Clean Up and Keep the Christmas Tree Free of Toxins - WebMD

12/7/2021 - Real and artificial trees can trigger asthma attacks and allergies , which makes the holidays a torture for some people.

Allergies to Christmas trees caused by popular varieties such as fir, hemlock, pine or spruce are rare. But there are other allergens in the mixture that can be triggers for humans.

This is because real trees often travel long distances to reach your local tree lot. Water is doused before the trip so that mold can grow along the way, says J. Allen Meadows , MD, past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and an allergist with AllerVie. Health in Alabama.

Artificial trees, on the other hand, can release harmful chemicals that trigger allergies or asthma attacks right out of the box Meadows explains. After that, they can collect dust every year during storage, which also causes symptoms when unpacking. Storing everything in bags and boxes as airtight as possible can reduce dust, but not eliminate it.

Prevent symptoms

"Whether it's an artificial tree or a living tree, I like to ventilate it outside before I put it in my house," says Meadows. A leaf blower is also helpful for removing mold or dust from the tree before it is brought into the house.

Timing also plays a role. If you can postpone installing a tree until after the first hard frost where you live, you don't run the risk of pollen or ragweed settling on the tree if you put it outside for ventilation, he said.

And with a real tree, you should resist the urge to him right after Thanksgiving set up , says Sharmilee M. Nyenhuis , MD, a specialist in asthma , allergy and immunology at the University Hospital and Health Sciences System. from Illinois. This is because after about a week, mold will start to build up in your home.

Those who can't stand the thought of waiting until mid-December to plant a real tree can also reduce mold by spraying them with half a water, half a vinegar solution, he suggests. A vinegar solution can also remove mold from artificial trees.

The same masks people wore during the COVID-19 pandemic can also help with setting up and decorating the tree, says Nyenhuis. Wearing a mask to unwrap ornaments, line up and decorate the tree, and handle other seasonal decorations that you take out of storage can help reduce symptoms caused by mold and dust.

And you can also take steps to prevent asthma and allergy attacks by working with your doctor to review and change your medication as needed to deal with exposure to mold or tree dust, Meadows says.

"If your asthma and allergies are well controlled, you should end up tolerating places with living trees," he says.

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