Mold Allergy – Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis

Doctors usually start by asking about symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose, or itchy eyes after you’re around possible allergens.

They’ll also want to know about any history of mold exposure and whether you’ve noticed mold at home or work—especially if there’s visible mold, water damage, or a musty smell.

Mold Comparison Criteria	Indoor Mold	Outdoor Mold
Where it’s found	Bathrooms, basements, kitchens	Soil, leaves, grass, trees
Frequency	Often found in damp areas	Present in most environments
How to limit exposure	Fix leaks, use dehumidifiers	Stay indoors on damp days

Since mold allergy can worsen or mimic asthma, sinus infections, or other allergic conditions, your doctor may check for these too.

Test Type	What It Checks
Skin Prick Test	Looks for skin reactions to mold
Blood Test (IgE)	Measures allergy antibody levels

One of the most common tests is the skin prick test. A doctor places a tiny bit of mold allergen on your skin—usually your arm or back—and gives it a light scratch so the allergen gets in.

If you’re allergic, you’ll see a small red bump or welt within 15 to 20 minutes. That’s your body reacting to the mold spores.

Skin tests may not be suitable if you’re taking antihistamines, have severe eczema, or react strongly to multiple allergens.

Blood tests are another option. These check for higher levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, which show your immune system is responding to mold or other allergens in your environment. The results can confirm if you’re sensitive to mold.

Treatment

It helps to limit contact with mold, but you can’t really avoid it completely. So, treatment mostly aims to control and reduce your symptoms. Several medicines and strategies can make life easier for people sensitive to mold.

Medicine	How It Works	Usual Side Effects
Nasal corticosteroid spray	Lessens swelling in the nose	Nosebleeds, dryness
Antihistamines	Blocks histamine, eases symptoms	Drowsiness (rare), dry mouth
Oral decongestants	Eases stuffiness	Raised blood pressure, insomnia
Decongestant nasal spray	Clears congestion quickly	Headaches, rebound congestion
Leukotriene blockers	Lowers mucus and reaction	Anxiety, sleep problems

Nasal corticosteroid sprays are often recommended to reduce swelling and discomfort inside your nose. Most people tolerate these well, even long-term. Sometimes, though, you might get a nosebleed or dryness.

Antihistamines block histamine, the chemical that makes you sneeze and itch during an allergy attack. These can help with sneezing, itching, and a runny nose. Prescription sprays are also available. Some individuals notice a bitter taste or dryness.

Oral decongestants can clear up a stuffy nose. If you have high blood pressure, be careful—these can raise it even more and might cause insomnia, loss of appetite, or make you feel jittery.

Decongestant nasal sprays work fast but shouldn’t be used for more than a few days in a row. If you use them too long, your congestion might actually get worse when you stop.

Leukotriene blockers can help with extra mucus, especially if you can’t use nasal sprays or have mild asthma too.

These aren’t quite as effective as inhaled corticosteroids, and they can cause side effects like anxiety, depression, or trouble sleeping. Doctors say to use them with caution.

Additional Options:

Immunotherapy can help some people. This means getting allergy shots regularly for months or even years. These shots train your immune system to react less to mold.

Not everyone needs or wants this, though—it’s usually for individuals who don’t get relief from other treatments.

Nasal rinses or nasal lavage can make a difference, too. Rinsing your nose with salt water helps wash out mold spores, dust, and other gunk.

Always use sterile water and clean your neti pot or squeeze bottle after each use. It’s an easy at-home step to ease nasal symptoms.

Doctors mostly combine treatments based on what works best for you.

Self care

Managing mold allergies takes daily effort to ease symptoms like a runny nose, watery or itchy eyes, sneezing, wheezing, rashes, and congestion.

Keep windows closed at night to stop outdoor mold spores from drifting inside.

Using dehumidifiers, air conditioning, and air purifiers brings down indoor humidity and keeps the air cleaner. Try to keep humidity below 50%. A cheap moisture meter can help you check.

