We just took our Christmas Tree down

[lilycat88]

I've never NOT had a real Christmas tree. So, this year, we get our tree as usual and put it up last weekend. DD had been sick with an ear infection/sinus infection/cough thing a few weeks ago and the cough had been hanging on longer than normal. Then, Sunday into Monday, she started getting much worse. Junky cough for a couple of days and then a runny nose starting yesterday. Circles under her eyes. Today, constant drainage and cough. She had an appointment scheduled with her allergist this afternoon, luckily. She's on an antibiotic, inhalers every 4 hours, and an oral steroid. Tonight I had to hold her sitting upright for an hour until she could stop coughing enough to fall asleep.

The problem is likely the tree. Apparently, Christmas trees are some of the worst offenders when it comes to mold. We've suspected a mold allergy with her for a couple of years and were just getting ready to have her tested after the holidays. We opted to have the RAST testing done today while she was at the office. It will take a couple of weeks to get the results back but it was going to be longer than that to get in for the scratch testing.

Even though we don't know for sure, the overwhelming possibility that the tree was causing all of this was reason enough for us to take it down. I'm off to buy an artificial one tomorrow....we're having our Christmas party for about 80 on Saturday!

[sarahsthreads]

DH has a very bad allergy to mold, so although I miss my real trees, we've had an artificial one for the past 5 or 6 years. It's not so terrible - there are no needles to vacuum up anymore and we don't have to worry about whether it will have enough water when we go on our 3-4 day trip to see my ILs.

I hope your DD feels better very soon!

Sarah :)

[bubbaray]

I am violently allergic to Christmas trees. I am allergic to various evergreens AND mold, double whammy.

DH would still like to have a real tree. Thanks for the support!

[tnrnchick74]

I am violently allergic to Christmas trees. I am allergic to various evergreens AND mold, double whammy.

DH would still like to have a real tree. Thanks for the support!

The ONLY year we had a REAL Christmas tree - I had an anaphylactic reaction to the freaking tree!!! I can't even handle the evergreen "Scent" they put into pinesol, etc...

FAKE TREES ROCK!

[MamaMolly]

My SIL is anaphylactic to evergreen trees, too! If the needles touch her skin she gets hives and worse. I just learned that this past Christmas. And DH got so, so sick when we'd buy a real tree (respiratory thing) we ended up getting an artificial one about 6 years ago. I miss the real tree, but prefer having DH around.

(but had I known I could off SIL with a Christmas tree...ok, just kidding...ok there is a 1% truth to it...she is a nasty piece of work)

[mytwosons]

I am violently allergic to Christmas trees. I am allergic to various evergreens AND mold, double whammy.

:yeahthat: Even brief skin contact means hives and the one year we tried to have a real tree, I started wheezing. Fakes really aren't that bad!

[mommylamb]

That stinks. I'm sure you'll find a beautiful artificial tree that you'll be able to use again and again. Merry Christmas.

[alexsmommy]

I'm glad you posted this. As a mom who was new to asthma/respiratory allergies, I had no idea how bad Christmas trees were until the year DS1 was 3 and I noticed he was a train wreck Christmas day. This was pre-diagnosis, but I already suspected he had some respiratory stuff and he sounded "wheezy" to me. Someone posted here about live trees and mold and a a lightbulb went off. So I looked it up and was stunned to see how much a live tree can increase the mold in the house over time. DS1 only started having problems when the tree had been up for three weeks, so now I don't put the tree up until the 19th and take it down the 26th. So far so good, but the whole family is on alert that at any time we may need to switch to an artificial tree. We love our live trees, but obviously, we love DS1 much more! DS1 actually loves having a live tree too - I gave him a choice this year of an artificial tree we could put up at the beginning of December like many of our neighbors do (even live ones) or a real tree for one week. He chose real.
So sorry this happened but your post is a great warning for new moms. Luckily there are such beautiful fakes now and no needles to clean up!

Oh, also, I change our furnace air filter a day after I take the tree down.

[ladysoapmaker]

I hear you on the mold and such. My allergies are acting up something fierce and we haven't even gotten a live tree yet. The mold level in the house is bad this year. So we will not be getting a live one. I haven't been able to find a 3' or 4' tall artificial tree yet.

Jen

[Twoboos]

I haven't been able to find a 3' or 4' tall artificial tree yet.

Jen

Don't know if this helps, but MIL said she got one at CVS. If you have one in the area you could check there!

[ThreeofUs]

Glad you caught the culprit! Have a wonderful (fake) tree!

Try Target. The one around us has the little trees on sale.

[fivi2]

I am sorry!

But your post makes me wonder... Dds have had similar symptoms for a few days now and we have had our tree for about 10 days...

Something for me to go research!

[Moneypenny]

We always had a real tree but stopped when DH's allergist mentioned how bad real trees can be for some people. I miss the scent, but now I'm all about the fake tree! One tip the allergist gave was to be sure you adequately dust the fake tree before putting it up each year. We just take the parts outside and give them a good shake.

