coward]

haha but you are awesome anyway ;) Incorrect though, he DOES have a super refined taste which is better than all of ours!

Re:Any toxins in em?
(Score:1)
by Seumas (6865) Alter Relationship on Friday October 14, @01:53AM (#13788413)
Home filter will clean out the chlorine. I can't drink regular unfiltered tap water. I can smell the chlorine in it from ten feet away.

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[Anonymous Coward]

does it actually take out the chlorine, or just mask/hide it?

p.s. i hate chlorine smell in water too.

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[pafrusurewa]

The bit about the chlorine may be true. I'm from a country where we have great water straight from the mountains and I find the water in large parts of the US undrinkable. To me it tastes and smells like a swimming pool. In my experience it's especially bad in southern California and parts of New England. The first time I tasted tap water in Boston I really thought that it's not safe to drink.

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[porcupine8]

If a person is hypersensitive to one thing (like chlorine in water), there's a good chance they're hypersensitive to all kinds of other things (like thread count in sheets) - it's called "sensual overexcitability."

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[puetzk]

If it doesn't take it out, it's a pretty crappy filter. Chlorine in solution with water isn't very stable, and comes out pretty easily.

The really easy way to get it out is to let the water stand for 24 hours. I just keep a pitcher of water in the fridge. The chlorine has time to work, time to work it's way out of the pitcher, and it's cold. Pretty simple.

Now, your waterworks might use chloramine instead of straight chlorine, and that's harder. Just letting it stand won't remove that. There are products that will remove it (usually sold for fish-tank water and the like), and most filtration systems that have any chemical portion will get it, but it's not quite as much a given as it is for chlorine.

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[Dashing Leech]

it's called "sensual overexcitability."

These people are also known as "premature ejaculators".

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[bombadier_beetle]

1500 thread count is nothing. I recently upgraded to pure plastic sheets, which have practically infinite thread count - perfectly smooth, no detectable weave texture at all.

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

[mixmasta]

Yeah, it's really bad in Los Angeles. Lotsa chlorine.

But the funny thing about chlorine ... it is a gas. If you fill up a pitcher and let it sit for 30 mins or more the chlorine will dissipate.

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:I certainly hope you're joking

[h4rm0ny]

Duh! How slow have I been? I always found that water kept in a jug in the fridge tasted better than drinking it straight from the tap but I always thought I must be imagining it because I couldn't see how the water could change. Some scientist I turn out to be - setting my theory above my experience. Thank you - I'll now resume keeping water in the fridge.

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[Anonymous Coward]

time to work it's way out of the pitcher

"its".

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[Anonymous Coward]

pathetic.

Re:I certainly hope you're joking

[gstoddart]

1500 thread count is nothing. I recently upgraded to pure plastic sheets, which have practically infinite thread count - perfectly smooth, no detectable weave texture at all

Yeah, but that distinctive crinkling sound when you sit down on the bed is a dead giveaway that you're a still bedwetter.

So uncool man. Get pull-ups or something. :-P

A mouthful of disease.

[SeaFox]

So much for "plenty of bed rest" being the cure to what ails you.

Think of all the elderly who are bedridden. We only accelate their remaining time keeping them on a bed of fungus.

Coming up next..

[WhatAmIDoingHere]

Is your SINK giving you CANCER? Find out tonight at 11!

Awsome.

[Arctech]

My immune system needs practice.
Since I don't really have any major polluted rivers to swim in, and such.

Other headlines...

[js290]

Living may lead to death... details at 5...

Puffy eyes

[electrosoccertux]

I believe this could be why I always woke up with puffy eyes. Mom wouldn't believe me and get a new pillow. Washing it never helped.

Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[localman]

You know, we are evolved (or designed, heh) to live in a world with bacteria, viruses, and fungus. How did we get to the point where we fear our natural environment so much? I grew up with a mother who constantly disinfected everything including me. I had alergies and I had regular sickness. My immune system never got to develop immunity.

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.

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[mabhatter654]

This article doesn't cause REAL slashdotters any reason to fear... they sleep on their keyboards!!!!

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[sco08y]

You know, we are evolved (or designed, heh) to live in a world with bacteria, viruses, and fungus.

You could be a creationist with a remark as inaccurate as that.

We evolved so that *enough* of us would live in this world to make it to the next generation.

