Are You Allergic To Christmas?

‘Tis the season to be Jolly. Unless you are an allergy sufferer than it could be dreadful. While it may be a cold, allergies or your home making you sick.  Many people are unaware, but the main focal point of the Christmas Season – the tree- could be the dreadful for  allergy and hay fever sufferers.   Is it possible? Are you allergic to Christmas?

It’s called Christmas Tree Syndrome, and it is an allergic reaction to the number of molds that grow on the tree itself. These molds tend to flourish and rapidly increase in number once they are snuggled up inside centrally heated homes.

Pollen grains collect in the bark of a real tree, not from the pine itself, but from other trees and plants. Live Christmas trees can also collect mold on their trunk and needles, and some have been wrapped up for storage, helping them collect even more mold and dust. Mold releases spores which can cause allergic reactions.

While artificial trees can also trigger sneeze from dust collect in storage, which can be dispersed when it is disturbed.  These allergens are then released into the air when the tree is brought in to the room and can cause hay fever symptoms in sufferers.

Study’s show approximately 35 percent if people suffer from an increase in hay fever like symptoms at Christmas, with Real trees causing most of the problem.

Here are a few suggestions that can make your holiday season a little more manageable?

Wash your tree – If the farm you buy your tree from does not offer tree washing services, it’s best to hose down your tree and let it dry before brining it inside.

Toss the tree – Since mold can accumulate the longer your tree sits in the house, it’s best to put your Christmas tree curbside on the 26th.

Purify the Air – Using an air purifier in the same room as the tree can help remove allergens from the air.

Fake it – It may not smell the same, but a fake tree won’t trigger allergies .  That is providing you keep it stored properly, protected against mold and dust.

While there has been an increase in winter allergies this year, you may not be able to avoid allergic reactions this holiday season, with the above tips and information, hopefully you are able to minimize them as much as possible.