Spore count soars from SW Fla. rain, humidity

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Local & State - July 29, 2005

Allergy sufferers miserable from mold

Spore count soars from SW Fla. rain, humidity

By Andi Atwater

aatwater@...

Published by news-press.com on July 29, 2005

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• More information: Check out mold, pollen and other allergy counts

July's hot, humid weather has been a boon for mold growth and a bane

for allergy sufferers.

Itchy noses, ears and throats, watery eyes and sporadic sneezing are

the hallmarks for some 35.9 million Americans with seasonal

allergies, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma &

Immunology.

Here in Southwest Florida, mold spores, boosted by excessive rain

this summer and hot, humid weather, are unusually high, experts

said, and many Lee County residents are paying the price.

" This has been the worst time, " said a congested Vickie Lane, 46, of

Fort Myers, whose allergies are so bad she forgoes cosmetics and

contact lenses.

" Like right now, I have wheezing in my throat, a stuffed head,

sometimes a headache and my ears and throat are itching, " she said.

" Every time it gets rainy and wet, I suffer more. "

The National Allergy Bureau listed Southwest Florida as high in mold

counts this week and moderate in weed pollen, mostly ragweed.

Fort Myers allergist Dr. Larry Castillo said his office counts

pollen and mold daily and has seen an unusually high proliferation

of mold spores.

" That has to do with all the rain, the humidity, the high ambient

temperatures — all that facilitates mold growth, " he said.

" When it's unusually high, people are having problems. "

County biologist and land stewardship manager also

attributes the increase in mold spores to the decrease in natural

vegetation around the county.

" We're changing so fast, there's a lot of construction activity and

we don't have as much green space to perhaps help keep the air clean

and absorb particulate matter, " he said.

" It's just a theory, but it makes sense. "

The four most common mold spores that cause allergies in Southwest

Florida are aspergillus, penicillium, alternaria and cladosporium,

mold that can rapidly increase both indoors and outside, Castillo

said.

When inhaled, tiny fungal spores may cause allergic rhinitis.

Because they are so small, mold spores also can reach the lungs,

according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious

Diseases.

Mold is a naturally occurring fungus and cannot be totally avoided,

but health officials say there are a number of things an allergy

sufferer can do to cut down on his or her exposure.

The easiest solution: Turn on the air conditioner and stay indoors.

For those with chronic symptoms, over-the-counter allergy

medications can often help. After that, a visit to a doctor or

allergist may yield relief through prescription medications.

" Use the air conditioner — it effectively filters out 93 percent of

spores, " said Fort Myers allergist Dr. Mark Greenberg. " This is

Florida. You're going to have unavoidable exposure. "