Ohio Woman Regrets First Real Christmas Tree, Goes Nearly Into Anaphylactic Shock
The Christmas season is upon us. Christmas decorations are already put up, Christmas trees have been set up and filled with ornaments. Most people stick to the artificial trees and then some prefer real trees. But, some people stick to artificial trees for a reason, and this woman from Ohio just found why.
First Real Christmas Tree For Christmas
Angela Presti loves Christmas and loves to decorate. According to WKCY, Presti found the perfect tree for their home. She took it home and started to decorate it with her daughter. Hours later, Angela looked in the mirror and found that one side of her face was swollen. She didn’t think much of it. She figured it was just stress… it wasn’t.
It Keeps Getting Worse
Presti said to WKCY that after her face swelled up, she noticed it started to get “hot and itchy.” Her tongue swelled up and she couldn’t swallow. And if it couldn’t get any worse, it did. Her throat started to close up. Angela immediately called her father and he rushed her to the hospital. It was obvious she had a major allergic reaction to the tree. She was administered epinephrine and things the swelling started to subside.
How Common Is This?
UCLA Health says, “Most people with Christmas tree syndrome aren’t allergic to the tree itself. Terpenes, the compounds that give Christmas trees their scent, can sometimes cause an allergic reaction if touched or smelled.”
In Angela’s case, she ended up having an allergic reaction to the mold that grows on the tree, WKCY reported.
The National Christmas Tree Association states that Christmas trees can carry around 50 different types of mold. It can also increase the number of mold spores in smaller places like apartments by more than six times.
Presti will be ok, but she unfortunately had to have her tree removed and will be stuck using an artificial tree from now on. At least Christmas isn’t ruined for her and her daughter.
We have more on this crazy story in today’s Other News!