SMELL OF MINCE PIE COULD KILL ME

Asthma sufferer Anne tells of struggle to avoid festive scents

- JOHN-PAUL CLARK

AN asthma sufferer is so allergic to the scents of Christmas that she fears a sniff of a mince pie could kill her.

Anne Murray, 61, has had a severe reaction to citrus and cinnamon since she was a child. She said: "Just smelling a mince pie could kill me.

JUST THE SMELL OF A MINCE PIE COULD KILL ME...

Scot, 61, who had a 'close call' with citrus pine cone, is allergic to Christmas scents

A WOMAN who is so allergic to the scent of Christmas that even smelling a mince pie could kill her almost died after a festive trip to a garden centre sparked an asthma attack.

Anne Murray, from Lanark, was first diagnosed with severe asthma as a baby and has been allergic to traditional festive staples such as citrus and cinnamon since she was a child.

According to NHS advice, severe asthma means that the condition is uncontrolled even when sufferers are taking their medication, and when they are exposed to an allergen that irritates the airways, it can trigger symptoms.