How to Treat Health Problems from Mold
See your doctor., Try over-the-counter medication., Take prescription medications., Try immunotherapy., Irrigate your sinuses.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: See your doctor.
If you're experiencing health problems caused by mold exposure, it's important that you seek medical help as soon as possible.
Your doctor will run tests, assess your symptoms, and recommend a treatment plan that most likely includes medication.Your doctor may run tests to check for allergies, including a skin prick test and a blood test.
Call ahead to find out if there are any restrictions for your appointment.
For example, your doctor may instruct you to discontinue any allergy medication in the days leading up to your appointment.Follow your doctor's instructions.
Take any medication that you're given and make follow-up appointments as needed. -
Step 2: Try over-the-counter medication.
The best way to alleviate respiratory ailments caused by mold is to use medication.
You can find over-the-counter (OTC) medications at your local pharmacy, though you may need prescription-strength medicine from your doctor.OTC antihistamines like loratadine (Claritin), fexofenadine (Allegra), and cetirizine (Zyrtec) may help reduce some of your symptoms.
OTC nasal corticosteroids like ciclesonide (Omnaris), fluticasone (Flonase), and mometasone (Nasonex) can help reduce respiratory inflammation and are available.
Common side effects include dry nostrils and nosebleeds.
OTC decongestant nasal sprays like oxymetazoline (Afrin) help reduce stuffiness, but they should not be used for more than three or four days or your symptoms may worsen.
Common side effects include headaches, insomnia, and nervousness. , Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may recommend prescription-strength medications.You should follow your doctor's instructions and adhere to the dosing schedule written on your prescription.
Prescription-strength antihistamines like azelastine (Astelin, Astepro) and olopatadine (Patanase) may help relieve some of your symptoms.
Montelukast (Singulair) is a prescription-strength medication that can help suppress your immune system's response to allergens like mold.
Prescription-strength antifungal medications like voriconazole or caspofungin may be used to treat aggressive, invasive pulmonary mold problems., In immunotherapy, your doctor will administer a series of allergy shots to reduce your symptoms.
However, immunotherapy can only be used for certain types of mold problems.
Talk to your doctor if you think immunotherapy might be right for you., Irrigating your sinuses with a saline rinse can help flush out environmental irritants (such as mold spores) and soothe your irritated, inflamed nostrils and sinus cavity.Nasal irrigation can be performed every day to help relieve the symptoms caused by your mold problem.
You should only irrigate your sinuses with a squeeze bottle, bulb syringe, or neti pot designed to be used exclusively for nasal/sinus treatment.
Only use distilled or sterile water.
You can also boil and cool water, or use a filter with a pore size smaller than one micron to ensure that no microorganisms are present.
Mix three large teaspoons of canning salt and one rounded teaspoon of baking soda.This will provide you with enough saline mix to make several batches of the nasal solution.
Add between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon of saline mix to 1/2 cup (four ounces) of warm distilled or sterile water.
Stir until it is completely dissolved, then administer it using your bottle, bulb syringe, or neti pot. -
Step 3: Take prescription medications.
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Step 4: Try immunotherapy.
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Step 5: Irrigate your sinuses.
Detailed Guide
If you're experiencing health problems caused by mold exposure, it's important that you seek medical help as soon as possible.
Your doctor will run tests, assess your symptoms, and recommend a treatment plan that most likely includes medication.Your doctor may run tests to check for allergies, including a skin prick test and a blood test.
Call ahead to find out if there are any restrictions for your appointment.
For example, your doctor may instruct you to discontinue any allergy medication in the days leading up to your appointment.Follow your doctor's instructions.
Take any medication that you're given and make follow-up appointments as needed.
The best way to alleviate respiratory ailments caused by mold is to use medication.
You can find over-the-counter (OTC) medications at your local pharmacy, though you may need prescription-strength medicine from your doctor.OTC antihistamines like loratadine (Claritin), fexofenadine (Allegra), and cetirizine (Zyrtec) may help reduce some of your symptoms.
OTC nasal corticosteroids like ciclesonide (Omnaris), fluticasone (Flonase), and mometasone (Nasonex) can help reduce respiratory inflammation and are available.
Common side effects include dry nostrils and nosebleeds.
OTC decongestant nasal sprays like oxymetazoline (Afrin) help reduce stuffiness, but they should not be used for more than three or four days or your symptoms may worsen.
Common side effects include headaches, insomnia, and nervousness. , Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may recommend prescription-strength medications.You should follow your doctor's instructions and adhere to the dosing schedule written on your prescription.
Prescription-strength antihistamines like azelastine (Astelin, Astepro) and olopatadine (Patanase) may help relieve some of your symptoms.
Montelukast (Singulair) is a prescription-strength medication that can help suppress your immune system's response to allergens like mold.
Prescription-strength antifungal medications like voriconazole or caspofungin may be used to treat aggressive, invasive pulmonary mold problems., In immunotherapy, your doctor will administer a series of allergy shots to reduce your symptoms.
However, immunotherapy can only be used for certain types of mold problems.
Talk to your doctor if you think immunotherapy might be right for you., Irrigating your sinuses with a saline rinse can help flush out environmental irritants (such as mold spores) and soothe your irritated, inflamed nostrils and sinus cavity.Nasal irrigation can be performed every day to help relieve the symptoms caused by your mold problem.
You should only irrigate your sinuses with a squeeze bottle, bulb syringe, or neti pot designed to be used exclusively for nasal/sinus treatment.
Only use distilled or sterile water.
You can also boil and cool water, or use a filter with a pore size smaller than one micron to ensure that no microorganisms are present.
Mix three large teaspoons of canning salt and one rounded teaspoon of baking soda.This will provide you with enough saline mix to make several batches of the nasal solution.
Add between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon of saline mix to 1/2 cup (four ounces) of warm distilled or sterile water.
Stir until it is completely dissolved, then administer it using your bottle, bulb syringe, or neti pot.
About the Author
Michael Mitchell
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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