Have your allergies or asthma acted up around the holidays? Do you have to remove yourself from decorating a Christmas tree because of excessive sneezing, swollen eyes or runny nose? You may be allergic to that live pine tree you just brought home

For years people believed that a freshly cut Christmas tree worsened allergy symptoms, but wasn’t sure if it was pollen, mold spores or simply the strong odors emitted from the tree..

A study conducted by a researcher in Connecticut and presented to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in Dallas shows that the problem is likely due to a mold allergy. The study found that after two weeks of being indoors, a live Christmas tree emitted significant amounts of mold spores into the air. In fact, the amount of mold spores found in a home with a Christmas tree was nearly 10 times the amount of mold normally found inside

Christmas trees that are cut weeks and months beforehand and stored in cramped, damp areas definitely have a higher chance of aggravating mold allergies. For people who suffer from mold allergies, researchers recommended that they limit the amount of time a Christmas tree is kept indoors to less than two weeks or consider using an artificial tree.

Since mold allergies affect up to 15 percent of the population, there is a reasonable chance that you or guests in your home may be allergic to your tree. Having a beautiful, realistic and allergy-free artificial tree may be the best alternative. Or, you may want to have allergy relief masks and air purifiers wrapped under the tree just in case.