Allergies to grass molds can easily be confused with other types of hay fever, especially allergies to pollen in the grasses themselves. Because people with mold allergies often have sensitivities to other allergens, patients might not zero in on mold as the source of their illness. Medical testing can identify the presence of antibodies to strains of seasonal fungi such as Alternaria and Cladosporium in individuals. Antibodies will initiate allergy symptoms whenever patients inhale the reproductive spores of certain molds.
Identification
Outdoor molds feed on decaying organic matter, including downed leaves and grass clippings. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, mowing lawns increases the amount of mold structures and spores in the air.
Leaving fresh grass clippings on the ground provides nutrients plus humid micro-environments that encourage fungal growth. Moving clippings to compost piles only changes the location of grass mold habitats and might not substantially reduce allergy symptoms.
Function
Inhaling airborne molds causes allergic rhinitis in people with mold allergies. As the grass mold allergens enter their systems, immune responses send antibodies and histamines into the blood to neutralize the allergens. While this reaction can produce allergy symptoms at any time of year in mild climates, winter frosts offer some relief. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America notes that freezing temperatures don't kill fungal organisms but do leave them dormant for the season.
Features
Histamine-induced allergy symptoms affect the eyes, nose, sinuses and throat. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that itching of the eyes, nose and mouth can first indicate mold illness. Other typical symptoms of mold allergies include sneezing, coughing, sore throat, watery eyes, runny nose and nasal congestion.
Solution
Mold allergies cannot be cured, but symptoms can be controlled with medications. Nasal and sinus symptoms respond to anithistamines, decongestants and nasal corticosteroids, the UM Medical Center reports. Patients can address eye problems with allergy eye drops. If physician testing reveals a specific grass mold allergen, immunotherapy shots might decrease patients' sensitivities over time.
Prevention
Reducing exposure to mold can prevent symptoms, notes the AAFA. The organization suggests enlisting people who don't have allergies to mow the lawn and dispose of clippings. When allergy patients do have contact with grass, they should shower, wash their hair and change their clothes to remove allergens. To discourage yard and garden fungal growth that can migrate to grasses, gravel or oyster shells can be substituted for landscaping mulch and wood chips.
