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Unfortunately for allergy sufferers, pollens are totally necessary for the continuation of life as we know it. They’re the egg-shaped male cells of flowering plants, and the small, dry, light varieties are carried everywhere by wind currents and sometimes by animals. And that’s for three full seasons. In the early spring, pollens from oak, alder, beech, elm, cottonwood, walnut, poplar, willow, maple, mountain cedar, and eucalyptus trees fill the air. Late spring and early summer, grasses such as bermuda, johnson, fescue, rye, timothy, and cultivated oats and wheats do the damage. And weeds, such as the dread ragweed (responsible for most “hay fever”), dandelion, firebush, goldenrod, Queen Anne’s Lace, ox-eye daisies, sagebrush, and nettle make their contributions in the late summer and early fall. Depending on where you live, allergy season can range from January (in the southern states) or February through October.
As for mold, there are both outdoor molds, found in soil, vegetation, and rotting wood, and indoor molds, residing in basements, attics, in and under refrigerators, in couches, carpeting, and curtains. Types of molds include aspergillus, cladosporium, and alternaria.
The pollen and mold counts discussed so blithely on the nightly news are measures of the grains of allergens present in a cubic meter of air. These findings are reported to the media by the National Allergy Bureau three times a week and can also be obtained by calling 1-800-9-POLLEN. They can vary wildly from day to day, and, since sensitivity to allergens can differ tremendously between individuals, these counts are not that helpful.
The trials of allergies, the sneezing, runny noses, the red, itchy, watery eyes, etc., are caused by your body’s attempts to fend off invasion by manufacturing antibodies. These antibodies cling to the surface of mast cells, and, at the next incursion of pollens and molds, release a deluge of histamines. It’s the histamines that cause the wretched symptoms, and, with each additional exposure to the allergens, the symptoms become more intense until you’re just a miserable wheezing mucus machine.
You can run, but you can’t hide from pollen and mold. The same grasses that produce pollens in Vermont grow beautifully in Arkansas and Colorado. Even if you move, within a couple of years, you can easily acquire allergies to whatever flora flourish in the new locale. And, of course, you take the molds with you wherever you go. So what to do?
Your allergist can prescribe nose sprays, anti-histamines that won’t leave you snoring, and decongestants. If your allergies last for months at a time, you may need immunotherapy, a series of injections that help your immune system to resist allergens and may lessen symptoms. There are also many common-sense strategies you can try.
During pollen peak seasons, make your nose unavailable. Stay inside as much as possible, keep windows and doors closed, and use a high performance filter in both your home’s and car’s air-conditioning systems. When you have to go outside, wear a mask.
Keep your pets outside or bathe them frequently to remove pollen carried in their coats.
Hire someone to mow the lawn and rake the leaves, and don’t hang your wash outside. Use washable rugs instead of carpet (wood and vinyl floors are the least likely to harbor pollen and mold). Try to survive without over-stuffed furniture, and flowing drapes should give way to roll-up blinds or simple, washable curtains.
You can respond to mold in a very direct fashion. Have a mud room for boots and damp shoes. It’s best if the laundry room and garage are quite separate from the rest of the house; at least, vent the clothes dryer outside. Keep potentially damp areas dry and use bleach type cleaners under sinks, in bathrooms, laundry rooms and under the fridge. Chlorine kills existing mold and prevents new growth. When planning a new bathroom, use vinyl sheets for the tub and shower areas, and vinyl flooring. Grout between ceramic tiles is a marvelous medium for mold. Waterproof your basement and foundation with a sealing paint. Go for a minimalist look in your garden; avoid heavy vegetation, use gravel and interesting rocks instead lush grass.
An interesting and quite probably correct theory connects a diet heavy in yeast to mold allergies. After all, what is yeast but a fungus, and what’s mold? A fungus!
Obviously, avoid mushrooms and truffles, but keep in mind that many foods, especially those commercially prepared, contain yeast. Buttermilk, malt-flavored milk drinks, yogurt, sour cream, and most cheeses should be avoided by the severely allergic. Pass on meats breaded in batter, and cereals containing malt, or fortified with vitamins, and farina (cream of wheat). Go light on pastas, noodles, breads and pastries made with wheat flour.
In the area of beverages, don’t drink root beer, ginger ale, beer, wine, ale, and black tea. Shun vinegar, especially malt vinegar, brewer’s and baker’s yeast. Don’t take B vitamins made from yeast, or selenium or chromium, trace minerals derived from yeast.
Allergic reactions to antibiotics that are produced by mold cultures, such as tetracyclines, penicillin, and mycin drugs, can be very dramatic and definitely life-threatening, and should be discussed with your health care professional.
If you choose to suffer through or ignore your allergy symptoms, or, armed only with over-the-counter medications, to continue waging unsuccessful annual wars with them, you can develop serious complications, such as asthma, sinusitis, and debilitating infections. Take sensible precautions, find an allergist to help you, and be well.
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