Asthma UK has provided a list of suggestions for how people can manage the festive time of year safely , peculiarly if they or loved ones have breathing difficulties . Although much of the advice , such as making sure not to run out of medications while stores are shut , looks obvious once offer , they also admonish about a risk few hoi polloi may have contemplated – harmful Christmas trees .
The tree diagram in inquiry are not angry Lord of the Rings part seeking revenge on those who vanish them . Instead , the trouble is what can be carried along with the piney olfactory property of a real Christmas tree .
“ Real Christmas tree diagram bring stamp spore and pollen into the house , ” Asthma UK discourage on theirwebsite . “ And in a warm , centrally heated up home , spore can multiply . If you ’re sensitive to mould and pollen , you may find symptom similar to hay fever when you get a real tree . On top of this , your asthma attack symptom could also get worse . ”
Just buying anartificial treeisn’t needfully a result , however , at least if you do n’t want the plastic guilt of contrive it out and purchase a young one each year . “ If you find your asthma attack is triggered by dust , you may need to be careful when arrest your stilted tree diagram out of the closet or down from the loft , ” the charitywarns .
The trouble has been describe Christmas Tree Syndrome in the hope of raising awareness .
The issue is peculiarly acute for their UK consultation and others in inhuman climates . Even in years not beset by a respiratory disease pandemic coldness and grippe spread easy with so many the great unwashed in close travail coinciding with seasonal high . Moreover , Asthma UKcounsels ; “ Going from a ardent planetary house to dusty conditions out of doors can trigger asthma symptom . ” Open fires may look and feel beautiful , but the smoke is a common asthma trigger .
Nevertheless , Australia ’s National Asthma council has similar warnings , with their representative David Furniss telling Perthradio 6PR ; “ If you have an hokey Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , it ’s wrapped in plastic , a bag , etc . , and you ’ve been snare in a cupboard for 12 months somewhere , without thinking , incognizant that it ’s full of dust and touch . It ’s potential to get moldy , which can really cause problems . ”
So what to do ? Taking the problems in inverse order , the Asthma UK website suggests :
material Christmas trees stupefy more of a job , but the site suggest a multi - gradation resolution , starting with hosing the tree diagram down before bringing it into the sign of the zodiac ( but permit it dry out before add together lights ) . Trees should also be keep on ; “ In the cool part of the house , so that spores are less potential to multiply ” and moved outside as before long as anyone shows sign of their asthma symptom getting bad . If the problem draw bad , Asthma UK suggest getting an stilted tree instead .
A version of this articlefirst appearedin December 2021 .
