Unexpected Allergy Source: Bathrooms

We've all seen mildew growing on shower tiles. That's the work of mold spores, which like to settle where it's warm and wet. Black mold often grows in hidden areas as well, contaminating behind walls or below the floor.

The best defense is to keep your bathrooms clean and dry. Fix leaky faucets and other sources of water. Use vent fans when you shower. And clean surfaces regularly with a bleach solution.


For people with allergies, continued exposure to molds in the home can trigger respiratory allergy and asthma symptoms, so it is well worth the effort to remove the sources.  

Unexpected Allergy Source: Potted Plants

Take a good look at your houseplants. Mold spores can grow in the pots and spread to the floor. To minimize this, remove dead leaves, use saucers, and avoid over-watering.

Unexpected Allergy Source: Kitchen

This is a favorite room for mold. If your refrigerator has a drip pan, pull it out and scrub it regularly. Standing water attracts mold. Old, moldy food can also trigger allergies.

Also, cover trash cans and store food in sealed containers to keep cockroaches away. These nighttime bugs are hard to see, and they trigger allergies in many people.

Unexpected Allergy Source: Air Conditioner

Air conditioning helps keep your home cool and dry, helping to fight allergens. But sometimes it can be part of the problem. As dust collects on the cooling coils, mold may begin to grow.

Keep dust out by installing a heavy-duty filter and changing it regularly. Window A/C units should be professionally cleaned and disinfected every year.

Forced Air Heaters and Stuffy Noses

We are seeing lots of stuffy noses and nighttime asthma problems lately with the colder weather and use of forced air heaters in the home.  Air ducts that have not been cleaned in the past few years may have dust or mold in them, and when you turn that heater on for the first time, expect a big puff of whatever is in the ducts to be in your bedroom.


Solution?  If you cannot clean the ducts immediately, close off the vent in your bedroom and use a radiant space heater instead.  Or, you could use a vent filter in the register itself to trap some of the particulates.   Taking an antihistamine at night or running your bedroom HEPA filter may also be helpful.

Allergy Alert!

The rain has kept the pollen levels low. However, mold spores are still prevalent. In addition, the Santa Ana winds will be picking up this weekend which can cause allergy flare ups. Please close your windows and take allergy medications if you are pollen allergic.

Don't forget about those moldy pumpkins.

Did you know that a carved pumpkin can grow enough mold within one day to trigger major allergy and asthma symptoms? If someone in your family is mold allergic, be sure to get rid of that Jack o' Lantern before it becomes a health hazard!

Hope you had a Happy Halloween!

I'm allergic to molds, what can I do?

1. Avoid excessive humidity in the home:

• Do not use humidifiers in the bedroom (encourages mold growth)
• No indoor plants except for succulents or cactus plants which do not require a lot of water.
• Avoid cut flowers in the home (move plants outside after one day)
• Avoid squeezy toys for the kids in the bathtub, which are difficult to drain of all moisture, therefore creating a perfect area for mold to grow, then be sprayed out into the air when the toy is squeezed.
• Avoid leaving wet towels or clothing in the hamper or on the floor, as this encourages mold growth.

2. Remove mold by killing it with bleach (Ajax or other sodium hypochlorite product would be fine). Scrub it on, leave for 20 minutes, then scrub off.

3. Particularly stubborn mold regrowth walls should be painted with a mold resistant additive, and any leaks repaired.

4. Keep a 40-watt light bulb on at all times, shining on areas of recurrent mold growth (closets, behind dresser, etc.), and/or a dehumidifier which also needs to be cleaned frequently to avoid this becoming another source of mold.

5. Avoid storing leather items in closets that tend to be moldy (especially in the bedroom):

• boots
• jackets
• briefcases
• leather skates

6. Avoid having many bottles and containers in the shower stall, as each will tend to support mold growth underneath, especially if not frequently used.

7. Check the refrigerator and pantry weekly for old food or mold growth on foods. Also, mold on bread may contribute to symptoms by inhalation of the spores. Be sure to also check the water and ice dispenser for mold growth.

8. Cut flowers become moldy within a day or two (on the stems); frequently change water, and expect to throw them out after a week or less.

Chronic cough could be associated with mold in musical wind instruments

Musical wind instruments can be a perfect place for mold growth: warm, humid inside surfaces during playing of the instrument, often not cleaned thoroughly, create a “biofilm” on the inner surface. Cases of chronic cough have been linked to inhalation of mold spores during trombone playing in one instance, and saxophone playing in another. The harmonica, which is played during both inhalation and exhalation, may be another potential source of mold exposure. In the case of the trombone player with an allergic lung condition triggered by mold from his trombone, cleaning of the instrument regularly with 91% isopropyl alcohol resulted in marked improvement of symptoms for 20 months, except when he neglected to clean the trombone for over a month.

Chest 2010 Sep; 138(3):754-6. Metersky ML, Bean SB, Meyer JD, Mutambudzi M, Brown-Elliott BA, Wechsler ME, Wallace RJ Jr. Trombone player’s lung: a probable new cause of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Chest 2010 Sep; 138(3): 724-6. Metzger F, Haccuria A, Reboux G, Nolard N, Dalphin JC, De Vuyst P. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to molds in a saxophone player.