UPGRADING your bedding sounds like a harmless luxury - ditching sweaty synthetic foam for feather-filled pillows... what could possibly go wrong?
Quite a lot, is the surprising answer, just ask one 43-year-old British gent, who became the subject of an article in BMJ Case Reports - casereports.bmj.com.
The paper reported the man presented to his GP in Nov 2016 with a three month history of malaise, fatigue and breathlessness.
Initially his symptoms were attributed to a lower respiratory tract infection, which was treated, however despite an brief improvement in his condition he relapsed and had to take 14 days off work.
By the following month he was experiencing breathlessness walking between rooms, and his GP referred him for an urgent respiratory clinic review.
Blood tests came back normal, however an assessment of a chest x-ray revealed signs of hypersensitivity, with researchers identifying his new duck feather filled bedding as the cause of the ailment.
A 12-month course of steroids and a switch to hypoallergenic bedding resolved the ailment.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 22 Nov 19
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 22 Nov 19
