Mold Allergies

A mold spore or cell is a microscopic speck that usually thrives in damp place. Yet for it's stature in size, mold spores can be a deadly pathogen to people who have an allergic reaction to them.

Most mold allergies commence with airborne allergens and whilst most spores do stick to walls they can easily become airborne when disturbed. Due to their microscopic size they can easily be inhaled through the nasal cavity and into the lungs, triggering and allergic reaction.

Generally, mold allergies are more prevalent than the standard pollen allergy. This is due to the fact that pollen allergies are often seasonal, like ragweed and grass pollen during spring. Whereas, mold, can affect you on a 24hr basis, regardless of the season.

Most pollen allergens are released during the day, as the sun rises and warms up the atmosphere; plants release their pollen to the air. Mold spores differ in the respect that they are generally released at night, due to the mold spores inability to survive in hot conditions.

Mold counts appear to be the highest in our homes at 2.00am. This is because that's generally the time that the allergenic spores blow out of the air-conditioning ducts in our homes. The first symptomatic response to this mold exposure is the swelling of the mucus membrane. The respondents system will then start to release the drug adrenaline, which is a special allergy hormone. This release of adrenaline is generally what causes you to wake up with blocked nostrils and difficulty breathing.

To control your body's response to mold, you must first explore and discover your triggers. Once you have worked out what causes an attack then, hopefully, you will be able to avoid them. You may also be able to seek an allergist test which will determine your sensitivity to mold allergens.

The difficulty with the allergist test is that it only returns a positive for one specific genus of mold spores. Unfortunately, there are literally thousands of mold strains and each one possesses a slightly different reaction when exposure occurs.

Obviously, the easiest way to prevent exposure is to limit the areas with which the mold can survive. Generally, you will find mold in damp and dark environs but dust and bacteria in air conditioning ducts may also provide nutrients for their growth.

Some common places where mold may exist are:

Poorly fitted or dirty filters.

Frost free refrigerator pans.

Air Conditioner insulation, coils and drain pans.

Damp wood. For instance, house frames during construction.

Damp areas, leaks - in particular the bathroom.

Another place that you need to investigate for mold is your automobile. Research has indicated that many allergy sufferers have had attacks whilst driving. The cause of mold spores in your car can generally be attributed to poor or leaky window seals. This is often the result of ageing of the door seals and causes the water to leak onto upholstery providing the perfect place for mold growth.