IT’S now just weeks before Christmas, so you might be digging out you decorations from a cupboard or lugging a tree back to your home.
Though your tinsel and baubles add plenty of festive cheer, they might also cause you some unpleasant symptoms.
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This can range from painful skin flareups, to coughing, sneezing and wheezing.
But some seasonal additions to your home may even increase the risk of chronic lung conditions and cancer, experts say.
From your piney-scented tree to your glittering baubles and sweet-smelling candles, here are all the Christmas decorations that could be affecting your health.
1. Christmas trees
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A tree is the quintessential Christmas ornament and there’s nothing quite like the fresh, piney scent of a fir filling your home.
Read more on festive health
But the festive staple can irritate your skin and exacerbate conditions like eczema, according to Dr Donald Grant, GP and senior clinical adviser at The Independent Pharmacy
“Anyone suffering from skin conditions such as eczema knows it doesn’t take much for flare-ups to occur,” he says.
“The tiniest change in temperature or hormone levels can cause the condition to spike.
“Over Christmas, trees can also cause symptoms to worsen.”
The GP explains why trees can make your eczema symptoms worse.
“Firstly, real Christmas trees can cause eczema breakouts in various ways, but the main trigger is through sap and oils found on these trees.
“Many trees contain rosin, causing contact dermatitis and irritating sensitive skin.”
While eczema is the name for a group of conditions that cause skin to become dry and irritated, contact dermatitis is a type of eczema triggered by contact with a particular substance.
It usually improves or clears up completely if the substance causing the problem is identified and avoided.
“Additionally, these trees are often stored all year round in lofts or sheds,” Dr Grant goes on.
“The dampness creates the perfect conditions for mould spores to appear – which is harmful to health in many ways, causing respiratory issues including lung infections.
“For eczema sufferers, when these spores are released into the air, inhaling them can quickly trigger a reaction.”
But it’s not just eczema sufferers who need to be wary of trees.
“Anyone can have an allergic reaction to the popular decoration, leading to sneezing, coughing, disrupted sleep and sore eyes,” according to the GP.
What is eczema?
Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked.
Atopic eczema (the most common form of the condition) is more common in children, often developing before their first birthday.
However, it may also develop for the first time in adults.
It’s usually a long-term condition, although it can improve significantly, or even clear completely, in some children as they get older.
The exact cause of eczema is not known.
Symptoms:
Some people only have small patches of dry skin, but others may experience widespread red, inflamed skin all over the body.
It can affect any part of the body but it most often affects the hands, insides of the elbows, backs of the knees and the face and scalp in children.
There are many different treatments to help control eczema, including:
- self-care techniques, such as reducing scratching and avoiding triggers (babies and small children may need to wear mittens to avoid scratching)
- moisturising on a daily basis
- topical corticosteroids to reduce swelling, redness and itching during flare-ups
“This phenomenon is labelled ‘Christmas Tree Syndrome’ and consists of dust, pollen and terpenes causing respiratory issues and allergic reactions.
“Certain trees can provide a higher allergy risk than others,” he notes.
“Fir trees are typically less reactive than pine, meaning they could be a better choice for households with skin conditions or respiratory concerns.”
Dr Andrew Whittamore, clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK and a practising GP, warns that Christmas Tree Syndrome “can be a risk to people with asthma”.
He tells Sun Health: “It can cause the airways to inflame and tighten, potentially leading to a flare-up of symptoms or causing a life-threatening asthma attack.”
2. Fake trees
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Though you might be dodging the hassle of bagging a Christmas tree by having a fake one, experts warn you might not be dodging unpleasant health effects.
Dr Grant says artificial Christmas trees pose similar risks to eczema sufferers.
“For fake trees, dust accumulated over the year during storage can remain on the plant or spread around the home when decorating,” he notes.
“These allergens can irritate the skin, leading to flare-ups.”
Meanwhile, Dr Whittamore says fake trees can trigger coughing, sneezing, or wheezing and asthma flare-ups.
“Artificial trees aren’t completely safe either, as the dust and mould from these accumulated during storage could prompt an allergic response too,” he explains.
3. Mistletoe and holly
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You plans to share a cheeky kiss under the mistletoe might fizzle out if you have asthma or allergies, Dr Whittamore says.
