Over 50 million people in the United States alone experience allergic symptoms each year.
And with the number of species of mold surpassing 1000, there’s an increasing chance that you will be allergic to at least one of them.
The problem with mold is that it can sometimes be undetectable. Living behind your walls or furniture and only showing signs like damp or smell once it’s become severe.
If you are worried you’re experiencing a mold allergy headache, then check the symptoms below to see if they match up.
1. Does Your Face Hurt?
People who are affected by mold will become exposed after breathing it into their airways.
When this happens, your sinus cavities in your face can become swollen which prevents them from operating normally. These cavities aren’t just isolated to your nose, they also range from your cheekbones and eyes to your bridge and forehead as well.
Swelling causes pressure to build up meaning these areas may feel tender to the touch and ache. It’s normal for people to say they have a headache when really the discomfort is around the top of their face/head.
Whether it’s you or someone else experiencing symptoms, make sure they are specific and certain about where their pain is coming from.
2. You Feel Like Avoiding Sunlight
People who experience migraines also report having a sensitivity to sunlight and that it can act as a trigger for their headaches.
People with a mold allergy can have similar issues and so diagnosing which is which can be troublesome. However, one telling sign is the way a person feels when you change their environment.
For example, if someone spends a few days in another house and starts feeling better, then their own home may have mold somewhere. In this situation, mold remediation is the best way to ensure it gets cleared out of the building for good.
3. A Mold Allergy Headache Causes Throbbing on One Side
Although mold allergy symptoms vary from person to person, a throbbing headache on one side can be a strong factor.
What most people don’t realize is that we actually breathe in more through one nostril at any given time. In fact, it’s a nasal cycle that alternates between both nostrils throughout the day.
If your symptoms are mold related, then it’s likely you were exposed to the mold when breathing in through that one nostril. This means that side got the brunt of the allergic reaction which is why the throbbing is happening on one side of your head.
4. You’re Experiencing Watery Eyes
As soon as something enters our body that shouldn’t, our immune system gets to work to flush it out. Literally.
As mentioned above, headaches can come from the blocked sinuses which are also behind the eyes. Our bodies aren’t perfect, so they just start leaking everywhere to try and remove whatever it is that’s bothering it.
For that reason, if your eyes are very runny then combined with other symptoms it could be due to mold.
5. Dry and Scaly Skin has Emerged
Another telltale sign that your issues are allergy related is how your skin reacts.
When we get a common cold we may experience headaches and sniffles but our skin remains fine. Allergic reactions, however, trigger an immune system response that also affects your skin.
Be sure to pay attention to any rashes or dry areas that emerged around the same time as your headaches.
See a Doctor
Colds always get better over time. If your symptoms are persisting without any improvements then you could have a mold allergy headache and other issues.
For more advice on staying healthy, check out our other articles.
Leave a Reply