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Tuesday, November 4, 2014

It's allergy season

Well, it is for me. Pollen counts are not very high at this time of year, so what gives? It turns out that pollen doesn't bother me too much. My nemesis in the allergen community is mold spores. The falling leaves bring beauty, but autumn rains -- as we're getting this morning -- trigger a mold spore outbreak.


Anybody care to take a guess where St. Louis is on this map? Yep, right in the "hotspot" for mold.



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Watery eyes, sneezing -- the usual symptoms of hayfever sufferers -- but at a unique time of year.

I've heard that the St. Louis area is a hotbed of sorts for molds (the outdoor types). I can't confirm that, but I know that mold is a bit of a problem all year round. Why are we so lucky?

The St. Louis County website has a great allergen reference, and on the mold page there are a few key points:
  • Molds are strong allergens. However, most people are not allergic to molds.
  • In many climates, for each pollen grain in the air there are 1000 mold spores.
  • Mold exposure increases with cutting the grass, raking dead leaves, or working with hay or mulch piles.
Good thing there aren't huge piles of dead leaves all over the place right now, some of which I'll be hauling myself down to my compost and mulch pile. I'll be certain to try and not disturb it too much. (That was meant to be sarcastic.)


Really, that St. Louis County mold page is quite informative -- give it a look, especially if you're a St. Louis area mold allergy sufferer.

Maybe it really is time to relocate...


The Weather Channel's mold spore map


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5 comments:

  1. Mark and GazNovember 4, 2014 at 12:48 PM

    Mould spores, of course! I haven't thought about it causing hayfever before, as the condition is almost always synonymous with the warmer months rather that the cooler ones. Hopefully your symptoms won't be that bad and cause too much nuisance.

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  2. Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)November 4, 2014 at 1:36 PM

    Yikes, I feel for you. I go through the same symptoms in March and April. I suppose moving to Arizona, for example, would alleviate your symptoms :-).

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  3. Salty Pumpkin StudioNovember 4, 2014 at 6:02 PM

    Great information.
    I know about grass mold when it rains. I didn't make the connection to mowing and allergy flare ups to mold until reading your post.
    I hope you feel better.

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  4. danger gardenNovember 5, 2014 at 12:26 AM

    Oregon looks to be trouble free. Then again I've heard of a few people here suffering mold allergies indoors. THAT would be a nightmare.

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  5. Hoover BooNovember 5, 2014 at 8:13 AM

    I sympathize, as I sneeze 10 times in a row. (I actually had to stop for a sneeze break this comment.) Mold, dust, pollen, you name it. We keep the Kleenex company in business. Does snow help? Rain?

    ReplyDelete