Imagine you’re quietly writing Christmas letters, enjoying a cup of hot cocoa, when you suddenly feel a burning itch, and discover that a rash is quickly spreading. Several days later, you’re woozy because of a concoction of steroids and antibiotics you have to take to cure your allergy to natural Christmas trees.

This was true for a woman in the UK, and is true for many other people around the world who use natural Christmas trees. While these Christmas trees do have a beauty of their own, they may carry things that adversely affect health. In much the same way that new pets can come with “allergens”, natural Christmas trees carry their own allergens.

Allergens

Chemicals

Natural Christmas trees are sprayed with many chemicals at the farm and in the nurseries to them to survive longer and to look more attractive to buyers. While growing at the farm, Christmas trees are continually sprayed with fertilizer. At the lot, even more chemicals are applied to it to keep these trees from shedding. A flocked tree harbors even more chemicals. Individually these chemicals may not pose much of a threat, but mixed, the chemical compound they form increases the chances of triggering allergies and producing respiratory problems.

Pollen and Mold

As these were live organisms, natural Christmas trees carry spores and pollen that can trigger any number of allergic reactions when inhaled. According to Drs. John Santilli and William Rockwell, allergy and immunology experts, a study of spore content in a home containing a natural Christmas tree showed the following: Against a normal spore count of 500-700 per cubic meter, Christmas trees had 800 spores per cubic meter. After two weeks the count was at a maximum of 5,000 spores per cubic meter, which means a growth of over 600%.

Mold spores attach themselves to and thrive on the branches and needles of a tree. As molds reproduce by releasing spores into the air, these spores settle on animals and plants in nature, such as Christmas trees, and grow in clusters.

This mold growth is also true for pre-cut trees that have been kept alive by watering and stored for months beforehand. Adding lights to the tree provides heat that stimulates mold and bacteria growth. In a matter of days, you will have a thriving mold culture in your tree and in your entire house.

Dust Mites

Since natural Christmas trees are brought in from the outside, they house dust mites. And cramped storage spaces ensure the reproduction of these dust mites. When you bring the tree into your home, you also bring in the dust mites. The particles you see in a shaft of light are actually dead dust mites and the waste products of the live ones. It is these protein particles that trigger the allergic reaction.

Evergreen Sap and Oil

Terpene, which is found in the oil and sap of many evergreen trees and wreaths, is also a potential allergy culprit. Terpene can cause skin rashes when it comes in contact with the skin of allergic individuals.

Symptoms and Treatments

Some of the symptoms of these allergic reactions are: irritation of the nose, eyes, and throat; headaches; frequent sinus problems; rashes; hives. Molds, pollen, and dust can trigger any of these reactions. They have also been known to cause asthma attacks, and for people in the home who already have compromised immune systems, there is even the risk of fungal disease (for mold allergies).

Allergic reactions, especially severe ones, come on quickly. Those with mild symptoms are easily remedied by allergy medication; others with severe symptoms may need shots or be hospitalized for treatment. Before undergoing any medical treatment, be sure to ask your doctor first.

Preventive Measures: Artificial Christmas Trees

There are many outrageous suggestions to rid your Christmas tree of chemicals and allergens, such as driving around with the tree strapped to the roof of the car before bringing it in, or hosing down the tree. Doing these will only collect more allergens, and a damp tree is a breeding ground for mold.

The best way to prevent allergic reactions is to eradicate the source, which means replacing natural evergreens with artificial trees. Not the same as your grandmother’s prelit artificial Christmas trees, the options are vast. Many artificial trees are life-like in quality, mimicking the characteristics of trees found in nature. The one quality of nature that prelit artificial Christmas trees lack: Allergens. Artificial Christmas trees are hypoallergenic.

Many of the natural-looking trees are made of polyethylene plastic because of its malleable nature when in liquid form, and so polyethylene is injected into a mold of a live tree branch, giving artificial Christmas trees their life-like characteristics. Besides flexibility and non- allergenic, polyethylene artificial trees are durable, and when properly cared for can last for decades.

Those allergic to dust mites will want to ensure proper cleaning and storage their prelit artificial Christmas trees, which simply involves wiping down the tree with a damp rag, letting it fully dry, and then carefully placing the sections in storage bags and containers that fully seal shut.

However, we know that there are some who feel they cannot live without natural Christmas trees in their home even at the risk of allergic reactions. For these folks, mix of prelit artificial Christmas trees and a natural Christmas wreath or pine bough may satisfy.