Teach Your Child To Avoid These Things If He/She Has A Mold Allergy

4 October 2017
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog

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Many people don't enjoy experiencing mold in any form, but if your child has an allergy to mold of any type, he or she may experience adverse reactions. It's a good idea to schedule allergy testing and subsequent treatment for your children, especially if you've noticed signs that they may have allergies. Once your allergist has indicated the substances that give your child trouble, you can educate him or her on how to avoid these things to prevent a reaction. Avoiding mold can be a little tricky for a child, but as long as you reinforce the different ways that your child could come into contact with mold, the child should be all right. Here are some things to avoid.

Going Into Damp Basements

Teach your child to avoid going into damp basements for any prolonged period of time, given that these environments can be highly moldy. If you have an old home that has a damp basement, you may even wish to think about moving so that your child isn't exposed to mold in your own home. Remind your child that if he or she will be playing at friends' houses, it's ideal to stay out of the basement if the house is old or the basement smells musty. Prolonged exposure to this environment could lead to an allergic reaction for your child.

Eating Moldy Cheese

Children won't typically want to eat cheese that has spoiled and developed mold, but many cheeses actually contain mold without technically being spoiled. Blue cheese, for example, contains mold that may not agree with people who are allergic to mold. Teach your child about the various cheeses that are moldy; you might wish to take him or her around the supermarket to point out these products. Generally, it's a good idea to avoid keeping these cheeses in the house, too.

Playing Outside In The Spring

Although many people associate moldy environments with indoors, the reality is that you can also encounter mold outside. In some climates, the grass can be moldy in the spring after the snow melts. While your allergic child won't be able to avoid going outside, he or she should try to avoid prolonged exposure to moldy environments. For example, if the grass shows signs of seasonal mold, it's best to avoid playing in the backyard. In such a scenario, if your child wants to play soccer, you may wish to take him or her to a park that doesn't show signs of mold on the grass.