HOUSTON – Dr. Ashley Wenaas from Texas ENT said you're not in control of your environment when you're visiting a family member’s home for the holidays, and that means you're exposed to foreign particles in the air like dust, pet dander, smells and chemicals that could make you sneeze.
“We don't always know the types of glues and things that are used to keep all those sparkles on and those can really be a trigger for people as well,” Wenaas said.
Traveling to another city may impact your sinuses, since different landscapes have different mold, pollen and trees that could set you off just driving through the area. Then there's the Christmas tree itself that could be a problem.
“If you're allergic to the outside, you're basically just taking an allergen and sticking it in your house year-round,” she said.
"Christmas tree syndrome" is well-known among doctors, since every year people get sick after bringing the outdoors inside, but this syndrome isn't limited to only real trees. Fake trees and any holiday decorations can have the same effect
“All those holiday decorations that you took out of the attic that have been there for a year that you probably don't dust off, those sit around on the shelves and you're exposed to all that dust all through the holiday season,” Wenaas said.