Mold is an organism that is present is most places, outdoors and indoors. It is a type of fungus that works to break down dead material and return nutrients to the environment. Mold grows by digesting plant or animal matter, such as leaves, wood, paper, dirt, and food and spreads by releasing tiny, lightweight spores that travel through the air. Mold grows quickly in moist dark spaces, such as basements, garbage cans, and piles of rotting leaves.

On food, mold often is visible on the food's surface, such as the fuzzy green spots that appear on bread. However, molds also have branches and roots. As it grows, the mold's roots can penetrate deep inside the food, where it cannot be seen.

All of us are exposed to some mold every day with no bad effects. We may breathe in mold spores that are present in the air or eat foods in which mold has begun to grow. People with mold allergies, however, may have a reaction if exposed to too much of the fungus.

Symptoms of a mold allergy are those typical of many other allergies. They include:

*Wheezing
*Stuffy or runny nose
*Itchy, watery eyes
*Rash or hives

If you have a mold allergy, avoiding all exposure to mold may not be possible. However, you can reduce your risk of reaction by choosing your foods carefully. Check all foods for signs of mold before you eat them. Do not smell foods to see if they are spoiled because inhaling mold spores can set off an allergic reaction. In addition, you can avoid foods that are more likely to contain mold or other fungi, such as mushrooms and yeast.

*Cheese
*Mushrooms
*Vinegar and foods containing vinegar, such as salad dressing, catsup, and pickles
*Sour cream, sour milk, and buttermilk
*Meat or fish more than 24 hours old
*Breads and other food made with yeast
*Sauerkraut
*Pickled and smoked meats and fish
*Dried fruits such as dates, prunes, figs, and raisins
*Soy sauce
*Hot dogs, sausages
*Canned juices

The major indoor mold allergens are Aspergillus and Penicillium (this is not the same as the medicine penicillin, which also comes from mold). Your goal is to remove mold in your house and to try to prevent moisture from building up.

Outdoor molds can cause asthma and severe eye and nose irritation. Alternaria and Cladysporium are the two most common outdoor molds. They tend to be highest when the humidity soars, or in the fall when the decaying leaves on the ground spew them into the air.

To remove existing mold inside your home, clean surfaces with detergent and water, or if necessary, use a fungicide that contains 5 to 10 percent bleach. Use no more than 1 cup of bleach per gallon of water (never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners because this will produce toxic fumes.)

If mold covers an area more than 10 square feet, consider hiring an indoor environmental professional.

To control humidity, use dehumidifiers during summer months, or whenever it’s humid and try to air out bathrooms and showers.

If you do have flooding, remove or replace soaked carpets and upholstery. It’s best not to have carpets in the basement.

Have your air conditioning system checked for trapped moisture which can produce mold.

Use allergy drops, which can be taken to build up immunity to mold and give needed relief. Find out more about allergiDrops

Many people recognize allergy symptoms such as a runny or stuffy nose, itchy, watery eyes and sneezing (allergic rhinoconjunctivitis) from dust exposure related to common household chores such as vacuuming, sweeping, and dusting. House dust exposure can also trigger asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.

• Learn how to manage indoor allergies
• Get the facts on mold allergies
• Get tips on minimizing your dust allergies

If you think you may have an allergy to any of the components of house dust, consult a board certified allergist-immunologist. To pinpoint the cause of your symptoms, the allergist will ask detailed questions about your work and home environments, family medical history, frequency and severity of symptoms, exposure to pets and a variety of other questions. Sometimes the history will reveal obvious triggers, like someone who develops symptoms every time they are around a certain animal. More often though, the history may suggest triggers, but it may not be obvious in identifying the exact ones.

Sometimes the medical history may not suggest any triggers, yet allergy may be the cause. In this case, your allergist finds out what you are allergic to by doing skin tests. Skin tests involve either pricking the skin (prick tests) or injecting into the skin (intradermal tests) with different allergens and observing for a reaction. A positive reaction (a raised welt with redness around it) may indicate that you are allergic to that allergen. Occasionally, your allergist may order a blood test in addition to the skin test to confirm the diagnosis of allergy. The blood tests are generally less sensitive than skin testing.

Once your allergy triggers have been identified, steps should be taken to avoid them. Research has confirmed that targeted avoidance (environmental control aimed at relevant triggers) can be as effective as medications in reducing symptoms. The usual case requires targeted avoidance, medications prescribed by your allergist, and in many cases, specific allergen immunotherapy (allergy shots) to bring the problems under control.

Dust mites (sometimes called bed mites) are the most common cause of allergy from house dust. They belong to the family of eight-legged creatures called arachnids that also includes spiders, chiggers and ticks. Dust mites are hardy creatures that live and multiply easily in warm, humid places. They prefer temperatures at or above 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 75 percent to 80 percent. They die when the humidity falls below 40 percent to 50 percent. They are not usually found in dry climates.

High levels of exposure to dust mite are an important factor in the development of asthma in children. People who are allergic to dust mites react to proteins within the bodies and feces of the mites. These particles are found mostly in pillows, mattresses, carpeting and upholstered furniture. They float into the air when anyone vacuums, walks on a carpet or disturbs bedding, but settle out of the air soon after the disturbance is over.

Dust mite-allergic people who inhale these particles frequently experience allergy symptoms. There may be many as 19,000 dust mites in one gram of dust, but usually between 100 to 500 mites live in each gram. (A gram is about the weight of a paper clip.) Each mite produces about 10 to 20 waste particles per day and lives for 30 days. Egg-laying females can add 25 to 30 new mites to the population during their lifetime.

Mites eat particles of skin and dander, so they thrive in places where there are people and animals. Dust mites don't bite, cannot spread diseases and usually do not live on people. They are harmful only to people who become allergic to them. While usual household insecticides have no effect on dust mites, there are ways to reduce exposure to dust mites in the home.