Mold Allergies

Mold allergies affect millions of Americans every day, sometimes at home, sometimes at work, and even while they are outdoors. Mold is present everywhere, and there are many different types of mold. Out of the thousands of mold types found, less than fifty will cause allergies or other health problems in humans. Some people who are allergic to grasses, trees, weeds, and other types of pollen may also be allergic to molds and not know it. Mold is a fungus, and mold allergies are caused when the spores and mold particles are inhaled, ingested, or come into contact with your skin. This contact can cause your body to recognize the spores and particles as an enemy, and allergy symptoms are the result. Most mold allergies are not severe, and result in hay fever or flu like symptoms.

Sometimes eating certain foods which contain fungus may cause mold allergy symptoms to appear as well. If you suspect or know you have mold allergies, you may want to avoid dried fruits, soy sauce, vinegar, mushrooms, foods made with yeast, and cheeses and other foods that may be exposed to fungi during the processing. There are many common molds which are known to cause mold allergies, including Epicoccum, Aspergillus, Mucor, Rhizopus, Helminthosporium, Alternaria, Penicillium, Fusarium, Cladosporium, which is also called Hormodendrum, and Aureobasidium, also commonly called Pullularia. Mold can grow in your home and not bee seen or detected, and this can be a hidden safety risk for you and your family. Mold growing in your home can cause mold allergies symptoms to appear, and if you suspect mold contamination it is important to have mold testing done. If mold is detected, then you must have the mold completely removed and cleaned. Even molds which may not cause any health problems or allergies can cause damage to the structure of your home, and be expensive to repair if the problem is not fixed immediately.

Mold allergies can have a wide variety of symptoms, but treatment is available in the form of allergy medications like Benedryl and other medications. Without treatment, allergy symptoms may be mild to bothersome, and can include Sinusitis, which is an inflammation of the sinuses, watery eyes, itching in your eyes, nose, and throat, a stuffed up or runny nose, sneezing, a cough, a postnasal drip, and skin rashes. Mold allergies can also cause asthma that is related to the allergies, and this condition can become severe if an asthma attack occurs. If you suffer from allergy related asthma and you experience shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, or difficulty breathing, go to the nearest emergency room immediately for medical treatment.

Mold allergies can occur more commonly in people who have certain risk factors, which make them more likely to develop these allergies. One risk factor that may show you have a higher risk of mold allergies is if you have a genetic predisposition towards mold allergies because at least one of your parents was allergic to mold. Working in an occupation or industry which has high mold exposure may also make you more likely to develop mold allergies. Some of these professions are wine makers, construction workers, farming, logging, dairy industries, baking, furniture repairs, and working in a greenhouse with plants.

Another factor that may increase your risk for mold allergies is if your home has high levels of humidity, a basement which is always damp, water damage or leaks, or other problems which create the perfect conditions for mold growth in your home. These conditions can promote mold growth in unseen spaces, like inside the walls and in ventilation ducts, and this mold then releases spores and particles into the air in your home. One way to prevent mold allergies from mold in your home is to have mold testing done. If mold is detected after mold testing is done, cleaning up and removing the mold should be a high priority to prevent any mold allergies from occurring. One company in the New York and New Jersey area that is an expert on mold testing, inspection, and detection is Olympian. Olympian offers quality home mold testing kits, expert and professional mold inspections which are done by certified mold inspectors, and mold remediation information and options. If you have a mold problem, or have been experiencing mold allergy symptoms, the first step to solving these problems is determining how bad the mold contamination is, as well as which specific mold types are causing the problems you are experiencing. Call Olympian at 1-866-476-2056 and get the answers you need to prevent allergies and other health problems due to mold contamination.

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