A member asked:
Can christmas trees trigger childhood allergies?
4 doctor answers • 10 doctors weighed in
Dr. Bert Mandelbaumanswered
Pediatrics 25 years experience
Yes: They can, but not as often as you might think. People can be allergic to tree pollen and sap. In december, christmas pine trees do not release that much pollen, though they can be covered in pollen just from being outdoors for years. Many experts recommend spraying the tree down with water in the yard before bringing it into the house.
6.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Douglas Tzanetosanswered
Allergy and Immunology 20 years experience
No: Great question, but you have nothing to worry about here for two reasons. First, your christmas tree will not be shedding active pollen. Second, even active pine pollen is not an important recognized allergen, because it is so large that it does not enter the respiratory tract readily and thereby will not typically cause allergic sensitization.
6.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Richard Greeneanswered
Pediatrics 53 years experience
No: There is no clear medical evidence that a cut christmas tree brought into the house has any effect on allergies.
6.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Josephine Ruiz-healyanswered
Pediatrics 40 years experience
Trees bring in mold: Fresh christmas trees do not have pollen but they, as any indoor plant that you water can promote mold. So if you get "allergies" when you are around christmas trees, it may be mold. And since trees are larger than house plants they can breed much more mold.
6.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 19, 2020
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