Ah! The Scent of Freshly Cut Mold
Once in the house, live Christmas trees can trigger allergies
 (HealthDay News) -- The scent of a live Christmas tree filling the home signifies the holiday season for many people.
But for people with allergies, the tree can represent a lot of misery.
Connecticut researchers found that the mold count from a live Christmas tree rose to five times the normal level two weeks after the tree was brought indoors.
"Christmas trees are another possible source of mold exposure during the holiday season," study co-author Philip Hemmers, an allergist and immunologist with St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport , Conn. , told HealthDay . "Mold allergies peak in the fall, and we see a second peak with a lot of our mold-sensitive patients during the holiday season. Our finding correlates with this second peak of mold sensitivity."
The researchers studied the mold growth of a live Christmas tree in a house in Connecticut . Mold reproduces by releasing spores into the air, so the researchers measured mold spore counts after the live tree was brought inside the house and decorated. The counts were taken 12 times in a two-week period between Dec. 24 and Jan. 6. The researchers did not assess the types of mold or whether the mold triggered allergic symptoms in people living in the house.
The mold spore count was five times higher than normal, levels that "have been correlated with allergic rhinitis and an increased rate of asthma symptoms and asthma-related hospitalization in other studies," Hemmers said.
"So if you don't feel well during the holidays, consider the Christmas tree as a possible source of allergies," he said.
He suggested that people sensitive to mold keep a live tree in their house for only about a week.
But for die-hard fans of live trees, there may be a way to make having them in the house a little easier, said David Khan, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
"If one is mold-allergic, running an air cleaner in the same room as the tree could theoretically reduce the mold exposure," he said, though he added that this has not been studied.
And though an artificial tree might seem like a better option for people with mold allergies, storage in an attic or basement can make them dusty or even moldy. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology urges allergy sufferers to clean artificial trees and decorations before putting them up.
A professional cleaner on the BBC America television show "How Clean Is Your House?" suggested securing a piece of pantyhose over a vacuum hose with a rubber band and then carefully and gently cleaning ornaments and knick-knacks.
Dr. James Sublett, a pediatric allergy specialist at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, had further suggestions for coping with holiday allergies.
"Store Christmas decorations in plastic containers that you can wipe off, since cardboard can potentially have mold," he told HealthDay . "Also wear a N95 dust mask when bringing stuff out of storage."
On the Web
To learn more about holiday allergies, visit the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
SOURCES:
HealthDay News ; Philip Hemmers, D.O., allergist and immunologist, St. Vincent's Medical Center, Bridgeport, Conn.; David Khan, M.D., associate professor of internal medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas; James Sublett, M.D., clinical professor and section chief, Pediatric Allergy, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Ky.; Dennis Ownby, M.D., professor of pediatrics and medicine, Medical College of Georgia; presentation, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology annual meeting, Dallas, Nov. 12, 2007
Author:
Anne Thompson
Publication Date:
Nov. 30, 2008
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
|
Health Info
