Mold Allergy Symptoms And Treatments
What Is a Mold Allergy?
Mold is a naturally occurring fungus (of which there are hundreds) that feasts on four ingredients to thrive: air, optimal temperature, food and water, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology[2]. Despite the misleading term “toxic mold,” the majority of molds are harmless, affecting only those with a reactive immune system that is sensitive to fungi, usually presenting as respiratory or skin ailments.
Airborne mold spores (microscopic reproductive cells) can float into your nose and make contact with your skin, triggering an allergic reaction in both outdoor and certain indoor settings, like locations with moldy drywall, according to Kunjana Mavunda, M.D., a Miami-based pediatric pulmonologist and specialist in tropical medicine and hygiene.
Aside from prompting your allergy, mold spores can trigger an asthma attack, causing symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness, according to Michelle Yasharpour, M.D., a board-certified allergist and immunologist in Beverly Hills, California.
How Is a Mold Allergy Diagnosed?
Mold allergies are diagnosed by analyzing present symptoms, an examination from your health care provider and specialized allergy testing. Possible tests include a skin prick test to check how your body reacts to minor exposure to allergens, or allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) testing through blood work, says Dr. Yasharpour, explaining that these tests can differentiate between an allergy, infection or even COVID-19
A skin-prick test (known also as a scratch test) is typically performed on your forearm by a trained member of medical staff who applies a small drop of the allergen to your skin, before ‘scratching’ it into the outer layer with a lancet. Despite how it sounds, the test is painless. Your reaction to each allergen will confirm if an allergy is present. On the other hand, IgE testing measures the antibodies present in your body, although you must be exposed to the allergen a few days prior to detection.
What Are the Symptoms of a Mold Allergy?
Although a mold allergy is developed rather than being present since birth, some people have a predisposition to allergies following exposure to certain allergens, explains Dr. Mavunda.
“Exposure to mold spores can cause slight to severe reactions, including sneezing, a runny, stuffy nose, coughing and postnasal drip, itchy, watery eyes, a scratchy nose and throat, wheezing and dry flaky skin,” says Bridget Williams, M.D., a board-certified family physician, author and CEO of Green Harvest Health, medical cannabis and integrative clinics in Ohio.
Keep in mind that long-term exposure to molds can spark more severe chronic illnesses including fungal sinusitis — a reaction to fungal organisms in the sinuses, most common among those who are immunocompromised — and skin or mucous membrane infections, adds Dr. Williams. If you suspect a mold allergy and experience any of these symptoms, your family physician can best diagnose and advise treatment options.
How Are Mold Allergies Treated?
Tackling a mold allergy is a multi-step process. Dr. Yasharpour recommends staying clear of uncut fields and raking leaves, fixing leaky faucets and pipes, reducing indoor humidity to below 60%, removing basement carpeting and cleaning mold off walls with vinegar solution.
Treatments of mild mold allergies include nasal sprays, with nasal antihistamines helping control a runny and itchy nose, and nasal steroids (corticosteroids) to combat congestion caused by inflammation, explains Dr. Yasharpour. Nasal corticosteroids in particular are an effective treatment for inflammation by suppressing reactions from the immune system.
Other over-the-counter options are antihistamines and decongestants — look for Claritin, Benadryl or Zyrtec (with nasal decongestant) — says Dr. Williams, who adds that more severe asthma or respiratory illnesses will require treatment by a medical professional.
“Desensitizing to molds can be accomplished by allergy shots,” says Dr. Yasharpour. Allergy shots are a type of immunotherapy that can regulate the immune system by teaching your body to change its response to foreign allergens.
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