Medical experts say Alberta is being hit by unusually high mold allergy season

If you’ve noticed yourself with cold-like symptoms — sneezing, stuffy nose, itchy eyes, sore throat — it may not be a mid-summer anomaly. Mold spores in the air are unseasonably high in the Edmonton area.

“We’re seeing a lot of environmental conditions that really adhere to molds and outdoor spores really thriving in the environment. Rain, warm weather, high humidity, those things are what outdoor molds or mushrooms, which release spores, really love,” explained Daniel Coates, the Director of Aerobiology Research Laboratories.

A high mold allergy forecast is not typical for Alberta. Coates says the accumulated levels of outdoor mold in Edmonton’s air are looking more like cities to the west.

“Vancouver, Victoria, they have a lot of forest, they get a lot of rain. And so that’s the areas that get a lot of mold spores in Canada.”

Typically, allergy sufferers concern themselves with spring and fall. When pollen counts are high.

Doctor Harissios Vliagoftis says that while summer can sometimes be a reprieve from seasonal allergies, the symptoms of pollen allergies and mold allergies are alike, and can be treated with the same methods.

“Antihistamines are very effective and can decrease a lot of symptoms, and the majority of antihistamines are over the counter, so people can get them at their pharmacy. After that, if that’s not enough, they can see their doctor. There are some other medications like nasal corticosteroids or nasal sprays that can help with this,” explained Dr. Vliagoftis.

In order to see permanent relief from your mold cold, the spores in the air need time to disappear, leaving the fate of allergy sufferers in the hands of mother nature.

“If you see less humidity, less rain, and then less heat after the rain…that’s going to slow it down,” explained Coates.