This is why you should change your pillow every TWO years, says hygiene doctor
By the time your pillow is two years old, ten per cent of its weight is dust mites and dead skin cells
IF you thought your bed was clean, think again.
Hundreds of tiny dust mites are lurking in your pillow and their poo could be giving you allergies.
We shed millions of dead skin cells everyday with a lot of them ending up in our pillows, thanks to us spending several hours a day laying on them
By the time your pillow is two years old, ten per cent of its weight is dust mites and dead skin cells, according to , Lisa Ackerley.
These tiny mites can cause allergies and worsen the symptoms of asthma.
But it is not the actual mites people are allergic to - it is their poo.
Dr Ackerley told The Sun Online: "Mites themselves don’t carry disease, it is an enzyme in the poo that some people are allergic to.
"If people have asthma, it can make it worse.
"It can also give you a constant runny nose, itchy eyes, watery eyes and cough.
Dr Ackerley said the symptoms are similar to a cold, without feeling unwell.
Luckily, the mites do not pose a serious risk to your health and Dr Ackerley suggests if they are not causing you any bother you needn't worry about them.
She added: "The main thing is, it is not a big scare but it can affect your health and breathing.
"But mites themselves aren’t bad, there are types of them everywhere.
"If it is not bothering you then it is fine, but if you are having problems with your health then you should do something."
Nevertheless, if you are still worried about the tiny critters hiding in your bed uninvited, there are plenty of things you can do to evict them.
Dr Ackerley said: "There is quite a lot you can do to solve the problem.
"Don’t make the bed in the morning because mites like the warmth, so if you pull the sheets back it creates a hostile, cold environment for mites.
"Wash your pillow and then tumble dry it to fluff it up, the heat from the dryer kills them.
"You can even pop the pillow in the freezer to kill the mites – if you have space.
"You should avoid drying clothes on radiators because the moisture makes your home more friendly to mites.
"Keep the house slightly cooler and vacuum dust up. Get a really good vacuum cleaner that will get in all the nooks and crannys.
"The cleaner you keep your house the less dust there will be so the less there will be for the mites to eat.
"When you are doing the laundry, you really need to try and put it on a 60 degree wash to kill the dust mites."
Once your pillow and other bedding is clean to a degree you are happy with, it is important to take preventative measures to stop the mites coming back.
Dr Ackerley added: "You can buy anti-allergy pillow protectors, which actually protect your pillow so the dust mites don’t get in there.
"Mattress protectors do the same thing."
And if you are worried about what is lurking in hotel pillows when you go on holiday take your own with you, suggests Dr Ackerley.
She added: "When you take a look at the pillow you are about to put your head on, sometimes it is just gross.
"You might want to consider taking your own pillow on holiday if you are susceptible."
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