Has your doctor confirmed a mould allergy? Beyond prescribed treatments, your allergy symptoms can also improve through simple changes you make at home — no prescription required. Sound too good to be true? Keep reading. In this article, we’ll share 5 effective tips to get rid of mould allergy symptoms for good.
Causes of Mould Allergy
Before we figured out how to get rid of mould allergy, we first had to understand why it develops in the first place. The following might not come as a surprise, but let’s do a quick recap anyway.
The main cause of an allergic reaction is an unhealthy living environment. Mould thrives in areas with high humidity, releasing spores that find their way into your body. You’ll typically encounter it in bathrooms, wall corners, beneath flooring, or around windows.
Allergy development is also linked to the weather. Damp, rainy conditions encourage outdoor mould growth — it loves settling on building walls or in cellars, making its unwelcome presence known. Your immune system plays a role too. When it’s weakened, you’re far more susceptible to all sorts of reactions, including mould allergy. And let’s not forget genetics. You can inherit allergies from your parents. That’s why it’s worth having a moisture absorber at home — you don’t even need to buy one, as there are DIY natural alternatives.
You can find more detailed information about the causes and types of mould allergy HERE.
How Does Mould Allergy Manifest?
An allergic reaction to mould spores can look a bit different from person to person. However, the most common symptom among people with mould allergy is a runny nose. Frequent sneezing may alternate with a blocked nose or itching in the nasal cavity. A cough caused by mould is also common. Mould exposure frequently leads to shortness of breath, and for asthma sufferers, these symptoms can be far more severe.
More sensitive individuals may also experience skin reactions to mould. The affected person’s skin becomes very itchy, a rash may appear, and sometimes even eczema develops. All of these symptoms can seriously interfere with everyday activities. That’s why it’s important to see a doctor and look for additional ways to get rid of mould allergy.
5 Effective Tips to Relieve Mould Allergy
It’s always a good idea to discuss any symptoms with an allergist, who can pinpoint your exact diagnosis. Doctor-prescribed mould allergy treatment may include antihistamines, corticosteroids, leukotriene receptor antagonists, or immunotherapy.
Medication alone won’t fully tackle a mould allergy, though. You need to make a few lifestyle changes to stop symptoms from coming back. We’ve put together 5 tips focused on how to get rid of mould allergy and minimise the risk of it flaring up again.
1) Prevent Mould Growth
Ask yourself honestly whether you’re giving prevention enough attention. Have you heard of photocatalytic coatings? This type of surface protection can have a significant impact on preventing mould allergy from developing.
A photocatalytic coating reacts with viruses, bacteria, mould, and other airborne allergens through oxidation, breaking them down into water molecules and carbon dioxide. Because mould spores are neutralised immediately, there’s no risk of inhaling them and triggering an allergic reaction.
Photocatalysis, as the process is technically known, does require daylight to work. So make sure the coated surface receives enough light, or use special light bulbs to help.
As we mentioned, photocatalytic coatings can be applied to a variety of surfaces, both indoors and outdoors. Some are specifically designed for stone, concrete, and natural materials, wood, interior use or exterior use, and you can also find universal options.
You might also like: Get to Know Photocatalytic Coatings
2) Reduce Humidity
If mould allergy has already caught up with you, microscopic fungi have likely settled somewhere nearby — and it’s time to deal with them head-on. Identify the source of mould and remove it. You can manage on your own, as long as the mould hasn’t taken over an entire room.
Read more on how to properly get rid of mould at home.
Do you know why mould settled in your home and triggered an allergic reaction? It’s because that spot is very damp. One of the best ways to get rid of mould allergy is to use a dehumidifier, which brings moisture levels down to the ideal range. On average, indoor humidity should be between 40–55%.
Find out how to choose a dehumidifier HERE.
Sometimes you can tell the air in a room isn’t quite right just by how you feel. But allergy sufferers in particular should monitor humidity levels with a hygrometer and reach for a dehumidifier when needed. The device draws in humid air, the moisture condenses and drips into a tank, the air is warmed, and then it’s released back into the room.
You might also like: How to Reduce Indoor Humidity
3) Purify the Air
You’ve followed your doctor’s prescribed treatment, started using a dehumidifier, but still don’t feel enough relief? It might be because while you’ve stopped new mould from growing, the existing spores are still floating around your home and affecting everyone in the household. Here’s another tip for tackling mould allergy: air purifiers.
Air purifiers either use a special filter, work via an ozone generator, or rely on photocatalysis. Either way, their job is to capture harmful particles. For mould allergy sufferers, the best choice is an air purifier with a HEPA filter, which traps really tiny particles — including mould spores.
TIP: How to Choose an Air Purifier
We understand that not everyone can afford both a dehumidifier and an air purifier. For both financial and practical reasons, the best option might be a combined dehumidifier and air purifier in one unit.
4) Ventilate
Ventilation — it might seem obvious, but for allergy sufferers it’s an absolutely essential part of getting rid of mould allergy. After cooking, bathing, sleeping — basically any activity that produces steam — you need to air the room out thoroughly. The best approach is to open the window wide for about 5 minutes and then close it again.
During rainy weather, typical of autumn and winter, it’s not advisable to leave a window on tilt ventilation. Summer is a different story, though. When it’s dry outside, airing the house all day lets warmth in, which helps dry out cold walls.
5) Clean Regularly
Combine all the tips above with regular and thorough cleaning. Don’t skip even the smallest nooks and crannies where mould tends to form. If you have air conditioning, it should be cleaned regularly too. Consider purchasing special air conditioning filters designed to tackle mould and other airborne allergens.
Key Takeaways
Getting rid of mould allergy isn’t as tough as it might seem at first glance. If you combine your prescribed medication with a dehumidifier with a built-in air purifier, you’ll find that symptoms ease up surprisingly quickly. To prevent them from returning, protect your surfaces with photocatalytic coatings, ventilate your rooms properly, and of course, keep up with thorough cleaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to recognise mould allergy?
Symptoms of mould allergy include a runny nose and nasal congestion, cough and shortness of breath, increased eye itching, sneezing, rash, worsening of eczema in people with atopic eczema, fatigue, and headaches.
How to get rid of mould allergy naturally?
To reduce the severity and recurrence of mould allergy, consider using dehumidifiers and air purifiers. You should also think about protecting surfaces with photocatalytic coatings. Despite these recommendations, we still advise visiting a doctor to confirm whether you actually have a mould allergy.
How is mould allergy treated?
Your doctor may prescribe antihistamines, corticosteroids, leukotriene receptor antagonists, or recommend immunotherapy. These treatments should be combined with the use of dehumidifiers, air purifiers, photocatalytic coatings, and regular cleaning.
Can I completely get rid of mould allergy?
Unfortunately, a complete cure for mould allergy isn’t possible. However, there are plenty of ways to minimise the development of allergic symptoms today. If you follow all the right steps, you may barely even notice you have an allergy.
