| The holidays can be an exciting time of the | | | | storage to the living room or hall where it will be |
| year-great food, get-togethers with family and | | | | displayed will leave a path of dust, spores, and |
| friends, spectacular displays of lights and | | | | other allergy and asthma triggers. Try vacuuming |
| decorations, and the wide-eyed wonder on | | | | your tree before moving it, or if it is stored in a |
| children's faces! But with the holidays come | | | | place close to outdoors (garage or tool shed), use |
| allergens that are introduced into your home that | | | | a leaf blower to remove the dust, spores, and |
| can cause the holidays to be less than exciting if | | | | other particulates before moving it inside. Clean |
| you or a family member are sensitive. Here are 3 | | | | ornaments and other decorations in the same |
| sources of holiday allergens and tips for managing | | | | way. Storing ornaments, decorations, and as |
| your exposure to them. | | | | much of the artificial tree as possible in an airtight |
| Wood Burning Stove/Fireplace | | | | container will lessen the dust, and mold spores |
| Even though most of us don't have chestnuts | | | | that your tree is exposed to during the coming |
| roasting on an open fire, increased use of wood | | | | year. |
| burning stoves and fireplaces during the holidays | | | | Live Tree |
| increase the chance of smoke being released into | | | | Some say there's nothing like the smell of a live |
| the air in your home. Smoke is a huge allergy and | | | | tree in the house for the holidays. But often a live |
| asthma trigger, and is unhealthy to breathe even | | | | tree comes with mold and pollen. Since many |
| for those of us who are not sensitive to it. Make | | | | pollen and mold allergies peak in the fall, remove |
| sure the wood stove is properly vented, and that | | | | mold spores and pollen with a leaf blower before |
| the chimney draws well to limit the amount of | | | | bringing the tree indoors. Allowing a high efficiency |
| smoke that comes back into your room. | | | | particle arresting (HEPA) air purifier to remove |
| Artificial Tree | | | | airborne mold spores, and pollen that are a result |
| If you decorate with an artificial tree it has had a | | | | of your tree and decorations will provide effective |
| year to collect dust and other particulates. If | | | | relief from airborne allergens that result from the |
| you've stored it in a cardboard box, the box itself | | | | holidays. |
| has probably collected mold. Moving it from | | | | |