Fallen Leaves and Allergies

It may be fun for many to leap into piles of autumn leaves but if you have fall allergies then leave the leaves alone.  Even just a playful kick can release millions of mold spores into the air, and your airways.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns that exposure to mold can cause symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, or skin irritation. Particularly susceptible are pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions. Severe reactions can include asthma episodes, fever, shortness of breath, and mold infection in the lungs.

And it’s not just the moldy leaves in the fall, it’s the ragweed pollen. Each ragweed plant produces one billion pollen grains per average season. How can you deal with those piles of leaves? And these pollens and molds follow you inside your home.

The Allergy & Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics advises:     

• “Trade tasks with a neighbor. If garden clean-up leaves your lungs wheezy and your eyes drippy, ask a friend to rake your leaves in return for a free hour of babysitting or closet organizing.

• Before you turn on the heat, change the filter. Then, contact a licensed professional for a tune-up.  After all, your heating system is the lungs of your entire home, so make sure it’s breathing properly.

• Give high-humidity areas of the home, such as the bathroom, laundry and kitchen, a good fall cleaning.  Remove showerheads, and soak them in vinegar to eradicate hidden colonies of mold, and repair any leaky faucets and pipe.  If you need to repaint or wallpaper, try wall products that have been treated with a mold inhibitor.”

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