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Urgent warning to replace your mattress IMMEDIATELY after gross discovery
Experts are warning you to change your mattress immediately after a very grim discovery. They said we're meant to be swap out our old mattress for a new one every six to eight years.
Sleeping on an old one puts us at risk of inhaling gross bacteria such as E coli and mould, the experts warned. The results of this can be pretty grim, causing sore throats, itchy eyes, diarrhoea and vomiting.
It can even cause more serious infections as well as pneumonia. And it's not just your immune system that could take a beating. A well-worn mattress can cause back aches and pains, as well as a whole string of sleep problems.
Sleep specialists at Opera Beds said: "Mattresses provide the foundation and support necessary to achieve good quality sleep. "The right mattress can elevate and influence your sleep by providing pressure relief and preventing you from waking up with aches and pain in the morning.
"Finding a suitable one that caters to your sleep style and requirements is essential for overall comfort, ensuring proper physical restoration, cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall vitality.
"It’s a personal choice and one that should take individual needs, preferences, and any underlying health concerns into consideration. But once we've got one, many of us fail to recognize the tell-tale signs that it’s time to be replaced.
"Depending on factors like usage and wear and tear, mattresses should ideally be replaced every six to eight years."
Here's everything that could be hiding in your mattress, and the problems it can cause.
Bacteria
There's all sorts hiding in your old mattress. Research shows they're hotbeds of microscopic activity - with staphylococcus, lactobacillus, streptococcus and E coli all found.
These can cause nasty skin infections and upset stomachs, as well as abscesses, joint problems and even pneumonia. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and heart, bone and eye infections are also possible.
Bodily fluids
From sweat and saliva to semen and skin oils, your bed is full of it. The liquids seep through your sheets and are absorbed by your mattress, sticking around for years. Experts reckon that over the lifespan of your mattress, these fluids could fill two bathtubs to the brim.
It is estimated the average adult sweats 26 gallons a year in bed, making it a warm, moist home for fungus. Yeast, mould and bacteria like staphylococcus aureus can make its way into the crevices, leaving you at risk of painful red lumps on the skin, sores, crusts and blisters, and painful eyes and eyelids.
Mould spores
If that wasn't enough, mattresses can become susceptible to mould spores. "These can be detrimental for health in the short and long-term," Opera Beds said.
"This can be particularly bad if a bedroom gets damp or isn't ventilated properly. Some of the first signs of mould exposure can be the sniffles, sneezing, and red or itchy eyes or skin."
The most commonly found spores are penicillium, cladosporium, alternaria, and aspergillus, which can cause allergy symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, congestion and itching.
Dust mites
Dust mites can also burrow in the fibres, causing or worsening skin problems like eczema and respiratory issues like asthma. "The reality is - the older your mattress, the more dust it will have gathered," experts said.
The critters feed on flakes of dead skin - which your mattress is full of. In eight years, we shed an average of 11lb (5kg) of dead skin cells - so double that if you're sharing with a partner or pet.
Sleep
Away from the germs, an old mattress can wreak havoc on your sleep.
You may find yourself waking up more often, experiencing discomfort or struggling to nod off.
"A lack of sleep affects our day-to-day lives and our ability to function properly, and the issue will cause a negative cycle of sleep disruption, meaning you associate sleep and bed with frustration, causing further problems," Opera Beds said.
And finally, saggy springs and floppy foam can cause a range of aches and pains.
OperaBeds said: "A tired, worn out mattress likely won't be providing your body with the foundation it needs for a restful sleep, and you might find yourself waking up with pains, without realizing why, and thinking it's due to your sleeping positions.
"A lot of older mattresses develop dips in them, which is bad for support and posture."