And compared to most animals, let alone plants, we have far less natural immunity against pathogens. That's because as our brains became more powerful we started using intelligence to avoid obvious dangers rather than having huge genomes to deal with every possible environment.

Our immune system has to "evolve" proteins to respond to new pathogens, and it doesn't need a full blown disease to do so. It makes sense, then, to keep your living place clean so you get the immunity without the disease.

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[srleffler]

Got any evidence for your assertion that we have "far less" natural immunity against pathogens than most animals and plants? I call B.S.

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[Anonymous Coward]

"But I shower without soap and rarely use deodorant..." You're very lucky to be able to do that, some of us MUST use soap/deoderant because otherwise we would reek, I use antibacterial soap sometimes so that I dont start to smell as fast. I agree that bacteria and fungi, etc is everwhere but some of us have to get serious about cleanliness in order not to offend others (or our partners). heh.

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[DrCode]

I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't have more immunity than most mammals, because we live in much more crowded conditions.

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[BaseLineNL]

And your mouth has more bacteria than your genitals.

Gee, thanks for that notion. Now I can't swallow anymore...

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[hogey9]

What about a rat's nest? Do we live in environments more crowded than that? PS admittedly you said most, but I just like to bring up the filthy rats.

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[localman]

Deodeorant kills germs that cause odor, allegedly. And just because I don't use it doesn't mean I smell. I've found that using deodorant causes me to smell nice for a short while, and then smell much worse a few hours later. My only guess at why this is is that it is killing a natural flora on my skin and causing the inevitable return of bacteria to be unbalanced somehow. Perhaps my skin's normal flora keeps odor causing bacteria in check for a longer period of time than the deodorant can? It's just a theory.

Instead, I use a splash of cologne or body spray. It adds a nice scent but doesn't interfere with whatever is going on normally. I wash my underarms thoroughly with just warm water in the shower, and I find that at the end of the day I smell better. I've had various women comment on the fact that I smell good.

Occasionally, I'll have a bad day (don't know why) so I keep a stick around for an emergency touch up.

Funny how deeply seated these ideas are that if you don't use industrial chemicals on yourself every day that you're a stinky bearded hippy. It's just not so.

Cheers.

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[localman]

That's the strange part -- I'm not saying it works for everyone, but I found I smell better since I stopped all the soap/deoderant stuff. I used to wash my underarms with the strongest stuff I could find and then layer on the deodorant. And then be pissed when I smelled bad 6 hours later.

These days I just wash well with warm water in the shower, then afterwards I spray a light body spray around my underarms and chest. Most of the time (not all) I don't get notably stinky even by the end of the day. Occasionally I will, and I do keep a deodorant bar in my bag for emergency touch-ups.

Anyways, just sharing my experience.

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[localman]

Don't worry about swallowing, your digestive system has more bacteria than your mouth :)

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[localman]

I'm not sure what your distinction is. All creatures evolve so that *enough* of them live to reproduce. And they all do it in an environment full of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. If the creatures can't handle that it won't get far. That is child's play for the immune system.

The idea that our brains protect us from pathogens doesn't wash. Our intelligence had virtually no effect on our contact with pathogens until the last hundred years or so, and even then only in the most developed countries. That's not long enough for any meaningful evolution to take place.

I keep my living place "clean", but I don't disinfect everything regularly. Because, as you point out the body needs contact with pathogens to build immunity. If you disinfect your environment and yourself, you are making sure that when you do come in contact with pathogens outside your control (say, a nearby sneeze at a bus stop) your body will be less likely to have built up an immunity already in a friendlier environment, and you'll be more likely to be overpowered and to get the full blown disease.

Cheers.

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[Anonymous Coward]

You can still spit it out, twinkie!

Re:Boy In The Bubble Syndrome

[cerberusss]

And your mouth has more bacteria than your genitals

There's a filthy joke in here involving girlfriends and oral sex.

Even more dangerous dihydrogen monoxide!

[Confessed Geek]

BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE! THE INVISIBLE KILLER

Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills
uncounted thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are
caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen
monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes
severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive
sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea,
vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become
dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.

Dihydrogen monoxide:
* is also known as hydric acid, and is the major component of acid
    rain.
* contributes to the "greenhouse effect."
* may cause severe burns.
* contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
* accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
* may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of
    automobile brakes.
* has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

CONTAMINATION IS REACHING EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS!

Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every
stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is
global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. In
the midwest alone DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property
damage.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
* as an industrial solvent and coolant.
* in nuclear power plants.
* in the production of styrofoam.
* as a fire retardant.
* in many forms of cruel animal research.
* in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce
      remains contaminated by this chemical.
* as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can
be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact
on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!

THE HORROR MUST BE STOPPED!

The American government has refused to ban the production,
distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance
to the economic health of this nation." In fact, the navy and other
military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and
designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it
during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities
receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground
distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.

IT'S NOT TOO LATE!

Act NOW to prevent further contamination. Find out more about this
dangerous chemical. What you don't know CAN hurt you and others
throughout the world. Send email to no_dhmo#NoSpam.circus.com, or a SASE to:

Coalition to Ban DHMO
211 Pearl St.
Santa Cruz CA, 95060

(from http://www.xs4all.nl/~jcdverha/scijokes/3_8.html I can take no credit for this one. just reposting someone elses genius... this page contains many other wonderful versions)
For the chemistry challenged... Dihydrogen Monoxide = H20 = water

nothing new, but a real problem

[mojoNYC]

the article is saying nothing new, except that it focuses on pillows, rather than mattresses and carpeting--this is all rather well known to doctors who treat sufferers from hay fever, allergies or asthma--since I've recently been suffering more than usual from allergies, so I picked up this book Hay Fever: The Complete Guide which is a good comprehensive guide to dealing with allergies, debunks some myths, and which describes preventative measures other than wrapping in plastic.

As for the professional debunkers resident here at Slashdot, this isn't sensationalistic--if you don't suffer from allergies, be thankful--personally, i'm going to go wrap my pillows...

hahahah

[Anonymous Coward]

hahhaha start sleeping on fucking bricks lol, its better for you (apparently)

Whoa there, hotshot

[Gadgetfreak]

Slashdotters are well aware that there's a big step between living and reproducing. Good luck.

One more common killer:

[Wilson_6500]

Be really careful about this one.

They say it's already in all our water supplies! Shocking.

It's in the Bible!

[Burpmaster]

The Bible warns about pillows! From Ezekiel 13:18-20:

"Thus saith the Lord God, Woe to the women that sew pillows [...] Behold, I am against your pillows."

As you can see, pillows aren't Christian-kosher.

I told you!

[Dr. Smeegee]

The Sobakawa Pillow is the true way to perfect health!

Buckwheat hulls for your melon, boy.

livestock...

[Anonymous Coward]

Pillows, ha! On cold winter nights, my damn cat creeps under the duvet. When she's not subtly pushing me from the centre of the bed, she's idly stretching and sticking her claws in random parts of my anatomy, purring, farting, dribbling saliva, shedding hairs and leaving stray fleas behind when she sneaks out for a 4 a.m. killing prowl.

I sneer at your pillows' puny fungal spores.

Buckwheat pillows

[infonography]

I just retired the one I have had for 5 years and got brand new ones, 2 for $50 on eBay. These are bigger and fresh. I don't plan to wait so long to change these out. I don't use foam or feathers ever. I will use a rolled up blanket first. Not because of this study.

Breasts

[rossdee]

make great pillows.

(I realise this is not an option for most /. readers)

Although I'm no allergologist...

[DrYak]

They are metabolically inactive and are incredibly tough to destroy.

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 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:Although I'm no allergologist...

[Dire Bonobo]

> - 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.

Apropos anecdote: I'm allergic to my mother's pets. If I get a cold while I'm visiting home, I have almost no allergic reactions until the cold is pretty much gone.

While "law of conservation of misery" seems like an appealing theory, "an immune system busy with real things will have fewer resources free to overreact to allergens" seems much more likely.

Re:Although I'm no allergologist...

[Anonymous Coward]

...while I'm visiting home,...

Don't you mean to say "Come upstairs from the basement?"

Re:Although I'm no allergologist...

[Dire Bonobo]

> Don't you mean to say "Come upstairs from the basement?"

No, actually - some of us do indeed have apartments, jobs, girlfriends, and lives. I hope knowing we're out there gives you enough hope to keep trying!

Re:Although I'm no allergologist...

[Seraphim_72]

My one comment is -

Are you taking patients?

Sera

Re:Although I'm no allergologist...

[Jack Taylor]

What on earth is an allergologist? Someone who studies allegory?

