How To Get Rid Of Mold
If you have mold in your home, you need to clean it up4! Household cleaning products designed to get rid of black mold and other types are usually easy to find. Be sure to check labels to see if the product is indicated to use against mold. Some tips for getting rid of mold:
- Remember to wear protective clothing when cleaning up mold to reduce the impact of your allergy
- If you have a particularly severe allergy, you might need professional help to remove mold from your home. This is especially likely in situations involving dirtied sewage water4.
- You should also throw away and replace any carpets, rugs or other textiles that have been soaked and not dried correctly, or items like old ceiling tiles that have absorbed moisture and won’t clean completely4
How To Remove Mold From The Body Naturally
Mold spores are common in the air we breathe. However, an overabundance of these spores in our body can cause body aches, coughing, respiratory problems, mood swings, headaches, fatigue and sinus congestion. The toxins found in mold spores, mycotoxins, are toxic chemicals produced by fungi, including mold. When infected with mold, you must deal with it both inside and outside your body. Treating the mold outside your body is typically done with topical methods, while mold removal on the inside is best dealt with by performing a mycotoxin detox.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
How Do Doctors Diagnose Mold Allergy
To diagnose an allergy to mold or fungi, your doctor will take a complete medical history and do a physical exam. If they think you have a mold allergy, the doctor often will do allergy skin tests or a blood test. The doctor uses your medical history, the allergy test results, and a physical exam to diagnose a mold allergy.
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How Can I Check For Mold
Its best to hire a professional to help you identify and remove mold, especially if youre allergic or vulnerable to it.
You should also consider hiring help if the mold covers more than 10 square feet or if its hidden behind wallpaper, ceiling tiles, or other areas.
Here are some steps for identifying and removing mold.
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Can I Use An Hsa Or Fsa To Buy Allegra Products
You may be able to use your HSA or FSA tax-preferred savings account to purchase certain OTC products, including Allegra® Hives. The passage of the CARES Act by Congress includes provisions to restore OTC eligibility under tax-preferred HSA and FSA accounts. Plan details vary, so save your receipt and check with your benefits or health provider for eligibility.
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Indoor Vs Outdoor Mold Allergy Symptoms
The mold allergy symptoms you experience will likely be the same regardless if they are caused by indoor or outdoor mold. The main difference between indoor and outdoor mold allergy symptoms is when you might experience them.
If your symptoms are triggered by indoor mold, youll likely experience symptoms throughout the year. You may also feel particularly bad after spending time indoors near mold growth.
If your symptoms are triggered by outdoor mold, it is likely that you will only experience symptoms during wetter seasons, like spring and fall, when the ground outside is damp enough for mold to grow. You may also feel worse after spending time outside when molds are growing and producing spores.
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What Causes Mold Allergy
Molds produce spores. Allergies happen when your immune system is very sensitive to outside substances, such as mold spores. Your body produces antibodies against the mold spores. As youre repeatedly exposed to the mold spores over time, your body sees the mold spores as something to be destroyed and your immune system creates bigger reactions to protect you.
Its also possible to allergic to fungi in food, like mushrooms or fermented foods. This type of allergy generally causes local symptoms in the mouth and can cause rashes or even affect breathing.
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Symptoms Of Mold Allergies
While tree, grass, and weed pollen seasons coincide with the season in which these plants are blooming, mold spores can exist all year round both outside and inside. Mold spores can trigger allergies and asthma symptoms. Those who are allergic to mold, experience typical respiratory allergy symptoms including:
- Nasal congestion
Fall is a common time for mold growth outside due to the damp and cold weather. Those who are allergic to mold spores should minimize their exposure and work to control mold where they live.
How To Minimize Exposure To Mold
Mold is a fungus that can grow many places and it is almost impossible to avoid however, there are several of protection products that can help you minimize your exposure to mold spores.
Use a N95 Mask Using a NIOSH N95 mask will prevent you from breathing in mold spores you may be exposed to when working outside or in damp areas.
Wear Gloves When cleaning areas where mold may have grown such as bathrooms or outside doing yard work, use gloves to prevent skin exposure to the mold spores.
