Is Exposure to Mold Dangerous?

Besides causing structural damage to your home, molds can also adversely affect your health. You can be exposed to mold by touching moldy materials, eating infected foods, and breathing in microscopic mold spores in the air. You can inhale millions of  spores within a couple of minutes without even knowing it. Mold allergy symptoms may include skin rash, runny nose, irritated eyes, cough, congestion, and aggravation of asthma.


According to a 2005 study, exposure to mold in damp homes can double the risk of asthma development in children. A 1999 Mayo Clinic study found that allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) was diagnosed in 93% of cases of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a condition that affects an estimated 37 million Americans.


Most health problems caused by molds are related to allergic reactions. Nevertheless, molds can also infect your body, colonize and grow in asthmatic mucus within your lungs. the result is a serious lung disease similar to pneumonia. People with chronic lung diseases and weakened immune systems are more prone to fungal pulmonary infections.


Which kinds of mold are allergenic?


Not all molds are allergenic. Just like pollen, certain mold spores are allergenic because they are small enough to float in the air and elude the defense mechanisms of your respiratory system. The most common allergenic, indoor molds include Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys.

Nasal Allergies - What They Are And What You Can Do

Nasal allergies are better known by its common name, allergic rhinitis. This type of allergy is extremely common.

But, if these reactions only happen during specific periods of the year, then you have a seasonal allergy, usually caused by pollen grains being spread out in the air at about the same time as your allergies. There are also perennial allergies that can happen no matter what day of the year. But the good part is that you and your doctor can work out a treatment for you that will minimize the occurrences and keep your allergy in check.

Nasal Allergy Manifestations
A nasal allergy reaction is a bit like getting a sudden bout of the colds. You"ll sneeze, have watery eyes, have a runny nose with a clear liquid discharge, and all the other unpleasant side effects coming in with colds like having a sore throat and cough. This may seem like just an irritation, but there's more to your nasal allergies than just that.

Common Causes

All allergy attacks are triggered by an allergen, which is the substance that your body recognizes as an outside threat and will attempt to block it. A common allergen during the summer months when flowers are in bloom is pollen, which can float around in the air and end up entering your respiratory tract.

Mold also does the same thing, so you can really feel like you"re having a mix of irritants, which is probably also the case. The last common sources of nasal allergies are animals, whether it's from dust mites or pet dander from your dog. These can all trigger allergic reactions from your body.

Diagnosis of Allergies

A simple evaluation by your doctor of your nasal symptoms can define the best way on how to diagnose if you have a nasal allergy. Then you can undergo tests to determine the best method of treatment for your case.  It would also be very helpful to your doctor if you provide some medical background and history on your allergies, such as when it started, which periods of the year it occurs, and heredity factors.
A physical exam could also test your body parts for faults. Once it's all finished, you and your doctor can plan a way on how to treat your allergies with medication, allergen avoidance, and possibly immunotherapy so that you won't have to endure those allergies forever.
The most effective treatment of allergies, however, is to avoid being exposed to it as much as possible. If you"re allergic to pollen grains, then it might be a good idea to limit your time in parks during the summer, where there are lots of trees and other plants who spread pollen quite well.
Depending on the medical advice your doctor gives, you just have to follow it to make sure that your nasal allergies are minimized and possibly avoided entirely.
Animals are also good sources of nasal infection, so keep your surroundings clean of pet hair and other materials by cleaning and vacuuming often.
You won't have to do so many complicated things just to avoid a simple allergen material, and common sense still applies. Wherever your allergen is bound to be grown or found, better keep yourself away from it.