Guard Against Holiday Allergies That Spoil Festivities

Decking the halls with boughs of holly can bring more than an air of festivity to your home this holiday season. Holiday decorations, foods and stress can cause unwelcome health symptoms commonly associated with colds or flu, but which may, in fact, be allergy related.

Recurrent episodes of colds, flu, and bronchitis are often caused by allergies, says Gailen Marshall, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor and director of the division of allergy & clinical immunology at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. If you get a cold every holiday season, chances are your body is responding to an allergen normally absent from your environment. Knowing how to recognize the symptoms of allergies and taking precautions to reduce the level of allergens in your home, are important to having a healthy holiday season, Marshall advises.

Common symptoms of allergies include red, itchy, watery eyes, contact dermatitis, hives, dark circles under the eyes, runny nose, fatigue, tiredness, headaches, and gastroenteritis. Sometimes, people get the most serious form of allergic reaction – anaphylaxis, a potentially deadly systemic allergic response that can be triggered by anything from insect stings to certain foods or drugs.

“There is usually a constellation of symptoms,” says Marshall. “The secondary symptoms like headaches and insomnia are indirectly due to the discomfort caused by the allergic response, or the drugs taken to alleviate that discomfort.”

The food-allergic person should be careful to avoid foods prepared by others, because homemade items don’t come with lists of ingredients and can be contaminated with small amounts of allergens through contact with utensils or plastic storage containers.

In the home, simple precautions can minimize exposure to dust mites and molds, two of the most common household allergens:

• Wash Christmas trees before bringing them indoors, or use artificial trees and cleanse them of dust and mold.
• Use plastic, metal or glass decorations that don’t harbor dust mites.
• Clean fabric decorations in hot soapy water before using them.
• Get rid of porous decorations that cannot be washed.
• Avoid burning wood or candles while someone with asthma is visiting.

Holiday stress can contribute to allergies, too.

“Studies have shown that psychological stress actually suppresses the immune system, and may result in increased frequency of colds, flu, allergies and asthma,” says Marshall.

Reducing seasonal stress and taking simple precautions to combat allergy symptoms can prevent illness and make for a more enjoyable holiday season.

– Kimber Malone

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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