A fake tree may be the best option
Christmas is a time for festive joy and happiness, but a lot of people are suffering during this joyous time.
New statistics highlight real Christmas trees as the main culprit in causing allergy woes during the festive period.
According to new research, commissioned by Prevalin allergy, over 35 per cent of people in the UK claim to suffer from an increase in allergy symptoms resembling hay fever over the Christmas period.
More than one in ten claim their symptoms, such as sneezing, itchy eyes, a runny nose and breathing difficulties can get significantly worse after putting up or coming into contact with a real Christmas tree.
Commenting on the findings that highlight this seasonal affliction, Neil Lister from Prevalin allergy says: "I'm surprised by the number of people suffering. According to this research, over six million Brits could be allergic to real Christmas trees and even more put up with allergic rhinitis throughout the festive period.
"Bringing a real tree into the house can play havoc with people's allergies, not to mention adorning it with dusty decorations that haven't seen the light of day for a year. Christmas is a time to be merry, not miserable, yet many people appear to be sniffling their way through the season. These statistics appear to shed some light on one of the main triggers for festive fever."
Prevalin allergy's top tips for staying festive fever free this year:
* Opt for an artificial tree (you can always have a real tree outside)
* If you insist on having a real indoor tree, before bringing it into the house shake it well and spray it with water to remove mould spores (thought to be the main allergen on Christmas trees)
* Think carefully about where you put the tree in the house. Having it in the hall might cause less irritation than the lounge where people tend to spend a lot of time
* Ask someone who doesn't suffer from allergies to bring the Christmas decorations down from the loft and wet dust them thoroughly before decorating the house
* Use an allergy treatment to keep your symptoms at bay. Prevalin allergy is clinically proven to extinguish allergy symptoms such as a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing immediately