注释：
grim: adj
表示"冷酷的；可怕的 "，means "very bad; very serious and unsmiling in appearance"，如：Her face wore a grim, set look. 她脸上显出严厉、 木然的神情。
swap: v
表示" 交换；用 ... 作交易 "，means " exchange goods or positions"，如：He offerd to swap his camera for hers.他表示要与她交换相机。
inhale: v
表示" 吸入；吸气；吞咽 "，means " breathe in"，如：Do you inhale when you smoke? 你抽烟时是否把烟吸入肺里？
Coli: adj
表示" <拉>大肠(杆)菌的"，如：Behaviour of Escherichia coli under high pressure. 高压下,埃希氏菌属大肠杆菌的活性。
hotbed: n
表示" 温床"，means "a bed of earth covered with glass and heated by rotting manure to promote the growth of plants"，如：Bureaucracy is a hotbed of bribery and corruption. 官僚主义是贿赂和腐败的温床。
microscopic
表示" 显微镜的；极小的；微观的 "，means "of or relating to or used in microscopy; extremely precise with great attention to details"，如：It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
staphylococcus: n
表示" 葡萄球菌 "，如：The Staphylococcus aureus was found in the delivery rooms.产房环境中检出金黄色葡萄球菌。
lactobacillus: n
表示" 乳酸杆菌"，means "a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium that produces lactic acid (especially in milk)"，如：It is traditionally made by adding common strains of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus bacteria to raw milk.传统制作是在鲜奶里添加嗜热链球菌或保加利亚乳酸杆菌。
streptococcus: n
表示" 链球菌 "，如：It effect on Streptococcus sp. is most remarkable. 而生姜则对链球菌的抑菌效果较为明显。
abscesses: n
表示" 脓肿；脓疮 "，如：He has a bad abscess under that tooth.他那颗牙下边有一处脓肿。
semen: n
表示" 精液 "，如：Normal semen was milky white or light yellow. 正常的精液呈乳白色或淡黄色。
seep: v
表示" 渗出；渗漏"，means "pass gradually or leak through or as if through small openings"，如：Blood was beginning to seep through the bandages. 血开始从绷带上渗出来。
reckon: v
表示"认为；估计; 算进去 "，means "generally consider or regard; guess;calculate"，如：They reckon the book as one of his best works. 他们认为这本书是他的优秀作品之一。You should reckon in the cost of fuel.你应当把燃料费计算在内。
brim：n
表示" 边；边缘 "，means "the top edge of a cup,bowl,etc."，如：He drank at the fountain's brim.他醉在喷泉边。
aureus: n
表示"一种古罗马金币 "，如：Furunculosis is usually due to Staphylococcus aureus. 疖病常常由金黄色葡萄球菌所引起。
crevice: n
表示" 裂缝"，means "a long narrow depression in a surface"，如：Herb that grows in crevices having long narrow leaves and small pink apetalous flowers. 裂缝里生长的草，叶子窄而长，开粉色无瓣小花。
lump: n
表示" 块；团；瘤"，means " a mass of sth solid without a special size or shape; a hard swelling on the body"，如：The surgeon excised the lump from her breast. 外科医生切除了她乳房的肿块。
blister: n
表示" 水泡"，means " a thin swelling under the skin,caused by rubbing,burning,etc."，如：My boot is pressing against a blister on my toe. 我的靴子挤压了我脚趾上的水泡。
Detrimental: adj
表示" 有害的 "，means " harmful"，如：Lack of sleep is detrimental to one's health. 缺乏睡眠有害健康。
sniffle: v; n
表示"抽噎;吸鼻涕 "，means "cry or whine with snuffling"，如：The whale began to sniffle and cough.鲸鱼开始鼻子抽噎和咳嗽。
penicillium: n
表示" 青霉菌 "，如：Saccharomyces cerevisiae was immobilized by Penicillium.酿酒酵母被青霉菌固定。
Cladosporium; n
表示" 分子孢子菌属"，如：Cladosporium sp. 枝孢霉
alternaria: n
表示"链格孢属 "，如：The most exaggerated and statistically significant response by far was to Alternaria alternata antigens.最言过其实的是对链格孢抗原的反应非常明显，具有统计学显著差异。
aspergillus: n
表示" 曲霉菌 "，如：Studies on enzymatic properties of Aspergillus spp. 曲霉菌酶学性质的研究。
mite
表示" 螨虫；小虫；"，means "any of numerous very small to minute arachnids often infesting animals or plants or stored foods"，如：It takes about one hour for the mite to bury itself in the skin.