Wearing a mask while cleaning moldy spots or doing yard work can also help limit what you breathe in.

Fixing leaks and drying out damp spots stops mold before it starts. If you’re working with leaves, mowing, or gardening, a dust mask can help you breathe in fewer spores.

Skip outdoor activities right after rain or on foggy, damp days if you can. It really does make a difference. Good ventilation indoors also helps keep mold away.

Getting Ready for Your Visit

Before your allergy appointment, you can do a few simple things to make it more useful.

• Ask about special instructions. When you book, check if you need to stop any allergy medicines before the visit. Some tests work better if you haven’t taken antihistamines for a few days.
• Track your symptoms. Jot down what you feel, when it happens, and if anything specific seemed to set it off. Where were you? What were you doing?
• List your meds and supplements. Write down everything you take—prescriptions, over-the-counter stuff, vitamins, and herbal remedies, with doses if you know them.
• Think of questions. Make a list so you don’t forget what you want to ask.

A few example questions:

Question	Purpose
What might be causing my symptoms?	To learn about possible triggers
Are there tests I should have?	To get more details and know if you need to prepare
What treatments work best for this allergy?	To understand your options
What side effects could allergy medicine have?	To be aware of what to expect
How can I remove mold from my home?	To find ways to prevent future problems
What should I do if I have other health issues?	To get advice on managing everything together
Are there any resources you recommend?	To find more information or support

Having a written list means you won’t forget anything important during your visit.

Questions Your Doctor Might Ask

At your appointment, your doctor will want as much helpful info as you can give. Think about these questions ahead of time:

• What are your exact symptoms?
• When did they start, and how often do they show up?
• Do you notice symptoms are worse at certain times of year or day?
• Do they get worse in certain places, like outside or in a damp basement?
• Have you had other health problems, like asthma?
• Does anyone else in your family have allergies?
• Are you exposed to mold, dust, fumes, or chemicals at work or home?
• Do you know if there’s mold in your house?

Here’s a table to keep things straight:

Doctor’s Question	Why It Matters
What symptoms do you have?	To decide what kind of allergy it might be
What triggers symptoms?	To find the cause
When are symptoms worse?	To spot patterns
Where do symptoms start?	To identify environmental triggers
Do other family members have allergies?	To check for a family link
Are you exposed to mold or chemicals?	To assess possible exposures
Do you have other health issues?	To manage all health needs safely

Being ready with these details saves time and helps your doctor plan your care.

Things You Can Do While Waiting for the Appointment

While you’re waiting to see your doctor, there are a few things you can do to manage symptoms and cut down on mold exposure.

• Try over-the-counter allergy meds from the pharmacy to help control symptoms. Always read the label and follow instructions.
• If you see mold at home, cleaning it up lowers your exposure. It’s best if someone not sensitive to mold does the cleaning. Use 1 cup bleach in 1 gallon of water or a store-bought mold cleaner. Make sure the area gets plenty of fresh air.
• If you have to clean it yourself, wear long rubber gloves, safety goggles, and a mask or respirator to avoid breathing in spores.
• Keep damp areas clean and dry to stop new mold from growing. Fix leaks or moisture problems as soon as you spot them.

A couple of key tips:

• Never mix bleach with anything containing ammonia.
• Keep pets and kids away from cleaning areas until everything’s dry.

Taking these steps helps you get the most out of your doctor’s visit and keeps allergy problems in check until you get more advice.

Key Procedures

If your doctor suspects that mold exposure at home or work is making your allergy symptoms worse, they may recommend additional testing to confirm the source.

Procedure	Purpose
Mold Remediation Assessment	Identifies visible and hidden mold through inspections, moisture checks, and air sampling
Indoor Air Quality Check	Measures airborne mold spores and indoor moisture levels in buildings

These tests help identify whether your immune system is reacting to mold—and if your indoor environment may be part of the problem.