Pillows that are too high may induce spontaneous vertebral artery dissection, which is one of the causes of stroke.
A study published by scholars from the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center of Japan and other institutions in the European Journal of Stroke defined pillows with a height exceeding 12 centimeters as high pillows and those exceeding 15 centimeters as extremely high pillows.
Researchers analyzed the height and hardness of pillows used by some patients with spontaneous vertebral artery dissection, and also investigated whether there were changes in cervical curvature among users.
The cause of spontaneous vertebral artery dissection is not yet clear, and many patients experience symptoms such as neck and occipital pain upon waking up. Researchers suggested that the onset of spontaneous vertebral artery dissection in some patients might be due to excessively high pillows. When the head rests on a high pillow, the degree of neck bending is greater, especially during movements such as turning over, which can easily cause vascular damage. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid using excessively high pillows.