Re:Although I'm no allergologist...

[Anonymous Coward]

Did you read the Wikipedia article you linked to? Because it says that the mites need the fungus Aspergillus to digest the biological material first before they can eat it. Therefore, no fungus, no allergy.

Re:Although I'm no allergologist...

[WaterBreath]

Allergologist - A medical researcher studying in the field of allergies. ... not to be confused with...

Allergist - A physician practicing in the field of allergies.

"Allergologist" is a much less commonly appearing word. It is seems to be fairly specific to medical discussion/writing (and so may even be considered "jargon"). It will not likely appear in any but the most exhaustive of dictionaries.

WTF?

[SonicSpike]

How in the hell is this "informative"?

You sir, are an arrogant and uneducated ass. :-)

You are confused...

[SonicSpike]

"uncomfortable to many techies"?

HA!

Have you ever SEEN some of your fellow /.'ers ? I would have to say they would probably be more used to bacteria, fungi, infection, and parasites than say....the average non-techie ;-)

In other news

[stinky wizzleteats]

There is 1 million fungus spores on the same area of ground, bed of leaves, hospital floor, etc. Still panicked? Try distraction. You are never more than 3 feet away from a spider.

You're welcome.

Re:In other news

[/dev/trash]

No shit? exactly 3 feet?

Kills my dinner plans

[thedbp]

Ever since the food stamps ran out, I've been getting inventive in my chow time fare. Next up was my pillow, but this absolutely kills it. Unless of course I could cultivate those spores and sautee 'em ...

Colon cleansing?

[SonicSpike]

Uhhh.... I wouldn't admit if I had microscopic living things swimming around in my colon searching for something to procreate with...

The next logical question is "how did these little things get in there"? which is a question I don't want answered! :-(

Remember the first sign of HIV is often times a pounding sensation in the ass ;-)

Re:Colon cleansing?

[localman]

Denial isn't going to help, my friend. You've got at least as many as I do.

Did you ever think that the immune system is doing an amazing job? Like, as soon as it shuts down, when you die I mean, it's only a matter of hours before the little creatures take over and foul things up royally. The only thing keeping that from happening to you right now is your amazing immune system. It's a constant war.

Remember that next time you get a cold and curse your immune system. It's amazing how well it does.

Re:Colon cleansing?

[SonicSpike]

I know.... it was just a joke... I was trying to be funny but apparently failed :-(

Re:Colon cleansing?

[localman]

I thought you might, so it didn't totally fail. I tried to make my response light enough to work either way, but apparenly I failed ;)

What doesn't kill you ...

[icepick72]

... makes you healthier.

Re:What doesn't kill you ...

[omry_y]

how about a healthy dose of gamma radiation?

Horrors of the Universe

[The OPTiCIAN]

And people - did you know = that there are *germs in the air we *breathe**!!! Oh my God! Why does the government do nothing?!

There's only one thing to do

[nihilogos]

Put some water on your pillows and leave them in a dark place for a few days. Then make omelettes.

In any case, since I've been living with these fungal spores my entire life, I don't think I'm going to lose any sleep over it.

Yawn

[Anonymus Bosch]

Time for a nap. "If I die before I wake.." ;)

Plastic

[AsmordeanX]

Alright, I shall sleep on an inflated platic bag. Suffocate? Well gotta be better than the spores I've been inhaling for 28 years without issue.

time to go into business...

[bitingduck]

...selling home autoclaves. Convince everyone they have to autoclave their pillows and bedding regularly.

Funny what scientists are wasting their time on..

[Bulmakau]

My parents used pillows. So did their parents. And so on.
What I would like the researches to prove that dangerous things are bad for us! Because so many times they pointed out that wter, air, earth, sun, ...., life is deadly (or plain dangerous ;)) and we are all (well, most of us) still alive ;)

So maybe dangerous things have negative correlation with death? :)

Wish they wasted their time on researching this. (I am wondering how come people who are supposed to be smart waste their time researching dumb things)

The worlds worst germ infestation

[Anonymous Coward]

is the hands. Lets cut them off to prevent our hands from falling to the invisible threat.

Next is the genitals.

Morons.

This just in!

[wildzeke]

Corduroy pillows are making headlines.