[lilycat88]

You know the frustrating part of all of this...well, one frustrating part. We're NOT NEW to the allergy/asthma thing. And still, we had NO IDEA that mold on Christmas trees was such a huge thing. I don't know WHY we didn't know. We've got 3 master's degrees between us and a physician in the family. UGH! It must have just reached critical mass this year with exposure. We've had real trees every year we've had DD but this one must have been worse than others or she's just more allergic as she gets older. FWIW...her allergist said that he would be surprised if it were the "evergreen tree" she was allergic to...he suspects mold.

I got a tree at Home Depot. It was on sale'ish. I have no idea what it looks like because they didn't have any trees actually displayed. But, we have a tree!

Thanks for the input.

Jamelin

[cono0507]

I'm allergic to Christmas trees. :( My parents always had a real one and I'd get hives from touching them sometimes and I'm guessing my asthma got bad around them too. Both of my kids have hay fever and food allergies, so we just go the artificial route. It makes me kind of sad, especially this year when DS was asking why we didn't get to go cut one down when his friends did, but it is what it is. Darn allergies. :(

[KpbS]

Darn allergies. :(

:yeahthat:

Glad you found an artificial one without much trouble.

[crl]

I am violently allergic to Christmas trees. I am allergic to various evergreens AND mold, double whammy.

DH would still like to have a real tree. Thanks for the support!

This is me. Except I'm the one that keeps suggesting real trees. I must be glutton for punishment.

Catherine

[alexsmommy]

You know the frustrating part of all of this...well, one frustrating part. We're NOT NEW to the allergy/asthma thing. And still, we had NO IDEA that mold on Christmas trees was such a huge thing. I don't know WHY we didn't know. We've got 3 master's degrees between us and a physician in the family. UGH! It must have just reached critical mass this year with exposure.


Jamelin

I think it was widely suspected by allergists, but not really proven until fairly recently. Here's the article I read a year following the lightbulb moment that convinced me to try a live tree for a much shorter period to see how DS1 did. Thus far, so good, but again, we know there's a good chance we'll be switching to an artifical tree at some point.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2007/dec/10/doctor_warns_christmas_tree_mold24353/

[o_mom]

How awful! I love a real tree (we are getting one tomorrow), but not at that cost. :( I hope she feels better soon.

[o_mom]

You know the frustrating part of all of this...well, one frustrating part. We're NOT NEW to the allergy/asthma thing. And still, we had NO IDEA that mold on Christmas trees was such a huge thing. I don't know WHY we didn't know. We've got 3 master's degrees between us and a physician in the family. UGH! It must have just reached critical mass this year with exposure. We've had real trees every year we've had DD but this one must have been worse than others or she's just more allergic as she gets older. FWIW...her allergist said that he would be surprised if it were the "evergreen tree" she was allergic to...he suspects mold.

I got a tree at Home Depot. It was on sale'ish. I have no idea what it looks like because they didn't have any trees actually displayed. But, we have a tree!

Thanks for the input.

Jamelin

Don't feel bad - it is hard enough to keep track of things that you are around all year, let alone something that is only a few weeks. So many times it isn't just one thing, either, but the combo of allergens that puts someone over the edge.

[DrSally]

We always had a real tree growing up b/c my grandpa sold Xmas trees. As an adult, I've always had a fake. We are away from home too much to worry about the watering. I hope she's doing better now that you took it down. I had no idea about this issue unti lit was mentioned here. There are some beautiful fake trees out there. Target is good, and HD is good too. I look for ones with more "furry" tips, so it looks more real. I'd never heard of shking off the branches before assembling.

ETA: I've also never heard of evergreen allergy!

[neeleymartin]

we took ours outside on the deck today. we will be enjoying it through the glass. it occured to me, while reading your post that ds likely has the same issue. soooo sick all last year before and after xmas, can't be certain about the tree, but likely.

this year both boys developed croupy cough and thick mucous, with wheezing and labored breathing. perhaps the tree.

took it out and boys have seemed better since bedtime (always worse at night), not a single cough have i heard. fingers crossed.

ready to hit the post xmas sales for a fake tree.

[lablover]

This is our first year with an artificial tree (I had fake growing up but DH always had real). DD has so many environmental allergies and asthma. Although mold is negative, testing isn't that accurate for her yet (we know for a fact she has pollen issues but everything is negative). I finally put my foot down and said we are switching to fake this year. Spent an arm and a leg at Frontgate to get the most realistic tree to ease the transition for DH and it came this week. DD and I just returned today from a 2 day visit at the hospital to get her asthma under control (she was diagnosed with the flu 9 days ago and recovered but then had coughing/breathing issues develop) and I was sooooo happy that I was not coming home to a house with a live xmas tree. We decorated it today and it is such a relief not to have to wonder whether it is going to be an allergy trigger. Such a relief. Maybe when she is older we can try a live xmas tree again, but not anytime soon.

[DrSally]

We decorated it today and it is such a relief not to have to wonder whether it is going to be an allergy trigger. Such a relief. Maybe when she is older we can try a live xmas tree again, but not anytime soon.

I can understand that. If I were in your position, I would put my foot down as well and get an artificial. We've never had a real tree since having kids, so I don't know if they would irritate DS, but given his other allergies, I wouldn't want to risk it after hearing this info.