It has been one rainy Autumn here in the South, and though ragweed may not be in its usual height of causing discomfort with its allergy effects, mold allergies are playing havoc with those sensitive to them. We had some serious weather a couple of weeks ago, floods causing major damage and even some loss of life (my heart goes out to those families). And while we’ve had some nice sunny days mixed in, the rain is still coming. Many families experienced flooding in their homes, especially their basements,   leaving the perfect environment for mold to grow. How do you prevent this from happening, and causing allergy symptoms?

• Dry out the area! If water has gotten inside your  house, whether due to flooding or something else, like a broken pipe or leaky shower, you have to dry it up. Use your exhaust fan in the bathroom, turn on your air conditioner, do what you can to decrease the humidity and dry it out.
• Get the moisture out. Which unfortunately in a flood may mean replacing carpet or flooring, even some sheetrock if it’s gotten in the walls. I saw plenty of pictures on the news where the bottom couple of feet had been cut out of the walls where it had been soaked by the flood.
• Just like with pollen, if the mold count is heavy outside (which it tends to be in rainy weather, keep your windows closed). Use the air conditioner inside to cool and dry the air.
• Don’t do yard work when mold counts are high. Stirring up mold is just like stirring up pollen. If you have to, make sure you wear a mask and shower/change clothes as soon as you can.
• Check mold count maps, like on www.weather.com and www.weatherbug.com for mold count updates. Though it may not be as helpful as pollen counts (see below), it can prove to be somewhat helpful.

However, don’t forget, mold can be very active in dry weather as well. According to weatherbug.com, Similar to pollen counts, mold counts may suggest the types and number of fungi present at a certain time and place. For several reasons, however, these counts probably cannot be used as a constant guide for daily activities.
One reason is that the number and types of spores actually present in the mold count may have changed considerably in 24 hours because weather and spore distribution are directly related. Many common allergenic molds are of the dry spore type—they release their spores during dry, windy weather. Other fungi need high humidity, fog, or dew to release their spores. Although rain washes many larger spores out of the air, it also causes some smaller spores to be propelled into the air.