If you suffer from allergies then you know that allergy symptoms can wreak havoc on your life whether you're awake or asleep. In fact, your sleep can be even more affected as allergies tend to irritate the nasal passages, making it difficult to breathe which can be made even worse when attempting to lie down. When you don't get quality sleep it can affect your overall quality of sleep. Imagine that while battling seasonal allergies, the mattress you are sleeping on can potentially exacerbate your allergy issues. That's why it's so important to be sleeping on the best mattress for allergies.
How Can Your Mattress Cause Allergies?
More than 50 million Americans experience various types of allergies each year, in fact, allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the US. We are all familiar with seasonal allergies or food allergies, these are ailments that we can easily pinpoint and treat. But what about the tiny hidden allergens like dust mites, or worse the ones that you can't see that are lurking in the place that should be your nightly sanctuary: your mattress!
Dust mites, close relatives to ticks, are too small to be seen in our homes, but these critters thrive in warm, humid environments. Their absolute favorite is the mattress, where they can find nooks to fill with dust and fiber batting such as wool and cotton to nest in. These microscopic pests live by eating the skin cells we shed nightly. The result is the dust allergens that can cause you to react. Many people with dust mite allergies also experience signs of asthma such as wheezing and difficulty breathing.
You can also easily develop a dust mite allergy by prolonged exposure to high levels of dust mites. The most vulnerable are children and young adults who are more likely to develop dust mite allergies during childhood. This is why an organic allergy-friendly kids mattress is a vital piece for your child's room. If you do have a dust mite allergy, exposure to these mites can cause complications such as chronic sinus infections and asthma.
Results of Dr. Robert G. Hamilton Testing on Essentia Mattresses
Latex is a double-edged sword in today's world. You either love the health aspects natural latex brings to your home, especially in the form of a mattress, or you're scared that you will be allergic to latex or develop latex allergies. Well, as we know, information is king! Dr. Robert G. Hamilton, Ph.D. and Director, Dermatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology (DACI) Reference Laboratory at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine has tested the Essentia mattress in regards to dust mite and latex allergies.
Dr. Hamilton concluded that there are 2 types of natural rubber latex products, those that are dipped and those that are molded. Dipped rubber products are exemplified by medical latex gloves, latex dental dams, and latex toy balloons. They are known to release high levels of latex allergens, especially when they are powdered. Repetitive exposure to these dipped latex rubber products can induce IgE antibody, lead to sensitization (IgE anti-latex positivity), and possible development of latex allergy. A 100% natural rubber latex molded product does not release detectable levels of allergens except through direct contact.
The Essentia memory foam latex mattress is a molded foam product that does not have any detectable latex antigen levels as measured by Guthrie Laboratory (<0.2 microgram/gram) using a well-documented and validated ASTM procedure. Second, the Dunlop process used in latex processing reduces the level of protein that may be found in the final latex product by involving washing steps. Third, the Kevlar and cotton encasements preclude any direct contact between human skin and the latex foam core of the mattress and minimize the risk of airborne latex exposure. From all accounts, the Essentia natural memory foam mattress can be safely used by latex allergic and non-allergic individuals.
Dr. Hamilton also found that the molded nature of the natural latex memory foam made by Essentia is essentially impervious to house dust mite inhabitation and growth. Human skin that is deposited on the surface of the external cotton cover of the mattress is readily removed by vacuuming and washing. With routine washing of bedding and the maintenance of the bedroom environment humidity below 50%, the potential dust mite growth can be minimized and thus dust mite allergen exposure can remain negligible.
The conclusions by Dr. Hamilton show that for a person suffering from allergies the best sleep surface for them to combat allergies and get a healthy night's sleep is an Essentia mattress.
Essentia: The Best Mattress for Allergies
I have Dust Mite allergies, what is the best mattress?
Dr. Hamilton found that Essentia's patented natural memory foam is impervious to dust mites. This means there is no fiber batting that a dust mite can nest in. Dust mites cannot penetrate Essentia's foam and thus cannot live in the mattress. For sleepers who suffer from a dust mite allergy, chronic sinus infections, and asthma, having a sleep surface that can repel these allergy-causing critters is the best choice.
What if I'm allergic to latex?
Dr. Hamilton's study shows that Essentia patented natural latex memory foam mattresses pose no risk to a latex allergic person in terms of potential exposure to latex allergens. This is because Essentia's patented molded latex drastically reduces the level of proteins and allergens that a person can react to. As Dr. Hamilton explains, a person who is allergic to latex is generally allergic to dipped rubber which is a manufacturing process used to make products like rubber gloves or latex balloons.
Can I develop a latex allergy by sleeping on a latex mattress?
The short answer based on Dr.Hamilton's study is, no! Essentia mattresses pose no risk to a non-sensitized individual to become sensitized to latex proteins by sleeping on an Essentia mattress. Sensitization to latex requires multiple exposures to high levels of allergens like those found in dipped latex.
