Molds simply lie dormant during the winter time and are unable to continue growing if they are exposed to freezing temperatures. Once spring comes back, mold spore levels in the outdoors skyrocket, wreaking havoc on those of us who happen to be allergic to certain varieties.
The allergy symptoms associated with mold are typically about the same as the allergy symptoms that are caused by almost anything else. Depending upon the severity of the allergy of the person affected, the symptoms can range from a simple runny nose all the way to a serious reaction requiring hospitalization.
Children, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system needs to be careful when it comes to just how much of their allergen that they come into contact with.
Allergy symptoms related to mold can also seemingly be made worse by eating foods that have been processed containing mold. This can include cheeses made with mold like gorgonzola or blue cheese or just simple funguses like mushrooms. Beer and bread have also been known to worsen these reactions, since they are made with yeast, which is a fungus.
While the majority of molds in the world do not cause allergic reactions, there are a few genii that do. Most allergic reactions are caused by molds in Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Alternaria. Even though Penicillin is named after the genus Penicillium, there are molds in this genus that can cause allergic reactions just like the others.
Try to keep an eye on the mold spore reports that occur on your local news stations regularly, usually every morning, noon, and every evening. If you have children or elderly members of your family that are allergic to mold spores or have any other kind of allergy, you need to be careful about taking them out of the home during times of high spore or pollen counts.
A mistake can be deadly if they are exposed to their allergen for a long period of time. If you have any doubts as to whether you should take them outside during these times, the best bet is to have them stay home.
Scientists all over the world claim that SIDS can happen to any infant, anywhere, any time, and there is absolutely nothing the parents can do to stop it. Most parents simply resign themselves to this and say that there is nothing that they can do to stop SIDS from occurring, but the fact is that a new study out of New Zealand claims to know the cause of it.
The answer lies within the crib the child sleeps in! The chemicals of arsenic, phosphorus, and antimony were first manufactured into crib mattresses back in the mid 1900's and these chemicals are required by law to be in mattresses as a fire retardant.
But, it is not just the mattress alone that causes the crib death, the study says. It is only when mold finds its way into the mattress that you begin to have a problem.
When Scopulariopsis brevicaulis gets into one of these mattresses that has these chemicals in it, it begins to feed on them and releases them back into the air as toxic fumes or nerve gases. It is activated by heat and so when the baby sleeps on it (or especially when it has a fever), the mold begins to grow more quickly and lets the gases out into the air.
While the gas disperses almost immediately, it is still dangerous for infants to sleep on the mattresses because they are breathing too close to the surface of it. They are breathing these gases while they are still potent and this is what causes crib death.
So, what can you do? Do not use anything in the crib that contains these chemicals and wrap the mattress in plastic to keep these dangerous gases from escaping. It's best to do this when the mattress is brand new so you know there isn't any mold in it and if you have an old mattress that was given to you by friends or relatives to use, throw it away. There are special baby mattress wraps that you can use to wrap up your baby's mattress, but are only available from New Zealand.
Also, use only materials such as 100% Egyptian cotton blankets for your baby to sleep on. Do not use sheepskin, polyester, anything that is quilted, padded, or filled, pillows or cushions. 100% cotton is the best thing to use.
Jim Corkern has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home, Health and Guide Guitar. Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of and. Jim Corkern's top article generates over 823000 views. to your Favourites.