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Breathe Easier During Holiday Decorating
Holiday decorating is a tradition in most homes and is often accompanied by laughter, Christmas music, and eggnog. For some, however, decorating the house causes allergy symptoms and breathing difficulties.
Holiday decorations are stored for close to a year between uses, which is plenty of time for dust and mould to gather on decorations and artificial trees, especially when stored in a basement and in cardboard boxes. Real Christmas trees can carry pollens, herbicides, moulds, and other airborne irritants into your home.
Candles release soot into the air which can aggravate chronic lung conditions and the perfume from scented candles can cause breathing difficulties, headaches, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.
To avoid allergy symptoms or worsening of a chronic lung condition, consider these tips: - Avoid storing seasonal decorations in a basement whenever possible
- If storing decorations in the basement, consider using plastic bins with lids (*new plastic bins give off fumes that may bother some people)
- Use a damp cloth to wipe down artificial trees before assembling
- Use a damp cloth to wipe down decorations before use
- Avoid decorations made from fabric, especially fluffy ones
- Be careful with sprays such as artificial snow
- For real trees: spray tree with water, shake tree and let it dry thoroughly outside (with stump in bucket of water); use gloves to avoid contact with sap which may cause a skin reaction
- Avoid burning candles in the home, especially scented ones
- Avoid wood-burning fires
Avoiding or minimizing exposure to things that can aggravate allergies or lung conditions will go a long way to making this holiday season safe and enjoyable.
References
Osterweil, N. ( 12 November 2006 ) ACAAI: Allergens Lurk Under the Christmas Tree. MedPage Today, Philadelphia .
American Academy of Allergy , Asthma and Immunology (1996) Tips on How to Control Holiday Allergies .
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