The Allergy Clinic
Specialists in Allergy & Asthma Care
Specialists in Allergy & Asthma Care
The Christmas tree you'll soon be buying is at the end of its long journey. Having grown up in Oregon, it is harvested
and placed on a flat bed truck for its cross country journey. Once every few stops, the trees are watered down to keep
them moist and fresh.
Just make sure that the beautiful Tannenbaum you invite into your living room doesn't make your allergies worse!
Although an artificial tree is best (if you rinse off the attic dust), here's some tips if you decide to go with a real tree:
That continual watering promotes mold growth. Make sure to spray your tree with a garden hose before bringing it
inside. This also helps rinse the pollen off the tree. Although pine trees aren't a major source of tree pollen, they can
trigger hay fever if you get a big dose of the powder right in your face. Rinsing the tree off, plus using your allergy
medicines before you enjoy trimming the tree, may prevent your Christmas-time allergy. Speaking of trimming the tree,
your ornaments may have spent the off-season in the attic with dust mites and mold. Carefully clean them off in a
well-ventilated area. After Christmas, pack the ornaments carefully in sealed plastic bags to make next year's job a bit
easier.
Keep the living room well-ventilated. The aromatic resins that impart the pine scent can act as non-allergic irritants. Our
Texas Aggie buddies suggest the Leyland Cypress tree since, as a true hybrid, it cannot produce pollen. Fewer resins
on the Leyland Cypress mean fewer odors.
Along with cheerful holiday gatherings come colds and flu. How does your doctor keep from getting all those bugs? We
wash our hands with hot soapy water about 753 times a day. Careful hand washing can prevent transmission of
respiratory viruses. New research also suggests that the alcohol gels, like Purell®, work even better than hot, soapy
water.
Stay well and Happy Holidays from The Allergy Clinic, your allergy and asthma specialists!
Back to Educational Index
and placed on a flat bed truck for its cross country journey. Once every few stops, the trees are watered down to keep
them moist and fresh.
Just make sure that the beautiful Tannenbaum you invite into your living room doesn't make your allergies worse!
Although an artificial tree is best (if you rinse off the attic dust), here's some tips if you decide to go with a real tree:
That continual watering promotes mold growth. Make sure to spray your tree with a garden hose before bringing it
inside. This also helps rinse the pollen off the tree. Although pine trees aren't a major source of tree pollen, they can
trigger hay fever if you get a big dose of the powder right in your face. Rinsing the tree off, plus using your allergy
medicines before you enjoy trimming the tree, may prevent your Christmas-time allergy. Speaking of trimming the tree,
your ornaments may have spent the off-season in the attic with dust mites and mold. Carefully clean them off in a
well-ventilated area. After Christmas, pack the ornaments carefully in sealed plastic bags to make next year's job a bit
easier.
Keep the living room well-ventilated. The aromatic resins that impart the pine scent can act as non-allergic irritants. Our
Texas Aggie buddies suggest the Leyland Cypress tree since, as a true hybrid, it cannot produce pollen. Fewer resins
on the Leyland Cypress mean fewer odors.
Along with cheerful holiday gatherings come colds and flu. How does your doctor keep from getting all those bugs? We
wash our hands with hot soapy water about 753 times a day. Careful hand washing can prevent transmission of
respiratory viruses. New research also suggests that the alcohol gels, like Purell®, work even better than hot, soapy
water.
Stay well and Happy Holidays from The Allergy Clinic, your allergy and asthma specialists!
Back to Educational Index
