Health2 min(s) read
Published 13:18 02 Mar 2021 GMT
A doctor has issued a disturbing health warning explaining why you should change your pillow every two years - at least.
Taking to TikTok, Dr. Karan Raj, a verified user on the platform, explained to his 3 million followers that over the years, feces of microscopic dust mites accumulate on your pillow.
Check out the eye-opening video below:In the clip, Dr. Raj tells his followers: "You need to change your pillows at least every two years. The average person sheds about four kilos of skin every year. Most of that ends up on your bed or pillow - a feast for microscopic dust mites.
"A single dust mite has about 20 dumps a day. Multiply that by the hundreds of mites living on your pillow. The build-up of dust mite feces can cause breathing and allergy-type symptoms.
"And those nasty, yellow spots on your pillows? That's sweat and oil from your body. That moisture can breed mold and bacteria."
He adds: "Finally, if you can fold your pillow in half and it doesn't spring back, that pillow is dead. It's no longer keeping your neck and spine in alignment, causing neck pain."
In other bed hygiene news, Dr. Raj explained in a previous video that you should refrain from making your bed as soon as you get up in the morning - for one important reason...
Check out the video below:He says: "Stop making your bed first thing in the morning, it's going to make you healthy. Making your bed in the morning traps dust mites that have accumulated overnight.
"These microscopic predators, which are less than a millimeter long, feed on the scales of human skin and thrive in moist environments. When we sleep at night, our bodies become warm and sweaty, making them prime targets for these mites to feed on.
"They will leave behind excretions which can give us asthma or allergy-like symptoms. So making your bed in the morning traps all this moisture and provides a home for 1.5 million of these bad boys."
He adds: "Instead leave your bed messy just for a while. It exposes these mites to air and sunlight, which dehydrate them and causes them to die."
