| ■ Have an Allergy-Free Holiday and a Happier New Year | 2010.12.25 |
| SATURDAY, Dec. 25 (HealthDay News) -- For allergy sufferers at holiday time, the best gift of all may be relief from respiratory symptoms, an expert suggests. Dust from boxes of stored decorations, fresh trees, scented air fresheners, live plants and more can cause all sorts of breathing problems, according to allergist Dr. Joseph Leija, of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Ill. Leija offers the following tips for keeping your home allergy-free during this festive season: Invest in an artificial tree. Real pine trees may smell delightful, but their scents can aggravate breathing problems and the plants may spawn dust and mites. Dump the scented candles and home fragrance oils. Those simmering pots of potpourri and scented devices that plug into the wall are not meant for those with allergies. Stay away from real poinsettias and fresh flowers. Keep an eye on the level of humidity in your home. It's fine to use humidifiers to keep your house from getting too dry during the winter, but "get a gauge and keep the humidity no higher than 48 to 50 percent," Leija advised. When the holiday season is over, store decorations in large plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes. |