Christmas customs are a long and beautiful tradition, so we cannot imagine these holidays without a fragrant Christmas tree and tasty carp or poppy seed cake on the table. However, there is a group of people who should get away with the taste for their own good. They are allergy sufferers. For them, cleaning, preparing food or even decorating a Christmas tree can be dangerous. Emilia Majsiak, PhD in medicine, talks about allergens associated with Christmas.
- A Christmas tree brought from the forest may cause allergic reactions in people allergic to mold – warns Dr. Emilia Majsiak
- People who are allergic to spare proteins should avoid peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios, sesame, sunflower and poppy seeds – says the expert.
- Dr Emilia Majsiak: there is a risk that a person allergic to parvalbumin, who fries carp and inhales the fumes from the pan, can get anaphylactic shock only for this reason
- A person with a mite allergy, who experiences increased ailments during the pre-holiday cleaning, is best sent for a walk – advises Dr. Majsiak
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Monika Zieleniewska, MedTvoiLokony: What allergens do we introduce to our homes along with preparations for Christmas?
Dr. n. med. Emilia Majsiak: The earliest a Christmas tree. A living tree comes from the forest, and the forest has a high concentration of mold. When we bring a Christmas tree home, we also bring molds, so people who are allergic to mold may react with an allergy, e.g. in the form of runny nose, tearing or shortness of breath. And if the tree is artificial, people allergic to mites may experience an exacerbation of symptoms.
Can we somehow prevent allergies to natural Christmas trees?
The simplest solution is an artificial Christmas tree, but if we want the smell to smell at home, we choose a live tree. In that case we should keep them on the balcony as long as possible, and in the apartment as short as possible. Of course, you also need to keep the house low-humidity so that molds cannot grow. It is also possible lower the temperature in the room where the Christmas tree stands. If it is possible to wash it, even with ordinary water, it should be done. This way we also limit the growth of mold. On the other hand, people who are allergic to mold should not stay too close to the tree, and preferably not even dress it or touch it.
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Can we bring anything else with the tree from the forest?
Bringing home a Christmas tree we risk bringing a tick sitting in its branches. The tick is not directly associated with an allergy, but some people who are bitten by ticks develop a sensitivity to a sugar called alpha-gal. In such people, symptoms of alpha-gal allergy occur after eating red meat. It is a unique type of allergy, because in a typical IgE-dependent allergy, the body rapidly produces E antibodies and symptoms appear after contact with the allergen – from several seconds to an hour after contact with the allergen. However, in the case of allergy to alpha-gal and eating red meat, it is different, allergy symptoms, including even anaphylaxis, can occur up to 6 hours after consumption.
- Can there be ticks on the Christmas tree?
There are specific dishes associated with Christmas and probably many of them can cause allergies?
Holidays are rich in allergens with a high risk of anaphylaxis, such as spare proteins, they are present in peanuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and … poppy seeds. Sometimes allergy sufferers know that they cannot eat nuts, and they don’t know about poppies anymore. Spare proteins can also be found in wheat, corn or green peas. We know that in some people with allergies, even a trace of an allergen, such as peanuts, can cause anaphylactic shock. Sometimes symptoms do not occur with normal consumption, but can occur with accumulation of the allergen. During holidays, we tend to overeat, and there are many dishes containing potentially dangerous allergens on the table.
The rest of the article under the video.
Is it enough not to overeat?
In people allergic to a group of proteins called nsLTP (lipid transporting proteins), found in vegetables and fruits, allergy symptoms may not appear until an additional factor – the so-called a cofactor, eg alcohol, exercise, medications (eg non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), menstruation or stress … In the era of a pandemic, the level of stress is very high for many, and the meetings with the family themselves can also be stressful. Therefore, people allergic to the nsLTP protein group should be aware that the combination of an allergen and a cofactor may cause allergy symptoms and even shock. NsLTP proteins can be found in apples, peaches, apricots, corn, tomatoes, almonds, wheat, hazelnuts and peanuts.
- You can buy an allergy diagnostic test package at Medonet Market
We have to consider only fresh fruit and vegetables, or also, for example, dried compote?
It depends on which group of proteins we are allergic to. Because in people allergic to nsLTP proteins, symptoms of allergy after drinking dried compote may occur, and in people allergic to proteins from the PR10 group, the so-called Bet v 1 homologues (similar to the proteins in birch) no longer. NsLTP proteins are thermostable, i.e. heat treatment does not break them down, which means that they do not change due to drying or cooking. So if we dry the apple and then cook the dried compote, they will still be allergenic. Whereas the proteins of the PR 10 group are thermolabile. This means that if someone is allergic to these proteins and cannot eat raw apples, because of them, for example, burning of the tongue, swelling of the lips, abdominal pain, nausea, flatulence or other ailments, after cooking or baking these fruits, e.g. in apple pie or dried compote, he can eat it now. So the group of proteins to which we are allergic tells us what and in what form we can eat. So we can see how important it is to know what protein we are allergic to.
