Allergy tests in my early teens showed that I'm allergic to feathers and wool. Hotels are proud of their down and feather bedding, but one night with a feather pillow leaves me congested, rundown and puffy eyed.
If the hotel advertises its down bedding, I request a hypoallergenic room -- which hotels usually have. I always check hotel bedding for feathers when I arrive. If I find down or feathers, I call down to housekeeping to change it for synthetic-fill bedding. Cotton blankets and synthetic fill are godsends to the allergic. Wool and feather allergies leave the sufferers with the conviction that nature is toxic.
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This story reminded me of the book "The feather pillow," by Horacio Quiroga, where a nasty secret hides in the newlywed's feather pillow, and it's not dust!
9
I have been allergic to feather pillows/bedding, etc, since childhood (also smoke and animal hair). On a recent Holland America cruise, we were upgraded to a Neptune Suite with “luxury bedding”. Unbeknownst to us, that included feather pillows and a feather duvet. By the third night I was coughing constantly, had a sore throat and a bad stuffy nose. I asked the room steward about the “luxury bedding”, and bingo! Feathers and down. The steward changed it all out for me to hypoallergenic (ie, not luxury) and after a few days I had recovered and could enjoy the rest of 21 days around Iceland.
For anyone with sudden onset breathing problems, proximity to feathers and down would be the very first question I would ask.
39
Not to push products but I'd be interested to know exactly what specific bedding brand(s) he bought. could be useful to others facing similar allergy issues and/or those interested in a better nights sleep.
21