What Causes Mold Allergy and Asthma Symptoms?

Among the most common types of allergies is mold allergy, because mold can develop just about anywhere and can happen at any time of the year. We more popularly know and identify mold as that yellowish or greenish substance that results from our failure to throw out organic materials and clean out dark and damp spaces.

There are two plant groups in the family of fungi: molds and yeast, each of which has around a thousand permutations and versions to its name. While yeasts are characterized by single cells, molds are comprised of multiple cells that branch out when they grow. Both fungi subfamilies are allergic offenders, but only about a few mold species trigger allergic reactions in people.

Molds, when they multiply, also produce millions of spores. These spores are what cause allergies. When inhaled, these microscopic spores give birth to allergic rhinitis. And because they are so tiny and microscopic, escaping exposure to mold spores and susceptibility to mold allergy may be difficult to accomplish. Mold spores can easily bypass our bodies protective functions and lodge themselves into our respiratory organs.

Some people experience a more severe mold allergy attack when they take in food that has been processed with fungi, like cheese. There are also instances when dried food and some mushrooms, as well as yeast-related foods, like vinegar and soy sauce, help worsen the attack. We cannot say exactly the same for penicillin, however, though it is made from the mold Penicillium, because studies have not shown any blatant relationship between it and mold allergy.

Mold allergy or asthma symptoms related to molds can also come with the season, usually from spring to just before fall ends. Mold season is usually at its highest during the summer, because of the moisture and heat. Some molds thrive in cold temperatures, but most of them simply remain dormant until they are unfrozen and given the chance to grow again. Molds are particularly present just after the spring thaw because they feed on dead vegetation that that have been hit by the winter season.

Wherever there is moisture, you can be sure that molds will be there to grow. The best places they can thrive are damp closets and basements, unmonitored refrigerators, bathrooms, air conditioners, mattresses, house plants and uncleaned garbage pails, among others.

Given this information, households should make sure that all spaces are ventilated well and mold-attractive objects aired out regularly to avoid the development of molds.

The most common molds found in the United States are Cladosporium and Alternaria. Actually, there are many other mold species that they usually outnumber the pollen that spreads in the air. Worse than pollen, they can thrive both indoors and outdoors, and can be very tricky to detect at their early development stages. Most people recognize the presence of mold only after they have grown to annoying and smelly levels.

Continuous exposure to mold will not just bring about mold allergy but also lead to lung disease or asthma. If you have started to feel weird coughing symptoms and some wheezing, better have yourself checked immediately to nip the problem at the bud. Your physician will likely have you undergo a series of tests, including X-rays and blood sampling, to determine the cause. Needless to say, mold allergy, while seemingly temporary, is still not something that you should take for granted.