Mold allergy symptoms
Do your allergies seem to get worse when it rains? If so, you may be suffering from a mold allergy. Mold allergies are generally not life threatening. However, they can impact your ability to lead a productive and comfortable daily life.
Here are a few tips to help you spot mold allergies.
The primary allergen in mold is the mold spore. Because these spores can eventually make their way into the air, they can also make their way into your nose. This triggers an allergic reaction. This mold has been linked to allergies and asthma.
Mold is a type of fungus that grows in moisture, either indoors or outdoors. While the mold spores constantly floating in the air can trigger reactions, the problem worsens when these spores attach to a wet surface and mold begins to grow.
You may have mold growing inside your house and not know it. This could happen for a variety of reasons, including:
- unknown leak from the roof or plumbing
- moisture buildup in a basement
- damp areas under a carpet that haven’t been noticed
Because mold grows year-round, mold allergies generally aren’t seasonal like other allergies. Although those who are allergic to mold typically do have more symptoms from midsummer to early fall, they can experience symptoms any time they’re exposed to mold spores, especially if they live in an area that tends to get a lot of rain.
Basic symptoms of mold allergies
If you’re allergic to mold, you’ll likely experience histamine-mediated reactions similar to those from other types of airborne allergies. Those symptoms include:
- sneezing
- coughing
- congestion
- watery and itchy eyes
- postnasal drip
You may initially mistake your mold allergies for a cold or sinus infection, since the symptoms can mirror each other.
If your allergies are compounded by asthma, you may notice your asthma symptoms getting worse when you’re exposed to mold. Symptoms of asthma include:
-
coughing
- difficulty breathing
- chest tightness
You also may experience wheezing and other signs of an asthma attack.
