Are your fall allergies actually due to fall mold?

Most people are surprised to learn that their fall allergy symptoms are in fact a reaction to fall mold. My clients tend to associate mold with the warm damp months of summer, but in reality fall is an active season for mold spores. You might ask, “How can this be? I thought mold needed moisture to thrive?”

And you are correct. As leaves fall throughout autumn, they accumulate in your gutters, your yard, and your curb. These piles of leaves trap moisture and create the ideal damp home for mold spores to grow and populate. While mold exists for the purpose of helping the natural process of decomposition, it can have toxic consequences for humans. As mold reproduces, it releases tiny particles called spores into the environment. These spores cause adverse reactions when inhaled by an allergic person.  Mold allergy symptoms include: itchy and runny nose, itchy and watery eyes, nasal congestion, cough, wheezing and shortness of breath. If you suffer from mold allergies, you will often experience discomfort and allergy symptoms throughout the fall.

How can you combat fall mold growth? As with most allergies, avoidance is the easiest cure. This means that you should avoid raking your yard or cleaning your gutters. You should keep the windows of your home closed and use a fan to circulate air. Controlling the moisture within your home remains a key tool for combatting mold growth year-round. Additionally, be careful around rotting vegetables, such as the Halloween pumpkin that has been sitting on your stoop for a month.

Additionally, to prevent mold in and around your home, you need to control the moisture!

To combat mold, it is imperative that you control moisture issues on many fronts:

• Roof, gutter, wall downspout, and drain systems
• Surface grading and irrigation systems
• Fresh water supply and gray/waste water removal systems
• Indoor appliances
• Heat/Cool/Air Systems
• Indoor air humidity.
• Crawl space and basement humidity.

If you can control moisture in and around your home, mold cannot thrive. And if mold is unable to thrive, you can create an environment in your home that may possibly prevent many respiratory and allergy issues.