If you find yourself with a constant sneeze, a runny nose and watering eyes this holiday season, it may be time for you to identify your Christmas tree as the possible allergen. Both real and artificial trees can present allergy concerns in the home, but live trees can be a trigger for allergic reactions.

How does this happen? Well, the live trees you find at the tree farms spend their formative years in the great outdoors, giving them plenty of opportunity to gather various irritants such as air born pollens, herbicides, fertilizers and molds that stick to the trees¹ needles and bark. Furthermore, because the trees for purchase are harvested well in advance of Christmas and stored in moist holding areas prior to settling in your home, undesirable mold spores have time to develop and grow. When you bring one of these live tree inside, these same microscopic spores that usually float freely outdoors, float freely in the enclosed sanctuary of your home. Floating molds create an atmosphere that can make someone with allergies quite susceptible to asthma and increasing sinus issues. Additionally, dragging your tree in and out of your home and adjusting the branch limbs while hanging decorations can release many of these allergens into your rooms.