Now that we are getting chilly nights and the twinkle of snow is a distinct possibility, it is a fine time to get a cup of cocoa and think ahead to the best season of all and that is Christmas.
Although some people may want to delight in the scent of a pine tree there are an increasing number of people who are unaware that they have an allergy to real Christmas Trees. Reactions to pine, fir, and spruce trees can begin causing disturbing allergies when entering a home or to be near a pine tree and I should know I am one of those people. The best Christmas tip someone gave me once was “Buy an artificial Christmas tree”.
I can itch, have plugged sinuses, tears in my eyes, and sneeze away when I am near a Christmas tree, and other real Christmas decorations such as wreaths or garlands. While I would enjoy the scent of pine, I just cannot get near them anymore and since a child, I was tormented by the Christmas Tree during the Holiday Season.
Allergy season may also include the Christmas season as many doctors can account how many patients come in for allergy tests only to find a real issue and reaction to Pine trees, or spruce or fir trees.
This is because most Christmas trees have a little pollen on them when you bring them into your home from the fall season. The real problem is that most of the real trees in any part of the country have dust and or molds, which can cause allergic reactions when you bring them into your home.
These substances can cause an asthma attack for asthma sufferers and those with re-occurring sinus infections. In my research, every tree buying product review I have read has introduced the possible allergic reactions the public has to trees.
Most trees are cut down during the month of October and stored where they collect these allergens for months in the damp and the rain. The trees also collect ragweed pollens, and mold fungal spores from the farms where they are raised its just inevitable. When you move the trees or they are drying out in your home the spores fly into the air, which circulates around your home with the hot warm air from your home heating furnaces.
Researchers have found the levels are approximately 200 times higher in a home with a real Christmas Tree than with a home with an artificial Christmas Tree. I especially am fond of the 4 foot FiberOptic Christmas tree I have in my teenage daughter’s room as it is white and twinkles as it revolves on its base. My daughter loves to fall asleep beside it with visions of Christmas and soft music playing in the background.
An allergy specialist from an asthma organization recommends artificial Christmas trees for those who suffer from asthma, and allergic reactions to real Christmas trees.
To reduce the allergy spreading hazards you would have to do a lot of cleaning of the trunk of you car, or truck using a mild bleach solution.
You would wash the trees outdoors with fresh water and hose it down and let it dry out for a few weeks. A leaf blower to clean off the branches would be used while using a dust mask and far away from your house.
The recommendation is also to let someone else decorate your tree if you or family members suffer from allergies to pollen, fungus, ragweed, and mold spores and that is no fun at all.
Also if the trees are brought inside during the early part of winter people are more likely to develop a respiratory virus because our resistance is down in the winter. Persons who may not have allergies might react to the evergreen trees of Christmas.
Seems like a lot of work to get a Christmas Tree for the holiday seasons to enjoy when you can simply purchase an Artificial Christmas tree already decorated and ready to sit up pretty in your home. The newer models have Pre-Lit Trees and Pre-decorated tree models that are professionally designed with all the trimmings you would expect and find in a high end department store.
For those with asthma it may wish to carry extra medication or an EpiPen to grandma’s house or visiting friends over the holidays just in case it becomes a severe reaction.
The best way to enjoy a Merry Christmas is with an Artificial Tree made of non-allergic materials. If you bought one from last year, you would also have it stored in a dry place in a storage zippered bag, or even a well-sealed box that will not have collected any dust for months or pollen. You simply just have to pop it out of the bag and plug it in….nice, cozy, and quick.
We all want to be able to enjoy our Christmas seasons without the allergies and I will be enjoying my pre-decorated and Artificial Christmas Tree all season - without a sneeze.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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