mold allergy symptoms

mold allergy symptoms questions and answers

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Q: mold allergy?
In January my daughter and myself suffered hives. The next month I had a sinus infection and we both suffered usual allergy symptoms runny nose, itchy eyes etc. We still have these symptoms and they are getting worse. The other day I looked up mold on the internet as I have a large amount of rotten smelling black mold in a kitchen cupboard under the sink. I wanted to know how to get rid of it as I have had no luck. I was surprised to read mold can make you unwell with symptoms that seem to match ours. My daughter has also had a cough for a while and I am quite concerned after reading about the health problems mold can cause. Is it likely to be an allergy and how on earth do I get rid of the mold? Mildew remover I bought hasn't worked.

A: So sorry to tell you this but I think you have to remove the cabinet completely. It sounds like the cabinet may be more mold than wood and it is probably what is making you sick. You might have to remove some of what's behind the cabinet, too depending on what your walls are made of. The most important part is to do a thorough job removing the mold and cleaning the area so that it does not come back. If you are going to do this yourself, I suggest using a respirator, as you will definitely shake many mold spores loose and you may become much sicker if you breathe those in. Please act soon for the health of you and your daughter. I wish you all the best! <3

Q: Can mold cause allergy like symptoms?
I have NEVER had allergies and we've been living in this house that is totally nasty we've been here for like 4 months and we are moving out next week BUT the last 2 weeks ive had allergy like symptoms...and i dont know why??? I'm not sure what it could be...my throat itches really bad..runny nose..itchy eyes...so yeah anyone have any ideas? Well, im just staying with a family friend and i've tried to clean every inch of this house but her kids are just horrible and its impossible to keep it clean.

A: When my parents moved into their current house, I could not breathe there, so my parents knew they had a major mold problem in the basement. My dad washed the walls with bleach, and then painted them with mold resistant paint. However, they didn't get rid of all the carpet down there. I still had problems down there. They couldn't smell it. However, when the finally tore up the carpet after ten years and got it out off there, my mom commented, very surprised, that her nose is no longer "stuffed up" and irritated when she goes down there. She's never been allergic to mold, but finally even she could tell a difference. So yes, mold is very potent, even if you've never been allergic before.

Q: I have a mold allergy?
Today I went to take a test at the university (homeschooled) It is more like a co-op school thing. I was taking the test in a room alone and have been suffering from your normally allergy symptoms. About half way through the test the "teacher" comes in a apologise for the smell. I have allergies so I really didn't smell it. He then tells me about how the carpet got wet and it is mold. Oh my gosh I have a aweful allergy to mold and now since I have in hauled about an hour and a half of mold filled air I have this aweful cough that really hurts. Can anyone give me tips to get rid of it or ease the pain thanks.

A: Bless your heart! How awful! First, take your normal allergy medication (Sudafed, or Zyrtec, or Claritin, or whatever you usually take when your allergies act up). Next, if you have some type of nasal spray that's prescription (or even the saline spray that's over-the-counter), use that. You may want to consider Tylenol or Advil or Aleve to reduce the swelling (which can also make your pain/swelling get much better). As for the cough, I find that hot tea with fresh lemon and honey will help clear up a bad cough. Hope that helps, best of luck!

Q: Can allergy shots increase symptoms between shots?
I JUST started receiving allergy shots and have only had two injections of the most diluted serums possible. In the past two weeks, my asthma and allergies have seemed so much worse than they were earlier. Now, I do admit that this time of year is really bad for me with all the mold and ragweed, so it could just be environmental. What do you think? Is it possible that my measley dose of allergens yesterday could increase my symptoms today?

A: I suppose it's feasible because each dose you get is a smidgeon stronger than the last to help you build up a resistance to the allergen.

Q: Can a severe mold allergy result in hypersensitivity to a variety of allergens?
After moving to the coast, I developed a severe allergy to mold. It resulted in severe respiratory distress, inflammation of my lymph nodes and lethargy that left me in bed up to 20hrs a day. I eventually moved to a drier climate, and the symptoms of the mold allergy went away, but I am now experiencing other strange allergic reactions. Prior to my mold allergy I had never had allergies to anything before. Now I have been experiencing hives and swollen lips/eyes on a regular basis. Could my mold experience have kicked my antihistamines into high gear? Can I ever get back to 'normal'?

A: I am also allergic to mold. I have never had allergies before either until a few years ago. My lips have also gotten swollen and other allergic reactions. They only thing is to prevent you from being around mold. I haven't had any allergic reactions lately. If you are surrounded by mold try taking an indoor allergy medicine. I have heard of natural remedies curing allergies,but I haven't really tried it. You should try doing some research on it.

