Indoor and outdoor mold exposure can cause the same health symptoms. Individual sensitivities determine whether mold allergies affect patients seasonally or perennially. Either form of allergic rhinitis can produce immediate or long-term physical effects. The reproductive cycles of outdoor-growing molds function most of the year, but peak in late summer, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Indoor molds reproduce in periodic waves, but are most active during damp weather or following water damage to buildings.
Itchy Eyes
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, reports that exposure to reproductive mold spores causes eye irritation. Disturbing mold growths on downed leaves outdoors or on hard surfaces indoors can send allergens into the face and nasal passages. Mold allergens contact the eyes or enter the bloodstream and affect the mucous membranes internally. The eyes may itch, become red or overflow with tears as fluid accumulates. This set of health symptoms, termed allergic conjunctivitis, is a common sign of seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis.
Skin Irritation
Skin on the hands and other areas of contact can become irritated by mold exposure when handling leaves, removing moldy building materials or touching mold growths inadvertently. The CDC definitively links mold with contact dermatitis symptoms. Skin inflammation may cause redness, itching and warmth in patches. Rashes can swell or raise bumps or blisters, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Runny and Stuffy Nose
As mold allergies spread inflammation to the nasal and sinus passages, irritation and mucus production increase. Nasal health symptoms include itching, runny nose, sneezing and congestion. Continued mold exposure allows fluids to overwhelm the upper respiratory tract, creating postnasal drip. Prolonged sinus inflammation and pressure can cause sinus headaches, suppression of hearing, taste and smell, and discoloration underneath the eye area.
Cough
A temporary dry cough and related sore throat are signs of both seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. Even healthy people who don't have mold allergies, however, can develop cough symptoms from mold exposure, as the CDC reports. Coughing that persists or releases bloody mucus may indicate more serious conditions caused by mold, such as chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, or fungal infection of the sinuses or lungs.
Breathing Trouble
Both pneumonitis and lung infections can also generate health symptoms of wheezing, chest pain and shortness of breath. While these problems may arise over the short or long term, sudden breathing trouble can be caused in people with mold allergies who also have asthma. Respiratory symptoms related to asthma can escalate to extreme bronchopulmonary dysfunction shortly after exposure to mold.
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