New advice for asthmatics

Feather pillows may be better for asthmatics than pillows with synthetic fillings, according to new research which questions the advice to the contrary given to some sufferers.

Scientists in New Zealand analysed dust samples from nine pairs of pillows, one of which was feather and the other filled with polyester fibre, to determine the content of an allergen associated with the house-dust mite - which is a strong risk factor for asthma. The polyester pillows contained more than eight times as much allergen as the feather ones, a report in the British Medical Journal says. Liz Hunt