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Ways To Prevent Mold Allergies
Here are a few measures that can keep your mold allergy from flaring up:
Where You Might Find Mold
Feel free to check out my other article where I discuss the signs of mold in your home. As a general rule, mold can develop indoors and outdoors.
Youll likely find mold where there is moisture andhumidity. Here are some examples:
- In a bathroom that lacks ventilation
- Under a leaky sink
- In a moist basement without adequate airflow
- Outside in a pile of leaves
- In a tropical environment
Indoor water leaks are a serious problem because moisture behind a wall might go unnoticed for years while it causes property damage and mold growth.
If you have watermarks on your wall or soft spots on your wall it might be an indicator of moisture and/or mold.
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What Steps Can One Take For Mold Allergy Prevention
There is no mold allergy cure. The best way to stay allergy free is by avoiding mold spores. Although it is difficult to outrun mold, you can stick to the following home remedies to prevent your exposure to them
- Eliminate sources of dampness around you, especially in the basement
- Use a dehumidifier. Mold thrives in humidity, so it is best to keep the humidity levels below 50% at home
- Use an air conditioner, preferably one with a high efficiency particulate air filter attachment
- Change filters on your furnace and air conditioner regularly
- Ensure proper ventilation in all the bathrooms
- Dont carpet bathrooms and basements
- Keep organic plant containers clean and dry
- Toss or recycle old newspapers and books
When you are venturing outside, ensure your follow the following steps to avoid mold
- Avoid going through places that can have high mold counts, such as a pile of dead leaves, damp areas, greenhouses and uncut fields among others
- Wear a dust mask when youre out on a trek or going backpacking in the jungle
- Keep your backyard and surroundings clean and dry as they are breeding grounds for mold
- Avoid going out at night, especially during rainy season
Treating Sinus Congestion Caused By Mold
While sinusitis caused by the common cold virus generally gets better without medical treatment, just like a cold does, sometimes sinusitis does require medical care. Bacterial infections may require antibiotics. Fungal infections may require prescription medication, as well. If allergies to mold or other substances are causing sinusitis, immunotherapy may help.
Over-the-counter remedies can relieve some symptoms of sinus infections. For instance, decongestants help relieve sinus congestion. Saline nasal spray can help clear clogged nasal passages and soothe inflamed mucous membranes. Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can relieve sinus pain.
Sinusitis caused by mold will almost certainly not resolve completely, though, even with medical treatment, as long as you continue to be exposed to mold. Symptoms may abate temporarily but will probably return and may even worsen. Youll need to have your home thoroughly cleansed of all traces of mold if mold is causing or contributing to your sinus problems.
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Twomodify Your Grain Intake
As Im sure you know, grains are a major controversy these days. Some issues with grainswhen it comes to what causes Candidais that many modern grains are nearly completely devoid of nutrients and linked to inflammation and lowered functionality of the immune system. This is because the grains and the mechanisms by which they are grown impairs white blood cell function. White blood cells are a major component of your immune system.Modern grains also break down too easily into sugar, which causes the body to store the excess blood glucose as fat. Individuals carrying excessive fat stores are the primary sufferers of Candida infections.
In addition, there is the controversy over gluten. Some experts claim gluten causes leaky gut, inflammation, insulin resistance, leptin resistance, and impedes thyroid functionall of which encourages Candida overgrowth.
Lastly, many of the issues caused by modern grains are unheard of in Europe and other regions of the world. This is because agricultural chemical pesticides, such as Round Up, have been banned in those regions, but ever since the introduction of advanced pesticidal treatments on grains in the United States, there has been a staggering rise in wheat and gluten intolerance, as well as every associated health condition, including Candida.
Learn to be better acquainted with organic grain options and ancient grain options. Some of the safer, ancient grains are emmer, spelt, and einkorn.
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Coughing Or Difficulty Breathing
Coughing is a sign that your body is starting to kick up its defense systems after mold spores have made their way into your throat and lungs. The harsh reaction is an attempt to get the foreign bodies out and give your lungs a break. High spore counts inside make it difficult for your body to recover without unaffected air, so coughing fits or difficulty breathing become an issue for those affected.
