Allergy-like symptoms in children are an indication that mold may be growing somewhere in your home, and that they may be affected by mold allergies. The below information deals with the consequences of mistaking mold allergy in children, for common outdoor allergies.

 

We are all concerned about our individual health and do everything we can to stay healthy. Young children on the other hand, are unable to make decisions for themselves.  One of the most important things we can do for our kids is to be aware of their health and provide a health indoor environment.

We must make sure that our homes are free of contaminates that can cause mold allergies and other indoor air quality problems.  

Before it was discovered that mold is an extremely common cause of allergies, it was often taken for granted that allergies were the result of outdoor allergens. Hay fever, seasonal allergies, pollen, or other common outdoor related irritants were always blamed. I remember growing up in the 70’s and 80’s. Back then mold never got the blame. Our parents would run us straight to the doctor’s office and nine times out of ten he would tell us that we were allergic to something. Personally, I got the “allergic to grass” (mis) diagnosis after a battery of painful tests and shots. The doctor never asked if my reactions occurred when I was indoors or outdoors.

If they had only looked to the basement of our home, they would have found incredible amounts of mold growing everywhere!  In my semi-finished basement, mold was growing on the floors, walls and ceiling. It was literally everywhere. My father told us to just live with it and that it was no big deal. No one new back then that mold could cause so many severe respiratory problems.

The shots that I had to get had absolutely no effect, thus, I suffered for most of my early years with itchy eyes. My eyes were so itchy that I would rub them bright red every day. I would sneeze sometimes one hundred times per day. I sneezed so much it was comical. Of course, the washer and dryer were downstairs as well. In addition, my freshly washed clothes would hang to dry and absorb mold allergens and odors.

So, my advice to parents is to suspect mold as a very likely cause of indoor allergies.  If your young son or daughter is complaining of allergy it may be indoor mold. If a family member experience itchy eyes, runny nose, watery eyes, sinus pressure related headaches, or sneezing, it may be due to mold allergy.

I highly recommend you hire a mold inspector to conduct a mold inspection. A qualified mold inspector can diagnose mold problems. The best mold consultants will look for mold and will keep an eye out for, and an open mind to other non-mold related indoor allergens.

Just think about it, if we had hired a mold inspector, I could have avoided years of suffering, and thousands of dollars in medical bills. If we had an inspection, we would have known that  mold spores in our home were responsible for my mold allergy symptoms.

If you have small children and have not had your home recently tested for mold, you need to call us today. We are independent and objective mold inspectors. Our only objective is to find out if mold is growing in your home. We do not do removal or treatments, so we have no conflict of interest, we inspect only.

And by the way, my “allergies” went away as soon as I went off to college. The doctor said that I “outgrew” my allergies as so many people do. I guess moving out of the house with the moldy basement had nothing to do with it.