Q: Anyone else??? Allergy Test Result -- 3 ways of testing all different results???
About 6 mths ago diagnosed severe milk allergy (Blood LgE Tests confirmed milk, peanut, onion, rice and mold allergies.) My symptoms still remain, slightest bit of milk = ER visit. Went to specialist and did EVERY allergy test imaginable --skin prick test says house dust, crab and pennicilin allergies, inhalation test says cotton flock (?), in office milk taste test, horrible reaction but blood test says NOTHING!! When I asked about the variation of results he said different tests are better for different things and that allergies were complex. He told me that I was allergic to ALL of the things that had every come up positive on a test, ESPECIALLY MILK which I am to avoid COMPLETELY and on forms and such I'm to write all of thoes things on form with a note that says, "Body highly overreacts to slightest increase of anti-histamine level." Has anyone else had such a problem getting test results that matched or were conclusive?

A: My allergist told me basically the same thing. I had several "maybe positives" on my skin prick tests, and they were on foods that I don't have any problems with. The foods that I do have problems with came back negative on both skin and blood IgE tests. I haven't done inhalant or oral tests yet. I was told that all the tests are prone to false negatives and positives, and that they should be used in conjunction with your reaction history to determine which ones are true allergies. If you've had a severe reaction to milk, I would most definitely stay away from that.

Q: How do you get rid of mold on a bed?
Our son got sick on our bed yesterday and after I stripped the sheets, I found black stains on the edge of the bed. We think it may be mold. We have no idea where it might have come from. The landlord is coming over tonight to check the place, but we live in a nice place, I just can't understand where it would come from. Can we get rid of it or should we throw out our bed. Also, how do you even test it to see if it is mold? We have all had allergy like symptoms for several weeks, we just thought it was the Cincinnati weather!!

A: We live with and around mold every day. There is the usual mold we all have in our homes and the toxic strains of mold. There is no way to know the difference without getting it tested. You can get a kit from a hardware store (cheap) or have a mold testing/remediation company come in (very expensive). You need to look around the rest of your apt/house for signs. Mold needs a food source (bacteria or water) and humidity. If you have a mold problem, you will surely find other traces of it. (Perhaps what you found was isolated to the bed. Maybe your son wet the bed a little and you didn't realize it, or some other isolated incident.) If you find that it's a problem in anyother area of the apt/house, notify the landlord and he will have to remedy the problem. If it's just the normal type of mold, you need to wipe it down with a mild soap and then kill the mold with a bleach & water solution. Keep your place well ventilated. If it's extremely moist (like my basement), get a dehumidifier. No food + no moisture = no mold. Whatever the issue, you need to document everything starting right now. Take pictures, keep notes and keep any pertinient medical/allergy incidents. In the event this gets ugly and a claim or suit is filed, all of this will help you.

Q: Can my 6 year have allergy asthma when symptoms only prevail at night?
My 6 year daughter was diagnosed with Bronchitis 3 weeks ago. After the first week of antibiotics she was not getting better and was waking up in the middle of the night coughing, which would then lead to vomiting. I took her back to the GP who put her on a stronger antibiotic and referred her for physiotherapy and nebulising twice daily. At the end of the second week, after two course of antibiotics and antihestimines, my daughter suffered what I was sure was an asthma attack. She woke up coughing, starting vomiting and couldn't breathe, she went purple in the face. When rushing her to hospital, chest Xrays were clear and I was referred to a paediacitrician who advised my daughter has mould allergy. Asthma tests were conducted during the day and she was clear. However in the evening my daughter still wakes up coughing and can't breathe. Is it possible that she could have allergy asthma whereby the symptoms would not be detected during the day? Desperate to help my little girl!

A: Yes. It's called "Nocturnal Asthma" . Go to http://www.essortment.com/nocturnalasthma_riqf.htm to get some information of nocturnal asthma.

Q: can mold, fungi, mould growing in the flat be unhealthy for our 2 months old baby?
My husband and I moved to a new flat before our baby was born, however the location is near forest, it is very dump and recently we noticed mold growing in our bedroom, even in our wardrobe. I have got headaches from the smell, allergy like symptoms, there is mould behind our bed, even in the wardrobe and our shoes, suitcases and even baby's pram is covered with a green mould. Can it be harmful?

A: Yes it can be lethal on your baby's respiratory system also the skin. Your baby will be more prone to allergies too. You need to contact the local enviromental health as what you are suggesting is VERY VERY serious.

