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Mold
Allergy News
We've
all been asking, what's going on? If you or someone you know has been
more congested this year, there's a reason. The hot weather is helping the mold
grow wild. More mold means more allergy symptoms.
"A stuffy nose,
water eyes," says a patient. "I wake up with a headache,"
says a patient. "Eyes run, has been running and I'm taking pills
every day," says another patient. And it's worse than ever. Dr.
Joseph Leija measures mold, counting spores in the Chicago area. This
year, he confirms what most of us already knew. "It's brutal,"
says Dr. Leija. "It has been the past few days much higher than it
has been before." And since it sticks around, an allergy to mold
can be much worse to contend with.
"A mold allergy is more of a
problem because there's no season like it is with the pollen. It is all
year around more likely. Worse with the humidity, worse with the
pollutants in the air," Dr. Leija says. Just look at this man's arm
and see just how bad it is. "You have a very strong reaction. This
is the mold and the activity, the flare up, the redness
altogether," Dr. Leija says.
Since allergy sufferers can't change
the weather, the humidity that contributes to higher mold counts, they
have to change their environment to reduce the chances mold will grow
around them. "Mainly, in the bedroom, you need your pillows
polyester. No feathers, no foam because of perspiration your head goes
into the pillow case, into the feathers and creates mold allergy,"
Dr. Leija says.
Eliminating carpets in the home and adding an air
purifier and dehumidifier can help. "Molds can be indoors and
outdoors," says Dr. Leija. Outside, the spores grow on leaves and
they're hard to avoid.
Here's where medication can help. An
antihistamine is the best choice. And doctors urge people to choose
something since if symptoms progress your condition may get worse.
"Many times the allergy will get worse and the patient will end up
with sinusitis, infections around the eyes, it's a big problem,"
Dr. Leija says. "In some cases, it goes into asthma when the mold
is very high the mold triggers broncho-spasma and develops asthma
too."
Keep air conditioning on to reduce humidity inside the home.
An allergist can also give you shots to desensitize you to mold,
combined with the medication and eliminating mold growth in the home can
usually make people feel much better.
Copyright
© 2003, WGN-TV
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