Am I allergic to my Christmas tree?

[jinglytingly]

Is this a thing?

Never got hay fever until this summer. Got the tree two weeks ago. Hay fever has mysteriously started up again in the last three days.

Google (who I don't trust) says yes, you can get hay fever from your tree. But why was I fine for a week?

Yes you're allergic to your tree - YANBU
Don't be such a snowflake there's no such thing as a Christmas tree allergy YABU

It’s why we have a fake one now. Break out in a rash around the real ones.

Yeah, got a fake one here now, after years of Christmas sinusitis

It’s definitely a ‘thing’ - sorry you’re suffering!

Thanks for the responses.

At least I've figured it out early.

Really dreading the summer now. This is no joke. It's like having flu and conjunctivitis and breathlessness combined.

Hayfever sufferers, I salute you.

Go to the pharmacist tomorrow and ask their advice. They will probably recommend an antihistamine. You can be allergic to other things like dust so worth checking if decorations are dusty and cleaning them.

It's like having flu and conjunctivitis and breathlessness combined.

This is a bit concerning tbh, if you’ve been fine for a week. Could you be coming down with something?

Yep this is why I have to have a fake one. Even though I much prefer a real one it’s just not worth it to me as it makes me so ill!

Quite possible, my parents used to sell Christmas trees from our front garden every December and I’d be scratching and sniffling for a month.

Tarberta Thanks for your concern, it's horrible - but very like the hay fever from the summer. I had no idea it could be so awful. The tree has gone and the windows are open so I hope to feel better tomorrow. I'm going to wipe everywhere down with a weak bleach solution as that kills spores, apparently.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo I was still taking the tablet I got (on prescription) from the summer, unfortunately they don't seem to have worked that well.

Thank you again for your help, MN. I trust the consensus opinion here over random items on Google any day!

If I find a lovely Christmas tree scent, I'll come back and let you know! There's nothing like the smell of a Christmas tree.

DD is allergic to Xmas trees. She realised this when her and her partner brought one home, about 15 years ago. A bad rash and sneezing
.

We also have an artificial one now. It's a thing. Bugger all you can do about it apart from doing what we did.

Real Christmas trees frequently put DD in hospital with her asthma.

Another with a fake tree here, specifically for this reason! Last year we went real again- in the hope it was just the type we were buying, honestly it was pretty constant sneezing fits with itchy eyes.
Back when we could go out all day and night, I would be fine all day, then returning home I’d be wiped out (sneezing and rubbing eyes) within a few minutes of sitting in room with the tree. DH the same and we both usually get Hayfever, with particularly bad tree pollen reaction anyway.

So back to the fake this year and not a sneeze amoungst us! no constant hoovering up the needles either, so win-win I would say our reaction was mild overall, whereas you sound quite severely impacted, might be worth seeing if anything else connected to the tree is causing it?

Ds is allergic to Christmas trees, he was hospitalised 2 years in a row with asthma at Christmas until we realised what was causing it. We have an artificial tree now and the White Company Fir Tree candle for the lovely scent.

@jinglytingly

Thanks for the responses.

At least I've figured it out early.

Really dreading the summer now. This is no joke. It's like having flu and conjunctivitis and breathlessness combined.

Hayfever sufferers, I salute you.

that sounds more like covid, they are all symptoms

Go and get a test

Yup, it's a thing. DD is allergic to real Xmas trees. Sadly.

I had this last year, felt like I was getting a really bad cold- sore throat, itchy eyes, coughing & sneezing. Couldn’t work out why it kept coming & going and why I felt fine at work then rough at home.
In the end I had to get rid of it & put up our old fake tree because I could hardly breathe. I don’t get summer hay fever at all.

Conifer allergy is a thing. I’m in Canada. During the summer the spruce trees here all release their pollen at the same time. We see huge yellow clouds floating across the valley. Cars and puddles go yellow. It’s fascinating to watch but I’m eternally grateful I’m not allergic.

And for the first time my dh came out in a rash after putting lights on our fake Christmas tree. Hasn’t happened before and is strange,