Snow Mold Allergies

Jul 25, 2023

It's allergy season and with the snow smelting more people are at risk of snow mold allergies.

Snow Mold Allergy is caused as the snow begins to melt and there is a warm up pocket of air beneath, there are fungus that could grow and release spurs leading to symptoms that could feel like a mild cold.

Like any other allergy, it is the body's immune system identifying something that's not a danger to it as a danger and reacting against it. Common symptoms are runny and itchy nose, itching in the throat area and even itchy, watery eyes.

In other to understand this allergy better we spoke to an Emergency Medicine Physician, Dr. Dylan Wyatt from St. Luke's on ways to prevent it.

"Conditions in general in spring, that low temperature of 40s,50s and wet environment is perfect for mold and fungi growing. So unless you’re able to fully control all the area around your house, it's going to be really challenging to keep that tamped down just because of the way the environment is.

So how can we stay protected?

"First of all, it's good to know what you are allergic to, and that can be done with allergy testing. Identifying those will let someone know that they have susceptibility, that their immune system has an over activity to that thing. And then they can guide against it, for example if you know, okay, the snow is melting, I know I’m allergic to mold. I can take over-the-counter medications that can help, whether it's a nasal steroid or non-sedating antihistamine to help with some of those symptoms. And of course, as with any allergy cleaning and keeping areas very well kept is helpful within the home itself."

With the amount of snow we got, our weatherman Brandon Weatherz says we could be dealing with this for some weeks.

"I think the thing about this year is with how much snow we have, we’re just dealing with snow mold season for a longer time. This it's going to take a long time to get rid of everything. And as we have this prolonged melting period, we really continually have the moisture from the snow melt feed into the grass and the soil, which is going to just enhance that mold spore production. And as we gradually pull that snow bank back, we’re just going to keep revealing more and more snow mold until it's finally done."

Experts say you can use a rake or broom to clear the molds on time. But, you should wear a face mask while doing so if you are sensitive.