Your Mold Allergy May Last All Year Long

People with allergy symptoms would do almost anything to avoid their stuffed up noses, persistent headaches, and non-stop sneezing. The good news for those with a seasonal allergy is they can look forward to the season’s end. Others, however, experience hay fever-type symptoms all year long, usually because they have a mold allergy.

As the name suggests, the underlying cause of a mold allergy is mold and mildew fungi. Mold and mildew are different from plants and animals, and therefore, a mold allergy has its own unique characteristics. Mold reproduces by spreading spores into the environment through winds, fog, or dew. Certain individuals experience a mold allergy when they breathe in mold and mildew spores. Since mold and mildew can exist in so many places—including indoors—people may suffer from mold allergy symptoms all year long.

Mold and mildew spores can come from rotting logs, fallen leaves, and in all damp areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, and cellars. Studies have suggested that a mold allergy is more common in people who work in certain fields such as farmers, loggers, mill workers, carpenters, and furniture builders. People with other allergies (i.e. pet dander allergies, seasonal allergies, pollen allergies) and those with a family history of allergies are at a higher risk for mold allergy symptoms.

The symptoms of a mold allergy are similar to the symptoms of other sinus allergies: congestion, dry skin, scaling skin, itching, runny nose, headaches, and sneezing. In rare cases, fungi can enter the human body and grow, causing permanent damage to airways. There are several other serious complications connected to mold allergies including asthma attacks and exposure to mold toxins called mycotoxins. The reported dangers of mycotoxins are liver damage, nervous system damage, and cancer.

If you are exposed to mold, you may not experience a mold allergy right away. Your mold allergy symptoms may be immediate or delayed, and can become worse over time. To prevent a mold allergy, it is recommended that you keep indoor humidity below 45 percent. Other ways to prevent mold allergy include quick repair of plumbing leaks, the use of air conditioning and exhaust fans, the removal of bathroom carpet, scouring sinks and tubs monthly, as well as throwing away old books, newspapers, bedding, and clothing.