螨虫需要花费一个小时才能将自己埋藏到皮肤之下。
burrow：v; n
表示"(挖)洞 "，means "make sth by digging; hole"，如：You burrow and rankle in his heart! 你挖掘并折磨他的心灵！
eczema: n
表示" 湿疹"，means "generic term for inflammatory conditions of the skin;"，如：He grew out of his eczema as he got older. 他长大后湿疹就好了。
critter: n
表示" 家畜；生物 "，means "a regional term for `creature' (especially for domestic animals)
critters"，如：These disarmingly colorful critters actually pack some potent weaponry. 这些看起来五颜六色，赏心悦目的小生物却暗藏着强大的武器。
wreak: v
表示" 发泄；"，means "cause to happen or to occur as a consequence"，如：Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle. 怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。
havoc: v; n
表示"破坏；混乱 "，means "damage;destruction"，如：His hard work wreaks havoc in his personal life.他拼命工作破坏了他的私人生活。
中文简要说明：
床垫多久该换一次？英国床垫制造商建议，每6至8年就要换新床垫，他们估算，每名成人平均每年在床上流下98升汗水，8年下来在床上掉下5公斤皮屑，形成细菌、霉菌、尘螨温床，轻则导致过敏、眼睛痒、呕吐、腹泻，严重者可能造成肺炎。
英国《每日镜报》（Daily Mirror）报导，英国床垫制造商「Opera Beds」专家建议，根据使用情形及磨损状态，每6至8年就应该换掉旧床垫。
报导指出，老旧床垫可能藏有细菌、体液、霉菌孢子、尘螨等各种生物及废物，对人体造成轻重不等影响。
■细菌
研究显示，老旧床垫是细菌温床，曾发现过葡萄球菌、乳酸杆菌（Lactobacillus）、链球菌（Streptococcus）及大肠杆菌。这些细菌可能导致皮肤感染、胃部不适、脓疡（Abscess）、关节问题，甚至造成肺炎；另外也可能导致泌尿道感染、心脏、骨头、眼睛感染。
■体液
报导指出，床上沾满汗渍、口水、精液、皮肤油垢等体液，这些体液渗进去床单、床垫，专家预估，在床垫的使用寿命内，累积下来这些体液能填满2个浴缸。
另外专家也预估，平均每位成年人每年在床上流下26加仑（约98升）汗液，使床成为真菌的温床，报导指出，酵母菌、霉菌、及金黄色葡萄球菌等细菌，可能导致皮肤红肿、疼痛、起水泡，甚至造成眼睛疼痛。
■霉菌孢子
「Opera Beds」指出，老旧床垫也容易孳生霉菌孢子，「对短期、长期健康构成危害」，尤其如果房间较为潮湿或未适当通风，暴露在霉菌下的初期征兆包括鼻塞、打喷嚏，以及眼睛或皮肤发红、发痒。
常见的霉菌孢子包括青霉菌、枝孢菌属（Cladosporium）、链格孢菌属（Alternaria）以及曲菌（aspergillus），容易引起流鼻水、打喷嚏、鼻塞、搔痒等过敏反应。
■尘螨
专家表示，陈年床垫纤维中也可能发现尘螨，加重患者湿疹、气喘等问题，「事实是，你的床垫愈老旧，累积的尘螨就愈多」。
专家说，尘螨以皮屑为食，他们预估，8年下来一张床垫平均累积了5公斤的死皮屑，如果是夫妻一起睡或和宠物共枕，床垫上的皮屑量将是两倍。
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Urgent warning to replace your mattress IMMEDIATELY after gross discovery
Experts are warning you to change your mattress immediately after a very grim discovery. They said we're meant to be swap out our old mattress for a new one every six to eight years.
