Day after day of abnormal rainfall have caused more than flooding and soggy ground.

The damp conditions also have caused a spike in the amount of mold in the air.

Aimee Montgomery, 62, always can tell when there’s extended rain.

“I think the mold starts when I walk out in the parking lots and see lots of standing water,” she said. “It hurts between my eyes and on my check bones. There are sinuses located there. I noticed these symptoms within a week after the constant rain was here.”

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) identify the area behind the bridge of the nose and between the eyes as the location of the Ethmoid sinuses, and the Maxillary sinuses inside each cheekbone. Allergic reactions there cause pressure and pain.

“If it just rains for two or three days and then dries up it doesn’t bother me,” Montgomery said. “This is different from the other times of the year. When there is pollen floating around or when it’s dry in summer, I get a sore throat and itchy eyes.”

Aimee and her husband, Bob, own the Radio Shack dealership on West Okmulgee Avenue. She suspects there may also be mold growing in wet areas around their home.

“We have a pond behind our house, and a spillway,” she said. “There are mallard ducks living in the puddle in front of our house.”

Montgomery said she has found some relief with common medications and her own home remedy.

“In the daytime I take Claritin in the morning, and I take Benadryl at night,” she said. “If I put hot packs on my face in makes a lot of the pain go away, and it reduces the inflammation a little bit.”

The NIH also recommends several preventive measures:

• Electrostatic filters attached to heating and air conditioning equipment are helpful in removing allergens from the air.

• Air conditioners help to provide an even temperature.

• You may get some relief from symptoms with a humidifier, particularly if room air in your home is heated by a dry forced-air system.

Allergy specialist Dr. D.I. Wilkinson at the Children’s Clinic said he has seen a definite increase in patients.

“Allergies are worse because of the mold growing,” he said. “The ones we always test for are Hormodendron and Alternaria; those are the ones that are prevalent.”

Molds are a kind of fungus; microscopic plants that make spores instead of seeds which float in the air like pollen. Molds grow in moist areas, such as a basement or bathroom, and in the outdoor environment in grass, leaf piles, hay and mulch.

Symptoms of a mold reaction are similar to other allergies. They include wheezing; stuffy or runny nose; itchy, watery eyes; and rash or hives.

In addition to increases in molds that are carried on the wind, wet weather conditions are also ripe for mold colonies that can be seen with the human eye.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), excess moisture and standing water contribute to the growth of mold in homes and other buildings.

The CDC says that people with asthma, allergies or other breathing conditions may be more sensitive to mold. People with immune suppression (such as people with HIV infection, cancer patients taking chemotherapy, and people who have received an organ transplant) are more susceptible to mold infections.

The CDC says you can recognize mold growing inside two ways:

• Sight — Walls and ceiling are discolored, or show signs of mold growth or water damage.

• Smell — You can smell a bad odor, such as a musty, earthy smell or a foul stench.

Mold growth in a home should be cleaned up, and any leaks in roofs, walls, or plumbing should be fixed. Controlling moisture is the most critical factor for preventing mold growth.



Reach Keith Purtell at 684-2925 or kpurtell@muskogeephoenix.com.