Memory Foam Health Effects

Sore Prevention

• Memory foam's open cell structure reacts to body weight and heat by molding to the body's shape. This helps prevent pressure sores and relieves pressure points.

Stress Reduction

• Memory foam mattresses, toppers and pillows provide comfort that allows many users to achieve a more restful sleep. By conforming to the user's body, memory foam can relieve the pressure and back aches associated with stress, allowing the body to relax more fully.

Benefits for Asthma and Allergy Sufferers

• Memory foam products are generally less hospitable to dust mites, and they are much more durable than ordinary mattresses. This allows the mattress or pillow to last longer while harboring fewer allergens, which can bring relief to those with allergies and asthma.

Toxicity Concerns

• Memory foam mattresses are made from chemicals including polyhydroxy polyol, boric acid, toluene di-isocyanate and petroleum byproducts. Exposure to such toxic chemicals may have serious effects on the lungs.

Respiratory Irritation

• When new, some memory foam products give off a chemical odor that may be unpleasant. Although this chemical odor eventually decreases with airing, residual odors may remain, causing minor respiratory irritation.

Suffocation

• Do not leave babies or small children unattended on memory foam mattresses or pillows. The conforming nature of the product makes it hard for young ones to turn around if they end up face-down on the mattress, leading to possible suffocation.