The How, When, And Where Of Child Mold Allergies

Child mold allergies are among the most common child allergies; child mold allergies present with all the usual nasal allergy symptoms, such as red and itchy eyes, itchy, runny nose and sneezing, nasal congestion, and persistent coughing. You can suspect child mold allergies when you have ruled out other allergens, when there is mold found in the home, and when you notice an increase of symptoms in areas with mold growing; mold allergens are also airborne in outside air and travel through ventilation and heating ducts, so your child may not only experience child mold allergy symptoms in rooms with visible mold growth.

What Causes Child Mold Allergies?

Child mold allergies are primarily caused by the spores (seeds) produced by the tiny mold plants.  Sometimes, small fragmented pieces of the actual mold fungus can also cause child mold allergies.  Mold plants, such as those growing outdoors in the wild and those you may see growing in your home, produce spores as a means of reproduction and release them into the air to spread their growth.  It is the airborne spores that cause child mold allergies.

What Are The Prime Conditions For Allergenic Mold Growth?

The molds that cause child mold allergies are natural in origin and start out life outside.  Outside, molds grow on such hosts as rotting logs and fallen leaves in moist, shaded areas.   Some grains make good hosts for mold as well as some types of grasses and weeds.  Essentially, any space that has the three key elements of life for molds is a place where mold growth can be found.

The key elements for mold growth are cool to mildly warm temperatures, dampness, and darkness or shade.  While these are elements easily found in nature, they are also elements found in many spaces of the home.  The favorite spaces of the home for mold growth are

• Basements
• Damp closets
• Bathrooms, showers in particular
• Fresh food storage areas
• Plants and plant soils
• Air conditioning units
• Humidifiers
• Trash/garbage buckets
• Damp upholstery and bedding/mattresses

Mold growth outside peaks in most areas between the months of July and September.  In warm climates, molds can grow all year long and cause year-round child mold allergies.

Mold spores that are carried into the home create new colonies in receptive areas—like those named above.  While these are molds that would normally die or become dormant outside in the colder months, inside they have year-round growing conditions and will cause year-round allergies if not removed.

How Can Child Mold Allergies Be Managed?

Like all allergies, management of child mold allergies is first a matter of allergen reduction.  Child mold allergies function in much the same way as child dust allergies in that children can tolerate mold spores up to a certain threshold; beyond that magic number, however, allergic reactions will occur.  So the key to managing child mold allergies is keeping mold spores down to tolerable levels.

Outside, there is really very little that can be done to control mold growth.  Keeping piles of damp leaves and compost piles out of the yard is helpful, as is removing dead wood and other mold hosts, but as mold spores are airborne, they will still blow in when counts are high.  Keeping track of mold counts as reported by local newscasts and air-quality services is helpful for planning your child's outside play for times when counts are lower.

Inside, the key to managing child mold allergies is removing the conditions molds need for growth and cleaning any visible mold to both kill the plant and clean up spores before more become airborne.  Dehumidifying basements and damp rooms is an excellent starting point; home air should be maintained under 40% to prevent both mold growth and dust mite proliferation.  Regular steam cleaning of carpets and upholstered furniture helps to control mold growth, as does washing bedding and curtains in hot water.  Wherever visible mold is growing, it should be cleaned with a solution of 10% chlorine bleach, 90% water (allow the bleach solution to remain on the surface to kill the mold—do not rinse it away).

Taking whatever steps are practical to control mold exposure to your child with child mold allergies will greatly decrease your child's reliance on allergy medications and will put them at a better level of overall health.  Living with a mold allergy can be very discomforting, but with good child mold allergy management, any child can live with little to no active symptoms of child mold allergies.