There's something in the air! Or not? Perhaps the trigger for your allergy is even within your own four walls. Houseplants can also mess up the immune system with their messenger substances. Find out in this article which varieties you should be careful with.
Not only daisies, but also cacti can trigger allergies
Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae)
Spurge gets its name from its viscous plant sap, which reaches the surface from the inside of the leaf and covers the foliage like a protective film. Allergy sufferers do not even have to come into contact with the leaves to suffer from the following symptoms:
- sneeze
- sniffles
- hoarseness
- asthma
- watery, itchy eyes
- a headache
It is often sufficient if fine dust particles settle on the leaves, absorb the juice and then spread around the room.
tips
Spurge juice is even more dangerous if ingested or in contact with skin. Pets in particular can get poisoned by it.
Spurge plants that are particularly at risk include:
- Weeping Figs (Ficus Benjamini)
- Christ's Thorn (Euphorbia milii)
- Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)
- Triangular spurge / three-ribbed spurge (Euphorbia trigona)
- Fiddler Fig (Ficus lyrata)
- Rubber tree (Ficus elastica)
- Spit palm (Euphorbia leuconeura)
- Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
Asteraceae
Asterflowers are usually cultivated in the garden, but like to move to a warm place in winter. Anyone who then has a mugwort allergy will have to deal with asthma and colds in winter, because the pollen dissolves a cross-allergy and aggravates existing symptoms. You should be careful with these daisies:
- Asters (Astereae)
- Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum)
cacti
Cacti are popular office plants because they are extremely easy to care for. Anyone who frequently complains of allergic reactions at work may blame printer's ink or fine dust particles. Very few people know that many cacti species irritate the immune system.
prevent allergies
The houseplant itself is not always responsible for the body's overreaction. Always take a look at the substrate. Mold may have formed on the surface due to incorrect watering behavior. In this case, it is the spores that create a pathogenic indoor climate.
Have you ever thought about starting hydroponics without soil? This form is considered particularly allergy-friendly and is therefore often used in hospitals. There are also many beautiful indoor plants that filter pollutants from the air and thus improve the indoor climate, such as the peace lily or the ivy.