Mold

No, it's not your imagination. This fall's allergy season has been a miserable one. Across the nation, allergists and physicians are seeing more people in their offices, many of whom have never suffered from fall allergies before. With more people across all ages suffering, many people are asking, why?

Fall allergy season revolves around two main types of allergens - ragweed pollen and mold spores. While cedar/juniper pollen and other fall pollinators contribute, the bulk of late season allergy sufferers are effected by ragweed and mold.

Of these two, ragweed is the fall King of Allergens. Each plant can produce billions of pollen granules which are light enough to easily be carried by a stiff breeze. This year, the drought gripping the majority of the US has exacerbated ragweed pollen counts. Drier than normal conditions have allowed for pollen to spread far and wide.

Throughout the west, wildfires continue to dump tons of smoke and ash into the air. Those with pre-existing heart or lung conditions, as well as allergy and asthma sufferers, can be particularly vulnerable to these types of pollutants. And while the physical damage that these fires can cause is relatively local, the smoke and pollution from miles of burning forest can reach across several states.

The drought is the ultimate culprit for this year's poorer than average air quality. Dry air and a severe lack of rain has allowed for an expanded reach of ragweed pollen while simultaneously creating a tinderbox of forests. Long term weather patterns aren't providing much hope. Drier and warmer than normal conditions are expected to persist for several more weeks, and for most, relief won't come until the first frost of the year.

Until then, keep an eye on your local air quality index and try to limit outdoor activity during the worst days/times of day. For persistent conditions like coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, congestion and sinus pressure that simply won't go away, visit your local allergist or immunologist to determine if you might be a new allergy sufferer or dealing with something like bronchitis or sinusitis.

After last week's record breaking heat and dry conditions, the pendulum has swung the other way. This week has provided continuing warm temperatures but also violent storms, high humidity and plenty of rain. The last part of this equation is much needed in many parts of the country, but the humid and hot conditions are also bringing along a very unwelcomed guest for allergy sufferers - mold spores.

Mold spores are all around us nearly all of the time. They float through the air and settle all around. For most of us, they only really become a problem when conditions allow them to grow from dormant spores to active colonies. Active mold colonies decompose the cellulose materials they settle upon, like wood, paper, plant matter and even microscopic bits of cellulose that can settle out of the air. This is why you will see mold grown on even plastic surfaces. While the actual plastic is not being consumed by the mold, microscopic bits of plant matter and debris that settles on the plastic is.

As mold grows, it begins pumping more spores out into the air. For allergy sufferers, these spores can aggravate allergic or asthmatic reactions. Other substances that mold colonies produce, like mycotoxins, can be cause respiratory issues even for healthy, non-allergenic adults.

Most of the time, we think about mold spores effecting people during the fall months. This is typically when large amounts of foliage falls to the ground and decomposes. This decomposition is driven by mold. However, when the summer months bring heat, humidity and rain, this too can cause the mold spore count to spike dramatically.

As evidenced by mold spore counts in places like Austin, TX, summer heat and rain can drive up the amount of mold in the air. On Wednesday, researchers at the Allergy & Asthma Associates in Austin counted 27,262 mold spores per cubic meter of air. This measurement falls firmly in the "High" count category (13,000 to 49,999) and far surpasses the standard average for Austin during this time of year.

For allergy sufferers, this means being mindful of the conditions around you. As mold spore counts rise, so too do the cases of sinus infections and allergy related symptoms. There are a few things you can do to cut down on the likelihood of mold spores slowing you down or causing an infection. When outdoors, keep a mask or respirator handy, particularly while doing yard work. In the evenings, it may also be helpful to use a Neti pot and rinse your sinuses. Also keep in mind that when the humidity outdoors is up, it is often up indoors as well. A dehumidifier, placed in the basement, crawlspace or living area, can remove excess moisture from the air in your home and make those spaces inhospitable for mold growth. Lastly, running a HEPA air purifier in your bedroom can help filter out spores that may be carried in on clothing and simply through air circulating through your home.

As the the days of hot, humid rain continue throughout the eastern part of the country, look for mold spore counts to rise considerably as favorable conditions allow mold to proliferate.

Author: Kevin Gilmore

This winter has been an odd one for many parts of the U.S. Unlike last year when Atlanta experienced several inches of snow and colder than average temperatures, this past December was punctuated by nearly a weeks worth of temperatures in the 70’s - literally 20 degrees warmer than average! This pattern has not just held true here in the South, but all over the U.S.

Aside from ski resorts having to make more snow than usual, another effect of these warmer than average temperatures is an increase in mold allergies this winter. Normally, cold temperatures and snow stunt mold growth. So in places where rotting fall foliage produces massive amounts of mold spores, snow usually stops the growth and blankets the spores. But with little to no snowfall, mold sources are foregoing their usual pattern of winter hibernation.

While mold is more prevalent, the warmer temps generally mean people are not spending as much time as they normally do indoors. The combination of these two factors has led to many allergists seeing an increase in the number of patients coming in during what are traditionally slower months.

Luckily, there are several effective ways to reduce your likelihood of having to visit the allergist with the best solution being nasal irrigation. It does not matter what type of irrigation that you use (bottle, neti pot, pulsing irrigator) since all will rinse away allergens, like mold spores, that can accumulate in your nasal passages.

By rinsing in the morning and evening you can not only wash away allergens that cause sneezing, watery eyes and other symptoms, but irrigating during the winter months is also a great way to combat the symptoms of low indoor humidity. For an economical solution, try a bottle rinse kit or neti pot. For those looking for a more versatile product with expanded features, the Sinupulse Nasal Irrigator can be a great choice.