- Dried compote full of chemicals? Do not choose such fruits
And the fragrances, I mean scented candles and incense sticks. Should allergy sufferers also have to be careful here?
When it comes to incense sticks, it’s worth knowing what they contain. Because sometimes a short inhalation of the allergen is enough for allergy symptoms to occur. Besides, it is not only an allergy that comes into consideration here, but also irritation of the respiratory tract with compounds contained in incense sticks, and chemicals added to make the fragrance more durable and intense. But speaking of fragrances, it is worth adding that proteins are so strong that if a patient is allergic to them, even inhaling them can cause anaphylactic shock. These are, for example, proteins from the group of parvalbumin, and parvalbumin is found in fish and, of course, in carp, which is probably on every Polish Christmas Eve table. Thus, there is a risk that a person allergic to parvalbumin, who fries carp and inhales the fumes from the pan, only for this reason may get anaphylactic shock, does not need to eat fish at all. In addition, parvalbumin does not break down during thermal processing, so people allergic to it are exposed to symptoms even after frying, baking or boiling the fish.
Fish soups and fried carp are eliminated in people allergic to fish. So the Christmas Eve threads?
As with any allergy, it is best to consult your symptoms first with an allergist. Based on your history and symptoms, the allergist will order tests to see if you are allergic to parvalbumin. Currently, various tests are possible, e.g. with the help of molecular tests for allergy diagnosis, so we are able to check which fish species are responsible for the symptoms of allergy. Perhaps we should exclude only selected species of fish from the diet, not fish in general.
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What if we haven’t done such molecular research yet?
Self-observation is important. Saving, after which allergy symptoms occurred. What we ate then and were there any additional factors – cofactors. Sometimes we instinctively dislike something, for example, we don’t like apples and we don’t eat them … It may be because our body remembers that when we were kids, we had a strange burning or itchy feeling after eating an apple. In this way, the body defended itself, because this particular fruit caused an allergy. So if we know that we don’t like something, we don’t like something, then we shouldn’t force ourselves.
Forcing yourself and forcing someone to eat dishes they don’t want to eat.
I thought about all those grandmothers who buy sweets for their grandchildren. It’s a good idea to ask mom first what the baby can eat. Sometimes minimal exposure to an allergen can cause anaphylactic shock, so if your child is indeed allergic, it’s important not to underestimate this. Don’t say: oh, little bit, nothing will happen. It’s best to ask the parent before buying the sweets, so as not to upset the child, who will not be able to eat them later.
Holidays mean also Christmas cleaning, can cleaning be dangerous for allergy sufferers?
Cleaning chemicals can contain not only allergens, but also compounds that simply have an irritating effect. If we know that a preparation works for us in this way, it is best to either entrust the cleaning to someone else, or, for example, protect yourself by wearing a mask, gloves and glasses.
- Be careful! These products cannot be combined with each other because they become toxic
Maybe it is worth preparing cleaning products yourself?
Natural preparations are definitely safer. And when we prepare them ourselves, we are aware of what we use. If we are diagnosed with an allergy and we know what makes us allergic, we can only choose products or essential oils that are proven and tolerated by our body. It will smell at home and we will feel good at the same time. Here again, diagnostics is the most important, so that we know what we are allergic to and what is safe for us.
I heard that people allergic to dust mites shouldn’t do Christmas cleaning?
In fact, people who have bothersome symptoms of house dust mite allergy should not clean themselves. Dust mites are year-round allergens, but when the heating season begins and the windows are tightly closed, they have favorable conditions for multiplication, e.g. in our beds. When we additionally start cleaning up, we flick and change the sheets, they spread through the air and can become the cause of more intense symptoms. In people allergic to dust mites, it is worth considering allergen immunotherapy. It brings effective results especially in people allergic to the main proteins of Der p 1 and Der p 2 mites. Before we start desensitizing, it is worth checking which mite proteins we are allergic to, because you may be allergic to such molecules, to which it is not always possible to desensitize effectively. If we are allergic to these other molecules, all we have to do is fight them so as to reduce their amount in the environment. Where there are people allergic to dust, it is important that cleaning is done wet, not only to vacuum, but also to wipe all surfaces with a wet cloth so as to collect the dust, not just to raise it into the air. It is best to send a person with mite allergy experiencing increased ailments during the pre-holiday cleaning period for a walk.
The editorial board recommends:
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- Rich, without sick relatives and old quadrupeds. What is hidden under the cover of perfect holidays?
- What to buy parents for the Christmas tree? An overview of healthy proposals
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