A mother was left hospitalized after suffering a severe allergic reaction while attempting to get her hands on a Christmas tree.
Niki Waldegrave is an Aussie mom from Sydney who suffered horrific injuries after deciding to replace her plastic tree with a real one during the festive season.
After picking up her chosen tree, the mother immediately developed hives all over her arms and face.
“My arms were coming out in hives [and] my face … basically everything went nuts,” Niki explained in an interview with 7NEWS.
After the mom was rushed to the hospital she was told she had suffered an allergic reaction, whereas the doctors resorted to the use of steroids and antibiotics to counter the swelling.
According to Niki, her body needed a week before it was back to normal even though she was only exposed to the Christmas tree for a short time.
As Adele Taylor of the National Asthma Council explained, people may suffer allergic reactions when collecting or setting up real Christmas trees.
“They will get pollen and other particles on them in the growing process. So when you get them down and bring them into your home, they will still be on the tree,” Taylor said.
While real trees may pose a danger to some people, the plastic ones aren’t entirely free of risks either.
As Taylor warned, plastic trees have to be stored properly for them not to pick up allergens such as dust mites, pollen, molds, and spores throughout the year. To avoid this, plastic trees should be thoroughly cleaned after use and properly sealed until next use.
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Replaced!