What danger are hidden in Christmas trees

Recently, more and more popularityacquire artificial Christmas trees. They visually differ little from natural ones, while they have a number of obvious advantages. However, there are always fans of natural pines and spruces. After all, not a single artificial Christmas tree is capable of filling a home with the aroma of pine needles, which has been associated with the New Year holidays since childhood. But it should be borne in mind that by purchasing a living tree, you not only sacrifice nature, but also risk your own health. According to British scientists, it can cause the so-called Christmas tree syndrome. It manifests itself with symptoms such as headache, cough, runny nose, sneezing, etc. In general, according to experts, the symptoms resemble hay fever. This syndrome is caused by allergens, which are abundant in natural spruce and pine. However, artificial trees also do not guarantee the absence of unpleasant symptoms.

Christmas tree can cause severe allergies

Why natural Christmas trees are allergic

According to British scientists, headaches and painsears can seriously ruin the holidays. Allergy sufferers are at greatest risk of developing Christmas tree syndrome. But why does this syndrome from a Christmas tree occur at all? According to air allergen expert Max Weisberg, the symptoms listed above can appear for several reasons. The main one is allergens that are found on the surface of the tree.

There may be mold, dust and pollen from other plants on the surface of the tree.

A group of scientists from the State University ofNew York Upstate Medical University analyzed samples of 28 Christmas trees that contained needles and bark. The study found that they contained over fifty different types of mold. In addition, according to experts, the bark often contains pollen from other plants. Such a “cocktail” can cause health problems even in healthy people, not to mention allergy sufferers. Where does mold come from? We talked about this earlier.

However, do not think that artificial Christmas treesabsolutely safe. Dust accumulates on them over time. In addition, mold can also develop. Therefore, the risk of Christmas tree syndrome in this case, although reduced, is not completely excluded. This is especially true of old artificial Christmas trees that people have been putting on holidays for years.

Christmas tree allergy - how not to spoil your holiday

How to avoid allergy sufferers' health problemsnew year holidays? It is clear that you will not be able to protect yourself from the Christmas trees, since you cannot avoid going to friends and relatives. Yes, and depriving yourself of the festive mood that this symbol of the New Year and Christmas gives, is also not worth it.

You should decorate the tree just before the holiday.

Experts recommend sticking to severalrecommendations that minimize the risk of Christmas tree syndrome, and in some cases even completely avoid it. First of all, you should not install a Christmas tree at home too early, that is, long before the holidays. In this case, it will have time to accumulate a sufficient amount of dust and mold. As a result, allergies can arise exactly by the New Year, which will ruin the holiday.

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The tree should be placed directly in front ofholidays, and clean up immediately after their end. To reduce the amount of allergens that wood contains (whether natural or artificial), wash it first before installing it indoors. For example, you can put a Christmas tree in a bathtub and rinse thoroughly with a hose or shower.

It should be borne in mind that allergens are the mostfall into the air, at the moment when the tree is set up and dressed up. Even more - when Christmas tree decorations are removed from her. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the ventilation of the room. Allergy sufferers should first use nasal allergy protection. Even better, if possible, ask family members who are not allergic to take care of the tree.

It is necessary to store an artificial Christmas tree in a sealed package.

If we are talking about a synthetic tree, it is necessarypay attention to her choice. The presence of a strong chemical smell should deter you from buying. Store the artificial Christmas tree for a year in sealed packaging so that dust and mold do not accumulate on the surface.

By adhering to these recommendations, you will saveholiday atmosphere, but at the same time, you will not suffer from debilitating and unkempt symptoms. Finally, let me remind you that allergies can occur not only to the tree, but also to the cold. But, fortunately, this ailment is extremely rare in humans.