Whether you got your real Christmas tree from a lot or a farm, there is a real risk that it carries mold. Mold is a common cause of allergy symptoms, and it becomes an even more prominent problem in the damp winter months.
Am I Allergic to My Christmas Tree?
If you’ve recently brought your Christmas tree inside and immediately noticed allergy-like symptoms, such as sneezing, itchy eyes or a rash, there’s a chance your tree carried an allergen into your home.
While a chemical compound secreted by the tree is known to cause allergies, it’s a relatively rare sensitivity; what is far more likely is that mold is the culprit. It’s estimated that three to ten percent of the population has a mold allergy, making it one of the most common causes of allergies.
How Does My Christmas Tree Bring Mold into the House?
Mold spores thrive in damp, warm conditions. They grow quite prolifically in the fall, when temperatures haven’t dropped yet, but moisture levels increase. At the tree farm, plant debris and irrigation provide mold with ideal conditions for spreading spores. These microscopic spores will land on the trees. A 2011 SUNY study found that Christmas trees can carry as many as 50 different types of mold, two-thirds of which could cause allergy symptoms.
As you move your Christmas tree around, bring it into the house and set it up in the tree stand, you’ll end up shaking the tree, which will shake off mold spores and send them airborne. Additionally, while you decorate the tree with lights and ornaments, you’ll agitate the branches further and send more mold into the air. Doing this will circulate the mold spores throughout your home, allowing them to land on surfaces.
How Can I Protect Myself from Mold?
It’s a good idea to wear long sleeves and a mask while handling the tree to avoid contact with mold spores, especially if you know you have a mold allergy.
Cleaning off your tree before bringing it inside will significantly decrease the amount of mold it carries into the house. Many Christmas tree lots and farms have an apparatus that will shake the tree vigorously before they load it on top of your car, and doing this will shed a lot of mold spores. If the place where you purchased your Christmas tree doesn’t do this, use your arms to shake your tree hard in your yard before bringing it inside.
Once the Christmas tree is installed in your home, clean frequently. Use a vacuum cleaner and duster—in all rooms of the house, not just the room with the Christmas tree—to catch errant mold spores and keep them from spreading farther. You may also consider investing in a HEPA air filtration system, which will remove mold spores from the air entirely without circulating them further.
If you start noticing allergy symptoms, use your regular allergy medications to relieve them. Antihistamines (Claritin, Zyrtec), decongestants (Sudafed) and mild pain relievers (Tylenol, ibuprofen) are all effective ways to relieve symptoms.
If symptoms persist or grow more severe, call our allergy specialists at Willamette ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery. We can discuss more allergy management strategies and ways to keep the mold at bay. Call today for more information.
Learn More
“Dr. Strand is wonderful. In fact, all the staff are just the best. Personable, and to the point. You will be well cared for at Willamette ENT.”