Drinking plenty of water and even trying a spoonful of honey can help with the irritation and pain at the back of your throat after a coughing spell. Cough drops dont cure a cough, but they do encourage salivation that further lubricates your irritated throat. Some even have things like honey or lemon that not only feel better, but help you recover as well.
While humidifiers can make it easier for you to breathe, adding moisture to the air when you know mold is at the heart of the problem is counterintuitive. If mold is the only allergy affecting you, opening the windows of your home for fresh air is a great alternative.
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A Detailed Look At Mold Allergy
Daniel More, MD, is a board-certified allergist and clinical immunologist. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and currently practices at Central Coast Allergy and Asthma in Salinas, California.
We are surrounded by mold. Countless species of mold exist in nature and the vast majority are harmless to humans, although terms like toxic mold syndrome and toxic black mold have been sensationalized in the media. In reality, mold can only cause severe illness in those with weakened immune systems .
People who work or live in buildings with water damage sometimes complain of black mold or toxic mold. Instead of the mold is toxic, its more likely the mold is causing allergies. Mold typically grows in homes that experience water damage. Importantly, buildings with water damage have been shown to be linked to sick building syndrome, which causes nonspecific symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and nausea.
Treatment Of Mold Allergy
Vata and Kapha doshas are directly involved in the manifestation of Mold Allergy. So Ayurveda focuses treatment on normalizing Vata dosha and Kapha dosha. It also aims in improving the digestive system along with the respiratory system. This is because the occurrence of Swasaroga is related to the dysfunction of both these systems. Ayurveda combines internal medicines, purification therapy, and other treatment procedures to treat mold allergy.
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Do You Have An Allergy To Mold
Mold allergies arent as easy to diagnose as other allergies, says Dr. Pacheco.
Skin prick testing, which is commonly used to identify allergies, is an option. During these tests, a drop of diluted allergens is applied to the skin. Your doctor will then gently scratch or prick the allergen into your skin.
Youll be closely observed to see if you react and develop raised, red, itchy bumps in the area where the allergen was applied.
Unfortunately, Dr. Pacheco says, this type of testing is not necessarily a slam dunk when it comes to mold.
The testing extracts are made from mycelium in mold, but what you are actually exposed to are spores in the air, she says. This is like comparing apples to oranges.
Results from blood tests that measure immunoglobulin E antibodies offer another clue as to whats causing your allergy symptoms, says Stephen I. Wasserman, MD, an allergist and immunologist in La Jolla, California, and a spokesperson for the AAAAI. If you are allergic to something, your immune system overreacts to it by producing these antibodies.
But this doesnt provide a definitive diagnosis either.
Testing can help confirm or deny a mold allergy, but in and of itself, its not a diagnosis, Dr. Wasserman says. There has to be a logical link between symptoms and exposure to something.
If its fall and there are leaves on the ground and you can see and smell mold, thats a logical link, he says.
What Do Mold Spores Look Like
Mold spores cannot be seen by the naked eye, as they are extremely small and float invisibly through indoor and outdoor air8. When viewed under a microscope, however, mold spores can be many different shapes and sizes. Some are lengthy and smooth, others are circular and furry. They come in many colors too.
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Do Air Purifiers Help With Indoor Mold
Are you concerned about mold in your home? Mold can invade and rapidly spread without you realizing it, leading to a range of short and long-term health effects. Find out everything you need to know and see our recommendation on the best air purifiers for mold.
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Mold can invade your home and rapidly spread without you realizing it, ultimately putting your loved ones at risk. Mold issues may start in a lesser-used area with high temperatures and humidity such as a garage or attic, but the microscopic spores can spread throughout the air and begin reproducing in the walls of your home leading to a range of short and long-term health effects.
A lot of people have questions about what mold is, how to identify mold, the different types of household mold, and if air purifiers help with mold so weve detailed everything you need to know in this comprehensive guide.
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