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Is The Holiday Season Making You Sneeze?

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - If holiday decorating is making you hack and wheeze, a change in style could make all the difference.

Allergens are lurking everywhere during the holiday season according to Dr. George Martin, Chief of Allergy and Immunology at Lankenau Medical Center:

"The Christmas tree causing exposure to pine fragrance and mold spores that grow on the bark and the pine needle, the smoke from the cozy fireplace that is a common trigger for asthma, also the scents from candles."

Not to mention those decorations stored in the attic are all dusty. No wonder you're sneezing and your throat and eyes are itchy.

Dr. Martin says people with allergies and asthma can suffer greatly this time of year. Even the plants we place on the table can cause problems.

"Poinsettia, which is a member of the rubber tree family, can cause people who have latex allergies to have symptoms as well," he says.

He suggests putting up an artificial tree, skipping the scented candles and the wood burning fireplace.

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