Sleeping on an old one puts us at risk of inhaling gross bacteria such as E coli and mould, the experts warned. The results of this can be pretty grim, causing sore throats, itchy eyes, diarrhoea and vomiting.
It can even cause more serious infections as well as pneumonia. And it's not just your immune system that could take a beating. A well-worn mattress can cause back aches and pains, as well as a whole string of sleep problems.
Sleep specialists at Opera Beds said: "Mattresses provide the foundation and support necessary to achieve good quality sleep. "The right mattress can elevate and influence your sleep by providing pressure relief and preventing you from waking up with aches and pain in the morning.
"Finding a suitable one that caters to your sleep style and requirements is essential for overall comfort, ensuring proper physical restoration, cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall vitality.
"It’s a personal choice and one that should take individual needs, preferences, and any underlying health concerns into consideration. But once we've got one, many of us fail to recognize the tell-tale signs that it’s time to be replaced.
"Depending on factors like usage and wear and tear, mattresses should ideally be replaced every six to eight years."
Here's everything that could be hiding in your mattress, and the problems it can cause.
Bacteria
There's all sorts hiding in your old mattress. Research shows they're hotbeds of microscopic activity - with staphylococcus, lactobacillus, streptococcus and E coli all found.
These can cause nasty skin infections and upset stomachs, as well as abscesses, joint problems and even pneumonia. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and heart, bone and eye infections are also possible.
Bodily fluids
From sweat and saliva to semen and skin oils, your bed is full of it. The liquids seep through your sheets and are absorbed by your mattress, sticking around for years. Experts reckon that over the lifespan of your mattress, these fluids could fill two bathtubs to the brim.
It is estimated the average adult sweats 26 gallons a year in bed, making it a warm, moist home for fungus. Yeast, mould and bacteria like staphylococcus aureus can make its way into the crevices, leaving you at risk of painful red lumps on the skin, sores, crusts and blisters, and painful eyes and eyelids.
Mould spores
If that wasn't enough, mattresses can become susceptible to mould spores. "These can be detrimental for health in the short and long-term," Opera Beds said.
"This can be particularly bad if a bedroom gets damp or isn't ventilated properly. Some of the first signs of mould exposure can be the sniffles, sneezing, and red or itchy eyes or skin."
The most commonly found spores are penicillium, cladosporium, alternaria, and aspergillus, which can cause allergy symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, congestion and itching.
Dust mites
Dust mites can also burrow in the fibres, causing or worsening skin problems like eczema and respiratory issues like asthma. "The reality is - the older your mattress, the more dust it will have gathered," experts said.
The critters feed on flakes of dead skin - which your mattress is full of. In eight years, we shed an average of 11lb (5kg) of dead skin cells - so double that if you're sharing with a partner or pet.
Sleep
Away from the germs, an old mattress can wreak havoc on your sleep.
You may find yourself waking up more often, experiencing discomfort or struggling to nod off.
"A lack of sleep affects our day-to-day lives and our ability to function properly, and the issue will cause a negative cycle of sleep disruption, meaning you associate sleep and bed with frustration, causing further problems," Opera Beds said.
And finally, saggy springs and floppy foam can cause a range of aches and pains.
OperaBeds said: "A tired, worn out mattress likely won't be providing your body with the foundation it needs for a restful sleep, and you might find yourself waking up with pains, without realizing why, and thinking it's due to your sleeping positions.
"A lot of older mattresses develop dips in them, which is bad for support and posture."
