Winter Allergies due to Mold Growth

Allergies aren’t just for the spring and fall when flowers and trees are blooming - winter allergies affect many Canadians as well, and it may be your home or indoor mold growth that’s exacerbating your symptoms and increasing your discomfort.

Mold in your home may be causing winter allergies

There are a few reasons why mold can increase during the winter months and cause serious winter allergies. One is that your heat is on, and the increased temperatures in the closed environment of your home can lead to trapped moisture condensing on walls, furniture or other objects. While the heat does make the air in your home dryer overall, it allows areas with moisture, like the bathroom or kitchen, to intensify, and our closed windows or lack of ventilation offer that moisture nowhere to go.

Mold will begin to form when that hot, moist air condenses on a colder exterior wall, pipe, or window frame. This site can then become an ideal site for mold growth which can lead to winter allergies.

Another common way that mold finds its way into your home is from the outdoors, which is full of moisture sources, albeit of the white, frozen kind. Fallen leaves and other organic materials absorb the moisture from snow and ice and can get tracked into your home on boots and shoes - mold can survive in surprisingly low temperatures and is not killed off by frost, so when it arrives in the warmth of your home, it can begin to bloom and grow again.

Symptoms of winter allergies from mold growth

Winter allergies from mold growth often mimic the symptoms of the common cold or flu, making them difficult to identify. A mold allergy is your immune system’s response to the presence of mold spores in the air. This can manifest itself as coughing, sneezing, itchy eyes or a watering nose, or as headaches or dizziness. For some people who suffer from asthma or bronchitis, mold allergies can result in serious health effects and restricted airways.

If you notice that your winter allergies are alleviated by leaving a certain room or disappear when you head off to work, it may be mold growth that is causing your symptoms. Visible mold growth is a clear indicator that you have a problem, but often mold grows behind the walls or in under trafficked areas of our homes, like the attic or basement, or under sinks and behind appliances. A musty smell is the strongest clue that mold may be present in your home, but condensation on or near your windows, peeling paint, or water stains may also indicate an unseen buildup of moisture.

Remove mold and alleviate your winter allergies due to mold growth

Removing mold is the only way to alleviate winter allergies associated with its growth.  While the internet is full of DIY tips and tricks, mold removal is a job best left to professionals - it’s easy to accidentally spread mold throughout your house, and mold’s subtlety means that you may miss some or all of it. If you suffer from winter allergies and are concerned about mold growth in your home, give MoldTech a call at 1-866-684-7684 for more information and a free visible mold inspection.