Flat Pillows

[guinsu]

Ok, I've been dying to get an answer to this for a while. I can only sleep on a really flat pillow (or sometimes none at all). Where can you buy one that is already flat? I haven't thrown my pillows away in ages because I can't find a good replacement. I check high end stores and places like Target and K-mart. My ideal pillow would be those really flat ones you sometimes dfind in hotels, because they haven't flattened from use and so aren't all hard.

Re:Flat Pillows

[dongshu]

In India

Re:Flat Pillows

[markh100]

I second this -- I have a 15-year old pillow that's like three quarters of an inch thick. I can't sleep on anything else. I've tried shopping for a new pillow, but they are all at least three times as thick as my current one, and I just don't feel comfortable sleeping with any other pillow.

My dad suggested buying a new pillow, putting it in a garbage bag, and running back and forth over it a few times with my car, but I can't say I've tried that out yet.

To top it off -- I have asthma and allergies -- I spend about 250 days out of the year with a chronic cough and stuffed up sinuses, which also prevents me from getting a good night's rest. I know my ratty old pillow is doing me no good, but there doesn't seem to be a pillow manufacturer capable of making a pillow that is less than three inches thick. I feel like I just can't win...

I guess I'll have to check out India's pillow manufacturers. Let me know if you ever find a good source for flat pillows :)

Re:Flat Pillows

[guinsu]

Check out http://www.natlallergy.com/, I have a cover or my pillows (actually for the whole bed. At least that way you can use your old pillow and not worry as much about the allergy inducing effects. Buy the most expensive cover, you won't even feel it through the pillowcase and it doesn't feel like plastic.

THE TRUTH ABOUT ROLAND PIQUAPAILLE

[Anonymous Coward]

The Truth About Roland Piquapaille

The pillow "you couldn't refuse".

[Anonymous Coward]

"Pillows Dangerous for Your Health"

People! People! Pillows ARE dangerous to your health. Just look at how many people have suffocated from the "accidental" placement of a pillow over their faces?

ten pillows

[orangeaaron]

Has anyone noticed that they only studied ten pillows? It seems like we need to study more than 10 pillows to get a better indication of the range and variety of problems, and what might be done to help. Also, is this really a bad thing? How bad is it compared with our clothing, air, utensils, keyboards, mice, etc. There's germs everywhere, yet most of us stay healthy most of the time...

Biological agents thriving in pillows

[cciRRus]

Now, I can see how pillow fights may be a form of biological warfare. ;)

In the words of JarJar

[voxel]

You'sa gunna die annee!

not-quite first-post

[Jippy T Flounder]

and i can't be bothered to read all of them to check that this hasn't been mentioned:

ok brightsparks, you checked the pillows. nice one. did you check the goshdarn bedspread?

Clean with a weak ammonia solution

[wildredbear]

On a recent cleaning show (the show with the two older British women), the cleaning team suggested that using a weak ammonia solution will kill the fungi mentioned in this article. To the best of my memory, the solution contained roughly 1 quart of tap water and a very small spash of ammonia (I'm guessing about 2 ounces)). Ammonia is used because it is less harsh on fabrics than bleach and a little goes a very long way when killing fungus. They used a thick sponge, a spray bottle and a vacuum (it might have been equiped with a hepa filter). Be sure to work in a well-vented area. Note: Before applying the solution, you may want to test for color fastness. Proceedure: They started with a pillow that was being used by a dog. The pillow tested to have the same fungus mentioned in this article. First, mix the solution and fill the spray bottle with it. Second, vacuum the pillow well. Third, starting with a large dry sponge, lightly moisten the sponge with the ammonia mixture using the spray bottle and began 'tamping' the pillow with the sponge using a twisting motion. Always keeping the sponge lightly moist, thouroughly tamp the entire surface of the pillow. Finally, after letting the pillow completely dry, vacuum well. The pillow will be (virtually) free of fungus.

This just in

[GRW]

The latest scientific research has just discovered that anyone who has been born will eventually die. Medical professionals report that there is no cure, but suggest taking lots of drugs or joining a Buddhist monastery.

Damn...Gotta run right out and buy a new pillow...

[Alpha_Traveller]

Time to buy stock! The pillow sales industry should skyrocket!
Studies like this will significantly raise pillow sales.
My wife read this an has already demanded going out to and purchasing a brand new horde of pillows.

Thanks alot for sharing! :-/

Too clean is bad for you

[Nice2Cats]

As other posters have pointed out, your imune system needs something to do, or else -- like idle teenagers -- it will go out and start screwing around.

