Things that make allergies or asthma worse are called triggers. Mold is a common trigger. When your asthma, or allergies, becomes worse due to mold you are said to have a mold allergy.
There are many types of mold. They all need water or moisture to grow.
Fabrics, rugs, stuffed animals, books, and wallpaper can contain mold spores if they are in a damp place. Outdoors, mold lives in the soil, on compost, and on plants that are damp.Keeping your house and yard drier will help control mold growth.
Central heating and air-conditioning systems can help control mold.
In the bathroom:
In the basement:
In the rest of the house:
Outdoors:
Allergic rhinitis - mold
Wallace DV, Dykewicz MS, Bernstein DI, Blessing-Moore J, Cox L, Khan DA, et al. The diagnosis and management of rhinitis: an updated practice parameter. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Aug:122(2).
Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
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