hay fever

Allergies can be caused by one or possibly a combination of many different things including an array of triggers such as food, medicine, environmental factors and inhalants. Allergies are among the most common chronic conditions worldwide.

Mold allergy symptoms vary from one person to another and range from mild to severe. Mold spores and very fine hyphal fragments trigger allergic reactions in about 20% of the adult population. The reactions are due to protein and polysaccharide components of molds. The smaller the spores and the finer the hyphal fragments the easier it is for them to penetrate deep into the respiratory tract. In humans mold allergy symptoms are of two types, the immediate hay-fever or asthma Type I and the delayed farmer’s lung Type III. Type I allergy occurs only in allergic individuals and may be caused by many types of molds including plant pathogens. Alternaria and Cladosporium spp., are two of the common molds causing seasonal mold allergies of this type.

Mold allergy symptoms can include sneezing, nasal congestion and itchy or watery eyes. People who suffer from Asthma may experience wheezing and shortness of breath. Some people may experience mold allergy symptoms all year round while in some others symptoms would flare up only during certain seasons of the year depending on what triggers the allergy or the amount of allergens present in the environment. Mold allergy symptoms are significant when the weather is damp, and when indoor or outdoor spaces have high mold spore concentrations.

People who are sensitive to mold can experience mold allergy symptoms both indoors and outdoors. For example in summer and fall several types of molds thrive on dead leaves and release spores into the air. On inhaling these spores, individuals who are sensitive to mold spores are likely to experience allergic reactions.

Controlling mold allergy means controlling your exposure to mold. That isn’t always easy outdoors. But you can limit exposure inside your home by controlling mold growth, cleaning up existing mold growth, and to some extent preventing outdoor mold from infiltrating indoors.

A study in the United States suggests that childhood respiratory allergies, which contribute to missed school days and other activity limitations, have increased in recent years, possibly due to environmental factors including air pollution.

The study examined the associations between the reporting of respiratory allergies or hay fever and annual average exposure to particulate matter ? 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5), PM ? 10 µm in diameter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide and summer exposure to ozone.

Results showed that increased respiratory allergies or hay fever was associated with increased summer ozone levels and increased PM2.5.

The full version of this article on air pollution and respiratory allergies is available for free in HTML or PDF formats.

Definitioner

Allergy

A damaging immune response by the body to a substance, esp. pollen, mold spores, fur, a particular food, or dust, to which it has become hypersensitive.

Allergic

Caused by or relating to an allergy or having an allergy to (a substance).

Asthma

Narrowing of the bronchial tubes, where the muscles go into spasm and the patient has difficulty breathing.

Alternaria

Alternaria is a very common allergen. It is often found in carpets, textiles, and on horizontal surfaces in building interiors. Often found on window frames. Outdoors it may be isolated from samples of soil, seeds and plants. It is commonly found in outdoor samples. It may be related to baker’s asthma. It has been associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The species Alternaria alternata, is capable of producing tenuazonic acid and other toxic metabolites which may be associated with disease in humans or animals. Common cause of extrinsic asthma (immeadiate-type hypersensitivity: type I). Acute symptoms include edema and bronchiospasms, chronic cases may develop pulmonary emphysema.

Cladosporium

Cladosporium spp are commonly found outdoors. The outdoor numbers are reduced in the winter. The numbers are often high in the summer. Often found indoors in numbers less than outdoor numbers. It is a common allergen. Indoor Cladosporium sp. may be different than the species identified outdoors. It is commonly found on the surface of fiber-glass duct liner in the interior of supply ducts and on cold, condensing surfaces. A wide variety of plants are food sources for this fungus. It is found on dead plants, woody plants, food, straw, soil, paint and textiles. It’s allergenic.

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Mold Allergy Symptoms

Air Pollution and Childhood Respiratory Allergies

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