One interesting aspect of German reunification was the far lower number of allergies that East Germans had, though they were as industrial as communist countries get. Now that their life style is turning more western, the number of allergies is going up. Nobody doubts their statistics -- these are Prussians, after all -- and if you don't want to believe that capitalism causes allergies, you end up with the explanation that West Germany is just too clean. Without the cleaning industry forcing antibiotic sprays on people and whatnot, the East German's immune system had something to do, and they stayed healthier.

And I knew that there was a reason I never wanted to take a bath when I was a kid.

Pillows and health

[VincenzoRomano]

I have been using pillows until now with no injury.
While Ancient Egyptians were not able to survive witout: they all died!

Sneakers, socks and sandshoes

[Anonymous Coward]

Beat pillows hands down.
School Sport protective 'equipment' trumps smelly socks.
Abandoned 'things' in mens locker rooms can literaly walk.
Apparently the only thing worse - is a deadly British hospital infection, or chinese public toilets, where people
eat asparagus and beans at the same time.

MOD PARENT UP PLEASE.

[werewolf1031]

For cryin' out loud, it's about damn time somebody had the sense to put this "cold-temps-don't-cause-colds-only-viruses-do" urban myth to rest. Just wish I'd had the initiative to do it first. :/

I call market failure...

[srussia]

Pillow manufacturers, which did not contribute, are getting a free ride. The government better correct this market failure.

Re:I laugh at your plastic sheets

[slickwillie]

Of course, latex is the way to go.

I would like to thank everyone ...

[JamesR2]

... for a hilarious thread! LOL! I am still smiling.

allergist's advice

[MMHere]

I saw an allergist (M.D.) several years ago and discovered I'm allergic to many things -- especially dust mites, molds, fungii, etc.

He noted that bedding (sheets, blankets, pillow case, etc.) as well as pillows and mattresses are all hotbeds for nasty little bugs that, among other things, cause allergic reactions for some people. (BTW, it's the "waste products" of dust mites feeding on dead skin that are the allergen for many people.)

His advice:

(1) wash ALL of the bedding (sheets, blankies, barriers) in the hottest water your washing machine provides, and do so every week.

(2) get pillow and mattress allergen barriers (allergen barrier pillow encasings). As you typically cannot wash your pillow nor your mattress, these devices will help contain much of the nasties in a sealed environment.

Adhering to this wash schedule has made a huge difference for me. If I fail to wash the bedding one week, I get much more congested by the time I awake in the morning. If I stay on schedule, I feel much better.

Nobody Ever Went Broke...

[mi]

...underestimating the taste of the British public?

In (pre-)Soviet Russia

[mi]

Opening all windows and doors during winter to freeze cockroaches to death was a common way to rid the whole house of these pests...

Re:In (pre-)Soviet Russia

[oc255]

In Soviet Russia, the roach freezes you!

Hopefully : not.

[DrYak]

Hopefully not.
I'm more interested in reasearch than working in a hospital.

So, be reassured :
No, next time you have to undergo surgical intervention, Hey, I know you from Slashdot !!! won't be the last thing you'll hear before the anesthesia kicks in.

---

Mod me : -1, Mad Scientist....

Interesting linguistic case.

[DrYak]

To MODS: Sorry for feeding the troll.

What on earth is an allergologist?

The word is an interesting case :
Let's split it...
1. allerg- : obvisouly, allergy.
2. -o- : (nothing)
3. -logy- : As in "the study of". With shortened -Y- to -i- because of fusion with next.
4. -ist : Someone who does.

Yes. You read it, the -o- serves no purpose of it's own.
Usually, words ending with -ology, end have an O because is part of the stem (and not the -logy suffix).
biology = BIOs + logy, chronology = CHRONOs + logy, pathology = PATHOs + logy ...

But there's a phenomenon in linguistic called analogy (no pun intended) :
When something is very widespread (words ending in "-ology"), people start to apply other words where even if it's incorrect, because it sounds just like the other word, and that one was correct.

See:
allergia => allerg_o_logy
techne => techn_o_logy

So, whatever was the intent of the poster, the word allergologist *ISN'T* straith forward to understand.

Caution

[Tune]

This may work for you now, but notice that this way of life could trigger:
1) Allergy to chemicals (may take time to develop)
2) Worse allergic response in case you sleep in a normal bed, occasionally

Just a hint to bystanders: don't try this at home. Don't do apply these extreme measures unless a medically qualified person advises you to. And don't be afraid to ask for a second oppinion.

