Mold Allergy Treatment

The air that we breathe today is not the same type of air that we use to breathe ten years ago. With all the air pollution and all the chemicals that hang in the air, there is no way that people can be safe from the dangers of airborne diseases. One of the airborne diseases that have disturbed mankind is the mold allergy. Mold allergy is a type of allergy in which a person is highly sensitive and reactive to the allergen which is the mold.

When any building material or furnishing is damp for more than 48 hours, mold may grow. Mold may also come from other sources when ever they become moist or wet. Mold fragments and spores are present everywhere on earth, in air and dust, both indoors and outdoors. These molds are very light and they are easily carried away by the wind. If they do get carried away, a person who is allergic to it will develop an allergic reaction. When the mold gets through our bodies via that nasal or oral cavity, the body then mounts an immune response. In normal people, mold would not cause any response to the body but in people with allergies, the immune system is mostly hyperactive whenever an allergen is present. The allergen, in this case the mold, causes a cascading inflammatory response in an attempt by the body to clear the invading microorganisms.

This hypersensitivity reaction is manifested by nasal or sinus congestion, sensitivity to light, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, skin irritation, shortness of breath, headache, watery eyes, and fatigue. There is no way to know if mold exists in the air, that is why people who are allergic need to be careful in visiting old buildings and homes especially those which have water leaks. Children in school and people who work in enclosed buildings are mostly at risk.

There is currently no treatment to any type of allergy. There may be studies being conducted for people to be immune to the proteins on the surface of allergens but the experimental treatments have yet to be finalized.

Since treatment may not be the option, management is the next best thing. Cleaning the house and removing anything that is moldy should be a start. If ever the symptoms mentioned above have manifested once or twice, then a visit to your doctor should be done in order to be prescribed with an antihistamine. The antihistamines should be taken at the first signs of allergy before they progress to inflame the airway. They may produce side effects such as drowsiness so driving should never be done. It is very important that a person be able to know the difference between allergy and common colds since increased antihistamine intake may cause toxicity.

Some experts believe that mild exposure to the allergen may trigger an immune response so little that it does not interfere with the activities of life. This act will cause the body to be immune with the allergen eventually thus making the person desensitized to the allergen. Taking little steps at a time to manage mold allergy is the best way to go instead of finding the wonder cure.