SearchExclusive.com

Everything You Need to Know about Mold Allergies

Are you prone to allergy over several seasons in a year? Then you might be allergic to molds. Mold allergy, like any other allergy, triggers an irritation in the human immune system. Molds can be found anywhere- under your kitchen sink, on your bathroom floor, or in your basement. It is hard to outrun the molds, and many are airborne.

Molds are fungi, and the spores of molds can cause an allergic reaction in a person. Some spores spread through dry and windy weather while others may spread in foggy weather when the humidity is high. Thus, symptoms of mold allergies are experienced both in dry and wet weather.

Possible causes of mold allergies
The immune system is triggered greatly by any foreign substance that invades the body. A mold allergy is caused by the invasion of any tiny airborne mold spore. It takes only minutes for the immune system to recognize it before it starts working against it. The body obviously recognizes it as a foreign invasion and fights against it. When the body starts reacting, it produces histamine, which is the main cause of having itchy eyes with an activated tear gland, along with a runny nose and repeated sneezes.

Some of the most common molds that cause this type of allergy are Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Alternaria. An estimate of 1000 molds has been identified in the United States. However, only a few of them can cause mold allergy in people. Also, mold allergy is said to be prevalent from July until early fall. However, the molds can grow anywhere, be it inside the house or outside in the garden. Thus, mold allergy occurs all round the year.

What are the common symptoms of mold allergies?
The body reacts when a foreign particle enters the body. The reactions are said to be the body’s mechanism of fighting an allergy. The body produces substances called histamines to fight against the foreign invaders. These histamines are responsible for several allergic symptoms like itchy eyes and running nose.

The fact that any and every kind of allergy has almost the same symptoms makes it very difficult to recognize it separately. Like any other foreign invasion, the body reacts the same way in case of a mold allergy as well. The common symptoms of mold allergies are:

Repeated and continuous sneezing along with an irritating, runny or stuffy nose.
A dry and scaly skin
Watery eyes along with prolonged itching in nose and throat
A post nasal drip and cough
For asthma patients, the mold allergy can make it worse, with severe symptoms such as:
Shortness of breath along with difficulty in breathing
Chest tightness that might need immediate medication

The symptoms of mold allergies might range from mild to severe, and it varies from person to person. The symptoms are usually more pronounced in a damp weather or when you are indoors or in outdoor spaces that have a higher concentration of molds.

What are the risk factors?
A few risk factors that may increase your chance of being affected by a mold allergy are-

Family history of allergies
Working in occupations that expose you to molds like baking, logging, carpentry, farming, dairy work, etc.
High humid indoor spaces
Poorly ventilation
Exposure to moisture in outdoor and indoor spaces.

How is mold allergy diagnosed?
To start with, the doctor goes through the patient’s history and analyzes it, before diagnosing mold allergy. When a mold allergy is suspected, the patient undergoes a series of skin tests and IgE blood tests. Prick tests are also done on the patients. A prick or scratch by the fungi on the skin can also trigger an allergic reaction for which you will have to consult the doctor immediately.
How is mold allergy treated?

Prevention is better than cure and this is no exaggeration in the case of a mold allergy as well. It is very important to consult a doctor at the very initial stage of this allergy. Otherwise, people having asthma would be prone to more health risks. Staying away from molds is the best way to protect yourself from a mold allergy. When you are diagnosed with a mold allergy, the doctor may prescribe antihistamines and nasal steroids to reduce the effect of mold allergies. A few affected people are prescribed allergy shots, which may help to reduce the symptoms of mold allergies.

Stay away from molds
Mold allergy can be diagnosed and treated. However, the symptoms of mold allergies are irritating and you will have to bear the symptoms until the medications work and make you comfortable. Instead, if you are aware of how to stay away from molds, you will not experience an allergy. Keep your living spaces clean and dry. When you go outdoors, protect yourself from excessive moisture and humidity.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.