Christmas tips (from my mistakes!!) 🎄

[Echoblue]

Moulds and dust are 2 of my asthma triggers and hopefully a couple of my learns for this time of year can help others;

I used to suffer with my asthma regularly over the Christmas period and I have come to realise that bringing the decorations, tree etc down from the loft once a year brings a collection of dust and mould with it, however careful about bagging etc. so what to do about it?

We now have the tree set up in the conservatory instead of the lounge and the reflected light from the window adds to the twinkle without the dust etc being brought in 🙌🏻

Just when I thought I was mastering my asthma over the festive period concept, there was another learn for me!

Whilst wrapping the Christmas presents, part way through I could really feel my breathing struggling. As you do, I carried on anyway (🙄) and it was only when the sun shone in and I saw the huge amount of dust flying around did I twig that every time I was cutting the wrapping paper tiny bits of dust was being flung around where I was cutting! To make matters worse, for privacy I was wrapping in my bedroom so suffered with the dust element for days until it cleared, classic it was in the coldest period so opening the window to help clear it was bitter 🥶 Note to self to wear a mask when wrapping next year!

Hope you have a fab and safe Christmas time x

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador]

Thanks for sharing - hope your lungs are behaving better now and you can enjoy Christmas without them kicking up a fuss.

We have a fake tree because I'm lazy (and we lack space), and it doesn't seem to cause too many problems for me thankfully. I do sniff the pine ones by the tube station though because the smell makes me nostalgic!

Dust and mould I don't think are major issues for me (though not entirely convinced as I had an admission after moving once and the doctor suggested that the dust stirred up might have set things off). However, it's a good job no one is giving me frankincense or myrrh as I suspect either would be a problem 🤣Gold I can handle

[Echoblue in reply to Lysistrata]

good point, I reckon frankincense and myrrh would probably set most of us off, however I’m with you, I’ll take my chances with the gold 😉🙌🏻🎉🥳😂 x

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Echoblue]

Gold paper on chocolates works for me too as long as they're not those posh floral ones, which are full of specific poisons for me.

[Singinglouder in reply to Lysistrata]

Oddly enough, when a misguided relative got me frankincense and myrrh pot pourri one Christmas I discovered it’s the only pot pourri I’ve ever been near that *doesn’t* set me off…

[BlueSkies11]

We use a fake tree and we vacuum it off the in garden first. Didn’t think about cutting the Xmas paper. Thanks Echblue. Ps I’ll take the gold too 🙂

[Echoblue in reply to BlueSkies11]

it shocked me at the time when I saw it in the sunlight, just how much dust cutting wrapping paper generated!

Good thinking re taking the Christmas tree etc into the garden, in future years I hope to remember to do that and if the weather is fair I may leave it outside for a bit to air it air it. It did give me a cracking mental image of vacuuming off all the needles though and leaving a stripped trunk and twigs 😉🫣😂🤷🏼‍♀️

[BlueSkies11 in reply to Echoblue]

I’ll be careful when wrapping didn’t even think of it, thank you. I’m sure my neighbours think we’re crazy vacuuming the tree from the loft in the garden. Hope you have a lovely Christmas

[Echoblue in reply to BlueSkies11]

and wishing you a very happy & healthy Christmas and New Year too 🎄

[17Rose]

Same here. Did my wrapping at the weekend and asthma really bad after. You'd think I would have realised in advance as I'd already noticed previous years that asthma flared when everyone ripping open their presents! I also react to dust and molds

[Echoblue in reply to 17Rose]

Yes! Of course, the grand pressie opening as well!! Thanks for the warning!! Forewarned is forearmed!

Half the battle is identifying our triggers. I always prefer to have a doh!🤦🏼‍♀️🙄 moment and know why I can feel early signs and being able to do something about it, than being set off and not having a clue what has triggered me 🙌🏻

Good luck to all dust allergy asthmatics for this minefield of a season! 🎄 🎁 x

[Homely2 Administrator]

I turn my hepa air filter on in the room as I start Christmas decoration work. Don't know if it helps but makes me feel I am doing something.

