Dear Doctor,

My mattress is beginning to wear out and has a depression in the middle. These days I experience some back pain in the mornings, which I think is related to the mattress. What is the best posture in which to sleep and what health risks does my mattress pose?

Diane

Dear Diane,

Mattresses do tend to get worn out and sag after few years of use. It could be in the middle or sides, depending on which side is used more and body weight of the person using it. This gives poor support to back and joints, alignment of the backbone over the bed is disturbed. Over time, this leads to back and neck pain and even pain in joints. People prone to backache due to other reasons like old people with spondylosis or office and desk workers, can develop severe and chronic backache.

Apart from this, old mattresses also harbour dust mites which can give rise to allergies of various kinds. Bed bugs can be present in old mattress causing itchy bites.

The best way to avoid these problems is to replace the sagging mattress with a new one. Because once the problem has started in middle, it can spread to other parts. Ideally a mattress should be hard with a smooth surface. A very thick mattress is harmful. Cotton is ideal material for a mattress because chemicals present in foam mattress can also cause allergies, are toxic and even carcinogenic. If possible, a mattress should be vacuum cleaned or put out in sun once every week to clear it of bed bugs and dust mites.

A balanced nutritious diet, regular physical exercise and correct working postures also help in preventing or minimizing backache resulting from using a bad mattress.

Dr Rachna Pande  is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital