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5 Houseplants That Can Cause Allergic Reactions

Houseplants not only make a house cosy, in some cases they also purify the air. Unfortunately, not all houseplants are healthy. These are 5 houseplants that can cause allergic reactions.

Houseplants:a greener house for more cosiness at home

It's a fact:houseplants give your home that little bit of extra cosiness. You can place the plants in many places in the house to brighten up the whole. I wrote an article about plants in the bathroom before. A place that is forgotten by many, but is guaranteed to become cozier if you put a plant in it.

Choosing the right plants

Plants come in many sizes and colours, whether or not they flower. Which plants you choose depends on a number of factors. The available space, light and humidity. In addition, a plant should suit you. Some plants are very easy, such as cacti. Other plants, including orchids, are known to be difficult and do not bloom again as easily once they have finished flowering. Finally, you also depend on the available budget. Not every plant is equally affordable. And the same applies to plants:as soon as a certain trend can be detected, the plants become expensive.

Allergy to plants

Most plants are just good to have around the house. There are even plants that are known to purify the air, such as the Spathiphyllum, also known as the spoon plant. Unfortunately, this does not apply to all houseplants. There are even some plants that can trigger an allergy. In addition, the plants can trigger a contact allergy, toxic or phytotoxic reaction. You cannot know in advance how badly you will react to a particular plant. For example, I am very allergic to nettles, which causes me to blister and suffer from redness and a burning sensation for a long time.

An allergic reaction to a houseplant can range from a few mild symptoms such as red eyes or a runny nose to a severe allergic reaction that in very rare cases can lead to death. For example, I recently read on a forum of a mother whose son was always very short of breath, resulting in hospitalization. In the end, the culprit turned out to be a new plant in the living room (this is also listed below).

5 Houseplants that can cause allergic reactions

After reading the above, you are naturally curious which 5 house plants can cause an allergic reaction.

1. Ficus

A very popular and actually quite easy houseplant, IF you are not allergic to latex. If so, then this plant is a potential danger to you. The juices of the plant provoke a reaction anyway. Unfortunately, certain substances from the plant can also pass through the air, which can cause allergies. The allergens that are moved through the air can cause red eyes. Problems with the mucous membranes are also among the possible reactions if you are allergic to latex and bring a ficus species into your home.

2. Anthurium

This is a very beautiful plant, but it can cause many problems. I just wrote about it:this plant even landed a boy in the hospital with breathing problems. In allergic people, the anthurium blocks the airways with an anaphylactic shock in the worst case. Failure to intervene in time can lead to death.

3. Euforbia (spurge) including Christmas star

This includes various plants, including the Christmas star and the croton. This plant mainly concerns an allergic reaction that can be caused by the sap of the plant. If you just put the plant in the room and don't touch it, this plant shouldn't cause many problems. The sap of the plant can cause redness, itching and blisters. If the juice gets into the eyes, you can become blind in the worst case.

4. Primrose

This plant is known as one of the biggest causes of an allergic reaction. It is not about the flowers of the plant, but the leaves. These leaves can cause blisters and swelling on contact with the skin. If you come into contact with sunlight afterwards, the complaints worsen. Incidentally, the chance of an allergic reaction with this plant depends on the cultivation method and the season.

5. Aaron chalice family (araceae)

The last plant in the list of 5 houseplants that can cause allergic reactions is the Aarons calyx family. This includes, for example, the well-known Dieffenbachia, which is particularly toxic to humans and animals. The sap of the plant can not only cause external problems such as redness, swelling and itching, the sap can also cause suffocation.

Did you know that the Anthurium, Euforbia, primula, cole family and the ficus can trigger allergic reactions ?