“Seasonal plants like mistletoe can bring mould spores and pollen into your house,” he explains.
“In a warm home, these spores can multiply.
“If you’re sensitive to mould and pollen, you may notice symptoms similar to hay fever and your asthma symptoms getting worse.”
4. Baubles and tinsel
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Glittery baubles and tinsel only have a use in December, so it’s natural they’ll be tucked a cupboard or attic for the rest of the year.
But pulling them out of their dusty storage space can unleash a number of concerning symptoms if you’re an asthma sufferer.
Dr Whittamore says: “Decorations might not be safe for people with lung conditions like asthma either as dust or mould can often linger in decorations that have been put away for the rest of the year and these are also triggers for some people with asthma and other lung conditions.”
5. Scented candles and diffusers
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An increasingly popular way of evoking some Christmas spirit is lighting a warmly scented candle or using a diffuser.
Though they might mask any mustiness in your home, they might add to harmful indoor pollutants that can take a toll on your health.
“Use of scented candles or smoking, when combined with blocked wall vents and closed windows, worsens exposure to indoor air pollutants for householders,” write Dr Asit Kumar Mishra, at the University College Cork and Dr Marie Coggins at the University of Galway in The Conversation.
“While using scented candles, for example, peak fine particle concentrations could increase to 15 times the limits prescribed by the World Health Organization.
What are the symtoms of asthma?
Most children and adults with asthma have times when their breathing becomes more difficult.
Some people with severe asthma may have breathing problems most of the time.
The most common symptoms of asthma are:
- wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing)
- breathlessness
- a tight chest – it may feel like a band is tightening around it
- coughing
Many things can cause these symptoms, but they’re more likely to be asthma if they:
- happen often and keep coming back
- are worse at night and early in the morning
- seem to happen in response to an asthma trigger like exercise or an allergy (such as to pollen or animals)
See a GP if you think you or your child may have asthma, or you have asthma and are finding it hard to control.
Source: The NHS
“These levels took a while to return to normal levels in underventilated rooms.
“Burning candles or incense sticks produces a complex mix of chemicals and particulate matter, including toxic gases like carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen.
“Home fragrance products can also produce several volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be harmful to health.
“Particulate matter can cause short-term health effects like coughing and sneezing, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
“Long-term exposure can increase the risk of heart disease, lung cancer and chronic bronchitis.
“Particulate matter can also worsen some existing conditions, such as asthma.”
The authors noted that ‘natural’ home fragrances can also emit harmful levels of pollution and toxic chemicals.
How to protect yourself
There are a few ways you can lessen your risk of unpleasant symptoms this Christmas.
If pulling out your artificial tree from storage, try vacuuming it or wiping it down with a damp cloth to remove any dust.
You could use airtight plastic bags or boxes when you pack the tree and decorations away again so they’re less likely to get dusty throughout the year.
If you’re suffering allergy symptoms, Dr Grant recommends using allergy relief products and air purifiers, reducing contact with the tree itself and always checking for mould, dirt and dust.
If your eczema is flaring up, discuss symptoms with your GP to ensure you’re treating them correctly and get advice on medications or lifestyle changes.
Dr Grant adds: “I also suggest people with eczema continue to hydrate their skin, helping avoid dryness caused by allergens in the home or the increased use of heating during the colder months.
“Moisturising is a quick and effective way of protecting against dry skin.”
As for asthma, it’s useful to have an understanding of what triggers your symptoms, Dr Whittamore says.
“Every person with asthma will have a different pattern of symptoms and triggers.
“Understanding your own personal triggers and keeping an eye out for symptoms can help you to keep on top of your asthma symptoms so that it doesn’t get in the way of your Christmas.
“This time of year, the cold weather and viruses are a major trigger but there are things closer to home that we can do something about.
“Wiping down decorations outside to get rid of dust before you put them up can help.
“The most important thing anyone with a lung condition can do to protect themselves in case they are exposed to a trigger is use their preventer inhaler as prescribed and have their reliever inhaler with them at all times.”
If you would like to receive tailored advice about how to look after your lung condition over winter, visit Asthma + Lung UK.