注释：
grim: adj
表示"冷酷的；可怕的 "，means "very bad; very serious and unsmiling in appearance"，如：Her face wore a grim, set look. 她脸上显出严厉、 木然的神情。
swap: v
表示" 交换；用 ... 作交易 "，means " exchange goods or positions"，如：He offerd to swap his camera for hers.他表示要与她交换相机。
inhale: v
表示" 吸入；吸气；吞咽 "，means " breathe in"，如：Do you inhale when you smoke? 你抽烟时是否把烟吸入肺里？
Coli: adj
表示" <拉>大肠(杆)菌的"，如：Behaviour of Escherichia coli under high pressure. 高压下,埃希氏菌属大肠杆菌的活性。
hotbed: n
表示" 温床"，means "a bed of earth covered with glass and heated by rotting manure to promote the growth of plants"，如：Bureaucracy is a hotbed of bribery and corruption. 官僚主义是贿赂和腐败的温床。
microscopic
表示" 显微镜的；极小的；微观的 "，means "of or relating to or used in microscopy; extremely precise with great attention to details"，如：It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
staphylococcus: n
表示" 葡萄球菌 "，如：The Staphylococcus aureus was found in the delivery rooms.产房环境中检出金黄色葡萄球菌。
lactobacillus: n
表示" 乳酸杆菌"，means "a Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium that produces lactic acid (especially in milk)"，如：It is traditionally made by adding common strains of Streptococcus and Lactobacillus bacteria to raw milk.传统制作是在鲜奶里添加嗜热链球菌或保加利亚乳酸杆菌。
streptococcus: n
表示" 链球菌 "，如：It effect on Streptococcus sp. is most remarkable. 而生姜则对链球菌的抑菌效果较为明显。
abscesses: n
表示" 脓肿；脓疮 "，如：He has a bad abscess under that tooth.他那颗牙下边有一处脓肿。
semen: n
表示" 精液 "，如：Normal semen was milky white or light yellow. 正常的精液呈乳白色或淡黄色。
seep: v
表示" 渗出；渗漏"，means "pass gradually or leak through or as if through small openings"，如：Blood was beginning to seep through the bandages. 血开始从绷带上渗出来。
reckon: v
表示"认为；估计; 算进去 "，means "generally consider or regard; guess;calculate"，如：They reckon the book as one of his best works. 他们认为这本书是他的优秀作品之一。You should reckon in the cost of fuel.你应当把燃料费计算在内。
brim：n
表示" 边；边缘 "，means "the top edge of a cup,bowl,etc."，如：He drank at the fountain's brim.他醉在喷泉边。
aureus: n
表示"一种古罗马金币 "，如：Furunculosis is usually due to Staphylococcus aureus. 疖病常常由金黄色葡萄球菌所引起。
crevice: n
表示" 裂缝"，means "a long narrow depression in a surface"，如：Herb that grows in crevices having long narrow leaves and small pink apetalous flowers. 裂缝里生长的草，叶子窄而长，开粉色无瓣小花。
lump: n
表示" 块；团；瘤"，means " a mass of sth solid without a special size or shape; a hard swelling on the body"，如：The surgeon excised the lump from her breast. 外科医生切除了她乳房的肿块。
blister: n
表示" 水泡"，means " a thin swelling under the skin,caused by rubbing,burning,etc."，如：My boot is pressing against a blister on my toe. 我的靴子挤压了我脚趾上的水泡。
Detrimental: adj
表示" 有害的 "，means " harmful"，如：Lack of sleep is detrimental to one's health. 缺乏睡眠有害健康。
sniffle: v; n
表示"抽噎;吸鼻涕 "，means "cry or whine with snuffling"，如：The whale began to sniffle and cough.鲸鱼开始鼻子抽噎和咳嗽。
penicillium: n
表示" 青霉菌 "，如：Saccharomyces cerevisiae was immobilized by Penicillium.酿酒酵母被青霉菌固定。
Cladosporium; n
表示" 分子孢子菌属"，如：Cladosporium sp. 枝孢霉
alternaria: n
表示"链格孢属 "，如：The most exaggerated and statistically significant response by far was to Alternaria alternata antigens.最言过其实的是对链格孢抗原的反应非常明显，具有统计学显著差异。
aspergillus: n
表示" 曲霉菌 "，如：Studies on enzymatic properties of Aspergillus spp. 曲霉菌酶学性质的研究。
mite
表示" 螨虫；小虫；"，means "any of numerous very small to minute arachnids often infesting animals or plants or stored foods"，如：It takes about one hour for the mite to bury itself in the skin.