As mentioned in other threads: A certain level of contamination is just part of a natural biotope that has evolved with humans, and that has proven to be mostly harmless to most people in most cases for a very long time. NONE of the available pesticides has been tested that long.

Re:Caution -- what?

[MMHere]

i'm not sure i understand:

allergy to chemicals? what chemicals are you talking about? the only chemicals present are soaps used to wash the bedding. the washer does put the fabric thru a rinse cycle, so there is little left after that is thru.

i made no mention of pesticides in my post. what pesticides are you talking about?

Are You Kidding???

[Anonymous Coward]

Colds are caused by Viruses... ALWAYS. You can not catch them by being cold. Yes, Studies have been done. (Your tax dollars at work) The virus must get in your nose, NOT on your skin.

You CORE Body temperature is quite stable. It stays in a very narrow range.

Why are colds called colds? ask your ansestors.

Where did you get your info www.OldWivesTales.com

Hygiene 101

[Turbofish]

It's sad that this needs to be said, but... Folks, almost all pillows, including feather pillows, are machine washable. You should wash them, at home or a laundry mat, at least four times a year. Read that little white tag sewn onto the pillow for specific washing instructions.

Yes, some exposure to bacteria and funguses are needed to keep the immune system responsive. Intentionally overexposing yourself through poor hygiene is just disgusting and very unhealthy.

Next Week: How to use soap when you bathe.

lol

[spx]

Seriously, yes you can wash a pillow, and if it gets ragged looking and weird shaped, go buy another one....its not like a major purchase like a car man, ITS A PILLOW!

Exercise of critical thinking: challenging claim

[lpq]

Do you have any evidence to support this claim?

Not that I am disagreeing with you, but I'd like to read more.

I can self-create "facts" to support your view, though that makes it no more valid, please post any peer-reviewed medical references.

Playing devil's advocate for a bit I'll argue the converse:

I found my getting sick to be more a function of how many other people I was around. If I worked from home alot (controlled temperature except for daily trips out to yoga where I'd regularly get cold, but be fairly isolated), I'd tend to stay well, but if I went in to work (another regulated atmosphere) and was around other people, or around shopping malls or crowded indoor events, I was more likely to pick up something. I had a noticable uptick in minor infections when my partner became a primary grade school teacher. Didn't get it quiet as often as she, or if I did, it was often a lower grade varient, but occasionally, a particularly virulent flu was going around and would cause some pain -- and oddly, in a few cases, even though we'd both had it once, there were one or two times we seemed to relapse off of each other.

I often feel cold -- especially in yoga classes but even in my own home, nevertheless, I rarely get sick unless I have housemates who bring things home from schoolmates/workmates. Doesn't seem to be temperature related though as even though I'll often find myself in 'cold environs' (like yoga class where, people like windows open even when in 40's outside and class room temps of upper 60's are not uncommon) -- but I am spaced fairly far apart from others. But I do get to the point of shivering/feeling chilled, one of the first stages of hypothermia. If your hypothesis was correct, I should contract bacterial infections more often, but I don't seem to -- I seem to suffer less of them by virtue of not being around virus infected people.

At this point, I'm not inclined to believe your assertion w/o further evidence and a listing of sources that I can read. It is a great hypothesis though! :-)
Linda

Use your clothes drier

[Hibernator]

Put your pillow in the clothes drier and let it get tossed, blown, and fluffed by the hot air for a while. This will expunge much of the dust, dust mites, and fungal spores present. It's not a panacea, but it helps.

George Carlin is right!

[jonskerr]

I'm the same way, and very healthy. I consider all these hand-washers to be wussies of the first stripe, and they deserve to have their own immune systems kill them. I only wash my hands if I get something ON them. Imaginary cooties are for pussies.
I may be wrong about how it all works. It could be related to personal courage. I see these office-bred cowards who are afraid to step out of line, to use a public bathroom at all, and they're sick all the time. The greatest cowards are the hand-washers, and they're the same ones paying brave men to kill every perceived danger they can make up. Drugs a "threat"? Drug war! Terrorists? Attack every muslim country one or two at a time! People who are afraid are a lot easier to control. Crime reporting went up 600% in the 90s. Hmmm....