VITAL NEWS
Oh, Christmas Tree!
Keep your holiday tree free of allergy-irritating mold spores.
By Matthew Solan
12/2007
12/2007
Your Christmas tree may bring more into your home than holiday cheer. A recent study found it can contribute to indoor mold levels and lead to a spike in allergy symptoms.
The discovery was made recently by researchers at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Conn., who measured mold counts in a room with a Christmas tree for two weeks. The tree was decorated and placed ten feet from a heat source; the temperature in the room was between 65° and 68°F. For the first three days, mold counts in the Christmas tree room remained at 800 spores per cubic meter of air. (Normal indoor air has a mold level of 500 to 700.) The number then began to climb steadily, reaching an astonishing 5,000 by day 14.
Why the rapid mold growth? Simple: Mold, a type of fungus, thrives in damp, dark environments and works to break up dead material, says study researcher Philip Hemmers, D.O. "A dead tree sitting in standing water surrounded by heat and humidity is a recipe for mold proliferation," he says.
Who does it affect? The incidences of mold allergy range from 6 to 24 percent in the general population and up to 80 percent among asthmatics, according to Hemmers. If you suffer from other allergies like pollen, it's quite possible you're sensitive to mold, adds Rebecca Gruchalla, M.D., Ph.D., chief of allergy at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.
Symptoms: Mold allergy symptoms are similar to other allergies, such as sneezing, itching, nasal discharge, throat irritation, congestion, headache, and dry skin. Mold spores can also reach the lungs and trigger asthma attacks, Gruchalla says.
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