What's the best way for mold allergy sufferers to get rid of mold in the home? To keep mold from triggering allergy attacks, don't stand for standing water and keep your indoor air at 50 percent relative humidity or less.
Mold can be a trigger for allergic reactions for people that are susceptible to such. Mold can grow just about anywhere there is moisture and is basically all around us. Mold and mold spores are probably floating around you right now. For some, mold is not an issue at all. For others it is, and its spores can wreak havoc. Unfortunately, there is no realistic way for us to completely rid our homes of mold. This does not have to stop us from doing what we can to make our homes as mold-free as possible.
Do you know if you are affected by mold? There are some symptoms that are synonymous with allergic reactions to mold. According to the Medical College of Wisconsin, these symptoms can include sneezing, red eyes, runny nose and even rashes. Mold, in some cases, can even bring about a condition known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, which has both respiratory and systemic symptoms similar to pneumonia. If you have these symptoms, or know someone who does, this could be due to an allergic reaction to molds in your home.
If we have established that mold thrives in moist areas, then we know where to treat our homes. Tom Kallstrom, Director of Respiratory Care and Biometrics at Fairview Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, says, "be sure to run your air conditioner or use a dehumidifier." Changing the filter on your air conditioner and furnace as often as indicated by the manufacturer may also reduce the amount of mold spores floating around your house. Kallstrom also advised, "the most important way to control mold is to get rid of standing water in your home. That means wiping up spills as soon as possible, including, and especially, water. You will also need to clean the area where the spill occurred with disinfectant. There are several commercial products to use in the home to help stem mold growth. You may want to avoid using bleach since it is also a respiratory irritant."
"Reducing mold exposure also means repairing any and all leaking faucets in your house and regularly emptying the drip pans in your refrigerator where mold can accumulate quickly. That's a really important chore to stay on top of if you have mold allergies," said Kallstrom.
"To minimize ingestion of mold spores, simply pay attention to the weather. Most TV stations' meteorologists report the pollen, air pollution and mold levels during their weather reports. So on high allergen days, try to stay indoors as much as possible, and don't ever hang your clothes outside to dry on these days or on windy days. These are also the times when you want to keep your windows closed and run your air conditioner or dehumidifier. If you must be outside, the earlier, the better, since allergen counts tend to increase as the day progresses. Early morning is the best time of day for an allergic person to be outside," said Kallstrom.
Although we can't completely take mold out of our lives, we can do a lot to take most of it out of our homes. By following the instruction above, sufferers of mold and spores can live healthier lives at home and not worry about having as many allergic reactions due to mold.
