Allergy Pillow Covers

If you suffer from indoor allergies, there's one simple thing you can do to minimize your symptoms: Use allergen-proof pillow covers to help you get a good night's sleep. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the single best thing you can do to control indoor allergies is to use allergy-proof covers on all of your bedding, including pillows, mattresses and box springs. The AAFA claims allergy covers work better than using an air purifying device.

How They Work

• One of the main contributors to indoor allergies are the dust mites found in common household dust. Dust mites are so small they can't be seen without a microscope. They live on skin cells shed by people, which makes up a large proportion of common household dust, especially in the bedroom. Pet dander and mold spores are also contributors to indoor allergies. Allergen-proof pillow covers work by preventing your pillows from being colonized by dust mites or other common household allergens in the first place.

Material and Construction

• Clean, dust mite-free sheets will help you get a good night's sleep.

  Allergen-proof pillow covers and other bedding covers are made from a range of materials, from plastics to tightly woven, impenetrable but breathable microfibers. When they first appeared on the market in the 1990s, allergen-proof pillow covers were usually made of vinyl or another type of plastic. Though the plastic material worked to help minimize exposure to allergens, they were uncomfortable to sleep on due to their stiff texture and their lack of breathability. As of the new millennium, covers are made from a range of materials. In general, the fabric is made of extremely tightly woven, polyester-based microfibers that are impermeable, yet still allow air to pass through. The tight weave mimics the feel of natural fibers. Some covers are made with such advanced technology as to feel as soft as cotton.

Using Pillow Covers

• You can slip allergen-proof covers over your pillow like a regular pillow case, except there is usually a zipper on one side to form a closed barrier. After putting an allergen-proof cover on your pillow, you can then put a regular case, in any fabric, over the encased pillow.

Benefits

• Allergies develop over time, with continued exposure to the allergen. One way to prevent allergies from developing in children, for example, is to use allergy-proof covers. One study, published in the "Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology" in 2005, found that a home-based asthma intervention that included allergen-impermeable pillow covers reduced asthma symptoms among school-aged children. If you already have allergies, the covers can minimize your symptoms. Because they are a preventive measure, allergen-proof covers might help cut down on the medications you may need to take to control your allergies.

Where to Get Them

• Allergy pillow covers (as well as mattress and box spring covers) can be purchased in several sizes and materials from specialty stores and from some departments stores. Though physicians tend not to recommend any particular brand, there are several companies that specifically develop, produce and market allergen-proof bedding encasings.