Mold allergies can cause itchy eyes, coughing, and other unpleasant symptoms. Mold allergies are connected to asthma in some people, and exposure causes limited breathing and other airway problems. Here we explain how to manage mold allergy and when to contact our home GP in Costa del Sol.
How to manage a mold allergy at home
Take the following precautions to avoid mold allergy symptoms:
- To keep outside mold at bay, sleep with your windows closed. The quantity of mold spores in the air is highest at night, when the weather is chilly and wet.
- Maintain an indoor humidity level of less than 50% and repair any moisture or water damage in the home. A simple moisture meter, which is available at many hardware stores, may be used to detect relative humidity.
- If you have to rake leaves, mow your lawn, or work around compost, wear a dust mask over your nose and mouth to keep mold spores out.
- Avoid walking outside during specific periods of the year, such as just after a rainfall, in foggy or wet weather, or when the reported mold count is high.
How can our home GP in Costa del Sol treat your mold allergy?
Avoiding exposure to allergens is the best approach to treat an allergy. Molds, on the other hand, are frequent and cannot be fully avoided.
When you call our home GP in Costa del Sol for a mold allergy, the medication you will be given may include:
- Nasal corticosteroids. These nasal sprays aid in the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory mold allergy irritation. They are the most effective allergy medicines for many patients, and they are frequently the first drug administered.
- Antihistamines. These medicines can alleviate itchiness, sneezing, and runny nose. They operate by preventing the release of histamine, an inflammatory substance produced by your immune system during an allergic reaction.
- Decongestants taken orally. If you have high blood pressure, our home GP won’t consider this an option. Insomnia, lack of appetite, heart pounding (palpitations), anxiety, and restlessness are all possible adverse effects.
- Nasal decongestant sprays. Use these medications for no more than three or four days at a time, as they can cause congestion to return with severe symptoms after you stop taking them. Headaches, sleeplessness, and anxiety are other possible adverse effects.
Other mold allergy therapies include:
- Immunotherapy. For some allergies, such as hay fever, this therapy — a series of allergy injections — can be highly successful. Only specific forms of mold allergies are treated with allergy injections.
- Nasal irrigation. To relieve unpleasant nasal symptoms, our doctor may advise you to cleanse your nose with salt water on a regular basis. Our home GP in Costa del Sol will explain how to use it if you need this treatment.
When to see our home GP in Costa del Sol for a mold allergy
If you have a stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, shortness of breath, wheezing or other bothersome symptoms that persist, call our home GP in Costa del Sol.