Winter Allergies and Mold
Springtime has long been synonymous with pollen and allergies. You can practically see the tiny particles floating through the air. Here in New England, streets and pond surfaces are paved with fluorescent green pollen from late April to mid-May. Pollen and spring are symbolic of new beginnings, but many allergy sufferers wait with bated breath (excuse the pun) until the first winter frost.
Winter allergies differ from their spring and summer counterparts in that they’re usually caused by mold instead of pollen. Mold allergies aren’t confined to the winter months, as all mold spores need to thrive are moisture and oxygen, but people are more susceptible to mold allergies when they spend more time indoors. Recommendations from the director of Allergy and Immunology at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York-Presbyterian to combat mold include:
1. Keeping your indoor humidity level below 35 percent to help prevent the growth of mold and mites.
2. Using bathroom ventilation fans when showering or kitchen ventilation fans when cooking to remove excess humidity and odors. Avoid putting rugs in the bedroom, if possible, since wall-to-wall carpeting is an ideal place for dust mites to proliferate.
3. Not keeping plants in the bedroom, since decaying leaves and increased humidity can stimulate growth of mold.