螨虫需要花费一个小时才能将自己埋藏到皮肤之下。
burrow：v; n
表示"(挖)洞 "，means "make sth by digging; hole"，如：You burrow and rankle in his heart! 你挖掘并折磨他的心灵！
eczema: n
表示" 湿疹"，means "generic term for inflammatory conditions of the skin;"，如：He grew out of his eczema as he got older. 他长大后湿疹就好了。
critter: n
表示" 家畜；生物 "，means "a regional term for `creature' (especially for domestic animals)
critters"，如：These disarmingly colorful critters actually pack some potent weaponry. 这些看起来五颜六色，赏心悦目的小生物却暗藏着强大的武器。
wreak: v
表示" 发泄；"，means "cause to happen or to occur as a consequence"，如：Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle. 怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。
havoc: v; n
表示"破坏；混乱 "，means "damage;destruction"，如：His hard work wreaks havoc in his personal life.他拼命工作破坏了他的私人生活。
中文简要说明：
床垫多久该换一次？英国床垫制造商建议，每6至8年就要换新床垫，他们估算，每名成人平均每年在床上流下98升汗水，8年下来在床上掉下5公斤皮屑，形成细菌、霉菌、尘螨温床，轻则导致过敏、眼睛痒、呕吐、腹泻，严重者可能造成肺炎。
英国《每日镜报》（Daily Mirror）报导，英国床垫制造商「Opera Beds」专家建议，根据使用情形及磨损状态，每6至8年就应该换掉旧床垫。
报导指出，老旧床垫可能藏有细菌、体液、霉菌孢子、尘螨等各种生物及废物，对人体造成轻重不等影响。
■细菌
研究显示，老旧床垫是细菌温床，曾发现过葡萄球菌、乳酸杆菌（Lactobacillus）、链球菌（Streptococcus）及大肠杆菌。这些细菌可能导致皮肤感染、胃部不适、脓疡（Abscess）、关节问题，甚至造成肺炎；另外也可能导致泌尿道感染、心脏、骨头、眼睛感染。
■体液
报导指出，床上沾满汗渍、口水、精液、皮肤油垢等体液，这些体液渗进去床单、床垫，专家预估，在床垫的使用寿命内，累积下来这些体液能填满2个浴缸。
另外专家也预估，平均每位成年人每年在床上流下26加仑（约98升）汗液，使床成为真菌的温床，报导指出，酵母菌、霉菌、及金黄色葡萄球菌等细菌，可能导致皮肤红肿、疼痛、起水泡，甚至造成眼睛疼痛。
■霉菌孢子
「Opera Beds」指出，老旧床垫也容易孳生霉菌孢子，「对短期、长期健康构成危害」，尤其如果房间较为潮湿或未适当通风，暴露在霉菌下的初期征兆包括鼻塞、打喷嚏，以及眼睛或皮肤发红、发痒。
常见的霉菌孢子包括青霉菌、枝孢菌属（Cladosporium）、链格孢菌属（Alternaria）以及曲菌（aspergillus），容易引起流鼻水、打喷嚏、鼻塞、搔痒等过敏反应。
■尘螨
专家表示，陈年床垫纤维中也可能发现尘螨，加重患者湿疹、气喘等问题，「事实是，你的床垫愈老旧，累积的尘螨就愈多」。
专家说，尘螨以皮屑为食，他们预估，8年下来一张床垫平均累积了5公斤的死皮屑，如果是夫妻一起睡或和宠物共枕，床垫上的皮屑量将是两倍。
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