[Myasthma1]

i have dust and dust Mike allergy I invested in a allergy Henry hoover and spray eucalyptus in the air it kills dust mites and instead of making your bed first thing in a morning roll the covers bk and let the sunlight in this also kills mites I have a terrible time at work I work in an office full of dust it's awful when ye can't breath properly take care

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Myasthma1]

Just a reminder to anyone reading this not to spray anything in the air, even if it's natural/an essential oil, unless you know you and anyone else in the house won't be triggered by it. Spraying eucalyptus anywhere would definitely set my asthma off!

[Myasthma1 in reply to Lysistrata]

its the dust mites I'm allergic to and eucalyptus mixed with water kills them and they are hoovered by allergy Henry hoover depends on your allergies and triggers of asthma there is alot of confusion about allergies it's not always pollen and takes blood tests to find out

[Echoblue in reply to Myasthma1]

My reaction to horses and guinea pigs were so severe they needed to be confirmed by blood tests and sure enough, no great surprises in those results 🤪 it is important to find out what sets us off, but not always easy and I have also found that when my body is in a strong state I can bounce some of my milder allergens more easily than when my body has been battered by something and my allergic responses are completely “on edge”, then so many things can knock me further off kilter.

Some things are easier to avoid than others, for example, I can usually spot a horse, but spotting someone that has been near one or near horsey equipment is nigh on impossible and has caught me out on many an occasion!!

Keep safe and keep well

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Myasthma1]

I realise that's the case for you, but for others (like me), spraying something like eucalyptus around would be much more of a problem than the dust mites. I just wanted to alert anyone else reading who might be tempted to try it for themselves without knowing their triggers, or who doesn't know that something like eucalyptus or other plants/natural substances can be a trigger even without pollen.

As you say, allergies and asthma triggers are very different between different people and not always easy to pick up (several of my triggers probably wouldn't show up in a blood test either).

[Myasthma1 in reply to Lysistrata]

ow certainly if someone sprays a body spray in the office I have to run out before I breath it in cos it's a trigger but I'm not allergic it's proteins like the allergens of mite fieces and body's like keeping the levels of dust Down

[Echoblue in reply to Lysistrata]

I remember reading on a previous post about someone who lived in a house of multiple occupation (HMO) and another person there repeatedly used air fresheners which set her off which made her life a misery.

I agree wholeheartedly that we need to be super careful about checking whether something is safe and if unsure, test it for a short while in an area that the person can safely step away from.

A relative of mine was given a non liquid diffuser for Christmas and she very kindly asked me if I minded her setting it up but made it clear she was happy to move it to another room if it showed any signs of setting my asthma off. It smelled lovely but sure enough, after a fairly short while I could start to feel it setting me off, so it was moved out to the conservatory without any fuss. That is how to manage a situation without offence and I am so grateful for it.

Wishing you a very happy new year Lysistrata and thanks for all you do as an administrator

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Echoblue]

Thank you! Happy New Year to you too and I hope you had a lovely Christmas with minimal asthma issues!🙂

Yes, that's definitely a good way to handle it. I'm much more mindful now than I used to be, especially since triggers vary so much - just because I'm ok with it doesn't mean someone else would be and vice versa. I've also become aware from a friend who has migraines that a lot of scents trigger her too, so she has similar problems to me with being surprised by products or while out and about!

I never mind when someone makes a mistake, though I do get quite fed up when some members of the public/people I meet cannot seem to understand it's not just a preference and that scents etc can be a health issue for some people. (I have sometimes been met by comments like 'oh I like the smell of roses/fresh paint etc' when I've been explaining that I need to avoid those. So do I actually - they just don't like ME!) My old workplace was REALLY good with all this though and I hugely appreciated it.

[Echoblue in reply to Lysistrata]

I love that …… “I like it, they just don’t like me!” Spot on!