Your Holiday Allergies Might Be Christmas Tree Syndrome

Once upon a December (or November for some of your overachievers), a cheerful holiday tree arrived in your home, sparkling with promise and smelling like winter.

But before the ornaments could even settle into their branches, a flurry of sniffles, coughs and watery eyes filled the room.

This is the beginning of a surprisingly common holiday ailment: Christmas Tree Syndrome.

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Despite sounding like something out of a holiday sitcom, Christmas Tree Syndrome is really just an allergy flare-up triggered by your holiday décor.

More specifically, according to the Cleveland Clinic, it’s the name given to the cluster of allergy symptoms that hits right after you put up a real or artificial Christmas tree, symptoms like sneezing, nasal congestion, coughing, itchy eyes, rashes or sore throat.

(MORE: New Fear Unlocked, Christmas Tree “False Spring”)

So What Causes It?

It turns out actual pine tree allergies are rare. What can actually irritate you is the scent. Pine releases terpenes, natural compounds also found in strong smelling herbs like rosemary, basil, orange peels, cloves, lavender and ginger.

More commonly, your holiday decor comes packed with bonus irritants. Trees, both real and artificial, can carry:

• Dust mites
• Mold spores
• Pollen
• Insect droppings
• Pesticides

And that’s before we even get to the other holiday triggers: scented candles, fireplaces, flowers and indoor heating.

(MORE: Best Air Purifiers For Allergies)

How To Prevent It

Luckily, there are lots of practical (and pretty easy) ways to keep your season jolly and your symptoms under control.

1. If you're allergic to pine, go artificial, or choose a fir or spruce.
2. Shake out or wipe down your tree outside before bringing it into the house.
3. Your ornaments have been collecting dust all year. Give them a quick wipe too.
4. Run an air purifier to help clear mold spores, pollen and dust.
5. We know it’s cozy, but mold grows fast, so take your tree down sooner rather than later after the holidays.

Christmas Tree Syndrome is real, and really annoying, but you can absolutely have your tree and breathe easy, too. With a little prep, some mindful decorating and maybe a trusty air purifier humming away in the corner, you can keep the holiday magic alive.

Weather.com lead editor Jenn Jordan explores how weather and climate weave through our daily lives, shape our routines and leave lasting impacts on our communities.