Friday 23 December 2011

Mold Allergy: Action Steps To Help With Mold Allergy Problems

Molds, also spelled, "moulds" are widespread in the natural environment and in our homes. They form a vital part of nature's plans for recycling biological matter. They are often found in high concentrations on corn and peanuts. Indeed when folks have allergic reactions to these foods it could well be that the reactions are triggered by the mold on the food and not by the corn or peanuts themselves.

Mold and mildew in the home are often found in damp places like kitchens, bathroom and basements. Other places in the home are not exempt. Carpets, mattresses and pillows are often found to have large colonies of mold.

Dealing with mold allergies has to be a balance between taking action in the home to reduce exposure and taking action to improve your health through appropriate lifestyle changes including nutrition.

3 Action Steps in the Home

Before rushing off to the allergist there are lots of practical steps you can take to make your home less welcoming to mold colonies.

Declutter your living space. Getting rid of piles of clothing, books, newspapers or any other unused item in the home or garage reduces the number of places where mold can hang out and grow colonies. You may want to wear a dust mask or respirator when doing this.

Cleaning time comes next. It's time to break out the bleach. A cup full of bleach in a bucket of water used to wipe down tiles, window frames and just about anywhere you can reach. The bleach will kill the mold but the surface will need to be cleaned again after wards.

Running a dehumidifier will help to dry out the home and make it less hospitable to mold.

3 Action Steps for personal health

Before reaching for pharmaceutical medicines, many of which have unwelcome side effects why not use simple safe natural remedies? Here are 3 simple steps you can take.

Mold can trigger allergy symptoms and asthma so you'll need to be careful to follow any treatment plan worked out for you by your health professional. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing and sinus problems and it may not be obvious that they are caused by mold.

Natural treatments include sensible doses of vitamin C and quercetin both of which are natural anti-histamines.

Exposure to sunshine allows the skin to make vitamin D which helps the immune system to balance and not over react to allergens such as mold. As little as 15 minutes of sunshine a day allows your skin to make healthy amounts of vitamin D and leaves you feeling warm and sunny - a boost to health all by itself.

These simple steps can help you reduce the threat of mold to your health.