Christmas tree mould and asthma – how to avoid your decorations triggering allergies, breathing problems

Bringing a live Christmas tree into a warm, humid home can trigger mould spores to grow, and cause congestion, stuffiness, a runny nose, watery eyes or a cough

Dust on an artificial tree can have the same effect. To counter the risk, wash your tree before bringing it into your home, and take it down after a week

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Christmas tree mould can cause asthma, allergies and other breathing issues. Experts give ways to address the problem. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 11:30pm, 13 Dec 2019Updated: 6:24pm, 14 Dec 2019

There can be endless debate about the best time to set up a Christmas tree, but the symbols of holiday cheer can pose an often-unheeded danger to people with asthma or allergies.

That is because of something called “Christmas tree syndrome”, a term United States allergy specialist Dr Lawrence Kurlandsky introduced with two studies suggesting that live Christmas trees can be covered in mould that can cause breathing issues. People with asthma or allergies are particularly susceptible, because 70 per cent of the moulds found in live trees can trigger severe asthma attacks, fatigue and sinus congestion.

Dr Sharmilee Nyenhuis, another specialist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says some people who have mould allergies do not realise the dangers of Christmas tree mould.

“Around five to seven days would probably be a good amount of time to have a live Christmas tree up, since after seven days the mould count starts to increase exponentially,” she says.

Two studies suggest that live Christmas trees can be covered in mould that can cause serious breathing problems. Photo: Getty Images/EyeEm

The warmth inside homes is one reason the mould on trees gets more dangerous with time, says Melanie Carver, vice-president of community health and marketing for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.