Q: How to deal with a mold allergy?
So I have never had any allergies before, and recently I started getting some symptoms like rashes on my eyelids and A LOT of sneezing and a runny nose. So I started taking claritin thinking it was hayes fever or something. Then I discovered one of my old purses that has been hanging on a hook on the door had mold on it. Last time I wore it was like a month ago so im not sure where the mold came from. I hang a lot of stuff on that door and I washed everything and the purse, the allergies went away for a while and now they are coming back. I am pretty sure that is it because when ever I leave my house I feel better. It sucks. I don't know weather their could be mold somewhere random where I can't see it? please help! I live in a studio and I am afraid this could be seriously damaging my health, how can I deal with this? should I throw the stuff on that door out? How fast does mold spread? I am even starting to get some chest pains I really don't know how to fix this. Thank you so much.

A: Mold needs two things to grow: 1 - Organic matter, of which any home has plenty and there is no way you can get rid of it. 2- High levels of moisture. Mold needs at least 60% relative humidity to grow. Now, that is something you can definitely control in your house. First look around that closet and all around the apartment for for sources of moisture. Damp walls, leaks in the plumbing, roof, holes in the siding or around window sills. You live in an apartment complex, so there is also a chance the moisture is being caused by a leakage in an adjacent unit, so ask around and see if your neighbors have mold problems. If there is no leakage, your probably live in a humid area. Buy an inexpensive hygrometer and check the Relative Humidity Levels around the house. Chances are, you will get RH readings at or above 60%. You will need to buy and run a dehumidifier to control moisture in the house. As soon as you lower and keep the RH levels down to around 50% all the mold will dry out, and no longer release spores in the air. The mold spores are what makes people sick. Once the air is dehumidified, wipe the moldy areas clean with a bleach solution, and discard every organic and porous surface that still has mold spots on it. I am afraid that will include the purse you mentioned as well as some items in that closet. If you do not dehumidify and control the moisture, what will happen is just what you observed, the symptoms will subside for a while, but the mold will grow back and the symptoms will return. I have a son who is allergic to mold, so I really know how miserable these allergies make you feel.

Q: Can I get a disease from bathtub mold?
I recently found a small bit mold in my bathtub and I tried to scrape it up to get rid of it. I've also been starting to have cold/allergy symptoms - could I get sick or get some kind of disease from breathing in the stuff that I tried to scrape up. (It was just a small bit). Could this it be black mold and could it kill me?

A: Highly unlikely, but to keep it mold free, do what I do... Dry your tub/shower after every time you use it. Designate a towel for that purpose and wash it (the towel) every week. If you have multiple people using the tub/shower, each person should have a towel to dry it. It sounds like a pain, but you will appreciate the difference it makes.

Q: Can mold,mould,fungi growing in the flat be unhealthy for a 2months old baby?
My husband and I moved to a new flat before our baby was born, however the location is near forest, it is very dump and recently we noticed mold growing in our bedroom, even in our wardrobe. I have got headaches from the smell, allergy like symptoms, there is mould behind our bed, even in the wardrobe and our shoes, suitcases and even baby's pram is covered with a green mould. Can it be harmful for our baby?

A: Extremely unhealthy can cause/exasperate breathing problems and cause nausea and headaches. You need to get this treated ASAP

Q: Could this be mold exposure?
I recently removed rotted wet wood from under kitchen sink. That same night I had trouble sleeping and was coughing alot. I also swept up alot of dust from that area but wasn't using a dust mask. I typically will have respiratory problems when sweeping alot of dust but this was such a small area so I didn't think it was necessary. Now I don't know if I have been exposed to mold or if my allergy like symptoms are from sweeping the dust. I have slight nasal congestion, cough for 2 days that have been improving but there was some wheezing after first 24 hours. How long does it take for mold symptoms to show up and are these symptoms of toxic/black mold?

A: If there was mold on the wet wood then it was probably like 100% toxic mold. If so yes it can cause you to become ill. if this was your only one time exposure you should be ok in a few days if your not in the same area ofcourse.

Q: Does anyone know the common symptoms of having mold in the office?
our office is kept up as cheaply as possible and lately I've been getting headaches everyday, watery eyes, my allergies are worse, theres no windows that we can open, can it be mold??

A: These are serious conditions. Goto the links at the bottom of the page. You may find out more there.

Q: my dog has a rash and we tried a non soap shampoo we tried everything. His eyes are bloodshot could it be mold?
we just bought our house in march we have all been sick well allergy like symptoms and our dog has a rash and has been itching like crazy and so has my daughter and myself. His eyes are bloodshot and he is lethargic as well. Could we have mold or black mold?

A: Hi Crystal, Blood shot eyes are due to bleeding in the eye. They are not related to mould. Remember, the eyes are washed naturally with sterile tears once every twenty seconds. Please take your dog to your Vet. He is more sick than what you seem to be suggesting. Good luck.