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Mold allergy

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If you have a mold allergy, your immune system overreacts, causing symptoms such as cough, itchy eyes, and breathing problems. Exposure to mold can trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory symptoms. Know the causes, symptoms and risk factors of this allergy.

If you have a mold allergy, your immune system overreacts when you breathe in the spores. It can make your eyes cough, itch, and cause other symptoms that cause you great discomfort.

In some people, a mold allergy is linked to asthma, and exposure causes problems with breathing and other airway symptoms.

The best defense is to reduce your exposure to all types of mold that cause a reaction. Medicines can help control these allergic reactions.

Symptom from mold allergy

Rust allergy causes the same signs and symptoms as other types of upper respiratory allergies. Some of them are: sneezing; stuffy nose or cold; cough and post-nasal drip; itchy eyes, nose and throat; watery eyes and dry, flaky skin

Symptoms vary from person to person and can be mild to severe. You can have symptoms all year round or only during certain times. You can notice them when the weather is humid or if you are indoors or outdoors with a high concentration of mold.

Mold allergy and asthma

Asthma symptoms can be triggered by exposure to mold spores. In some people, exposure to certain types of rust can cause a severe asthma attack. Asthma signs and symptoms include: coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pressure

Causes

As with any allergy, the response of a hypersensitive immune system triggers the symptoms of a mold allergy. By inhaling the tiny airborne rust spores, the body recognizes them as invaders and generates allergy-causing antibodies to fight them.

When the exposure ends, the body continues to produce antibodies that "remember" this invader, so any subsequent contact with the mold causes the immune system to react. This reaction triggers the release of substances such as histamine, which causes itchy, watery eyes, colds, sneezing, and other symptoms of mold allergy.

Mold is very common, both indoors and outdoors. There are many types of rust, but only certain types of rust cause allergies. Being allergic to one kind of mold does not necessarily mean that one will be allergic to another kind. Some of the more common molds that cause allergies include Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium y Penicillium.

Factors riesgo

Here are some factors that make it possible to develop a mold allergy or worsen mold allergy symptoms:

  • Have a family history of allergies. If allergies and asthma run in your family, you are more likely to have a mold allergy.
  • Having a job that exposes you to mold. Jobs where mold exposure is greatest include agriculture, dairy preparation, logging, bakery, mills, carpentry, greenhouse, vineyards, and furniture repair.
  • Living in a house with high humidity. If the humidity inside your home is more than 50 percent, you have more exposure to mold. Mold can grow almost anywhere, when the conditions are right: in basements, on the framing behind walls, on Soapy tile seams and other damp surfaces, on carpet pads and on the carpets themselves. Exposure to high levels of household mold can cause mold allergy symptoms.
  • Work or live in a building that has been exposed to high humidity. Examples include leaky pipes, water leaks when it rains, and damage from a flood. At some point, almost all buildings have some type of exposure to moisture; and such humidity is the ideal environment where mold grows. Is the call Sick building syndrome.
  • Living in a house with poor ventilation. Tightly insulated windows and doors can trap moisture inside and prevent proper ventilation, thereby creating optimal conditions for mold growth. Humid environments, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and basements, are the most vulnerable. Try to leave windows open to allow fresh air to circulate.
  • ComplicationsMost allergic responses to mold include symptoms similar to allergic rhinitis (hay fever) that can make you feel very bad, but are not serious. However, certain allergic conditions caused by mold are more serious. These include:
  • Mold-triggered asthma. In people allergic to mold, breathing in the spores can cause a asthma flare. If you have a mold allergy and asthma, make sure you have an emergency plan in place in case you have a severe asthma attack.
  • Allergic fungal sinusitis. Nasal congestion resulting from an inflammatory reaction to these species of fungi in the paranasal sinuses.
  • Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. This reaction to the fungus in the lungs can occur in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis.
  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. This rare condition occurs when exposure to airborne particles, such as mold spores, causes inflammation in the lungs. It can be caused by occupational exposure to the dust that causes the allergy.
  • Other problems caused by mold
  • In prone people, apart from allergens, mold can also pose other health risks. For example, mold can cause infections of the skin or mucous membranes. However, mold generally does not cause systemic infections, except in people with impaired immune systems, such as those with HIV, AIDS, or taking immunosuppressive medications.

To reduce mold in your home, consider these tips:

  • Eliminate sources of moisture in basements, such as leaks in pipes or seepage of groundwater.
  • Use a dehumidifierin any area of ​​your home where there is a musty smell. Keep the humidity level below 50 percent. Remember to clean the collection container and condensation coils regularly.
  • Consider installing air conditioning central high efficiency air filter (HEPA). That type of filter can trap mold spores from the outside air before they circulate inside your home.
  • Change filters on your heating and air conditioners regularly. Ask to inspect the heating ducts and, if necessary, have them cleaned.
  • Make sure all bathrooms are well ventilatedand turn on the fan during and immediately after showering or bathing to dry the air. If there is no fan in the bathroom, open the window or door while showering or bathing.
  • Don't put rugs in bathrooms and basements.
  • Facilitates drainage of groundwaterto occur further away from your home by frequently removing leaves and plants from around the foundation and cleaning rain gutters.
  • Keep organic plant containers clean and dry, for example, those that are made of straw, wicker, or hemp.
  • Get rid of old books and newspapers, or recycle them. If they are left in damp places, like basements, they can quickly get moldy. Get rid of the daily organic material of household waste. Maintain proper ventilation, if possible leave windows open as long as possible for the fresh air to circulate. Clean frequently, remove any place where mold grows such as dark places; especially this should be done at people's home if they are sensitive to allergies.

See your doctor if you have a stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, trouble breathing, wheezing, or other bothersome symptoms that don't go away.

About Mayo Clinic

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Symptoms of mold allergy can include nasal congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes, cough, difficulty breathing, and skin rashes. Read more here: https://www.equilibriumx.com/tendencias/alergia-al-moho
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Last modified: March 22, 2024