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Are your allergies flaring up? Here’s why

ATLANTA — It may feel like the middle of spring for some people with allergies.

The hot and humid summer in metro Atlanta has created the perfect condition for mold to grow, causing many people’s allergies to flare up more than normal for this time of year. Channel 2 Meteorologist Eboni Deon says the extra rain this summer has made conditions worse.

“Issues with my breathing, probably shortness of breath and just a lot of things that were respiratory in nature,” Jeff Webster, an allergy sufferer said. “I just thought I was out of shape or not in good enough shape and it turns out I had allergic reaction to just elements that came up during the year.”

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Unfortunately, mold is an allergen that can cause problems just about any time of the year, according to Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist for Atlanta Allergy and Asthma. The daily mold count has been high lately.

“Our mold counts are going really way up,” Fineman said. He said most of his patients are dealing with nasal congestion, sneezing, watery eyes and itchy nose.

Every time you go outside, mold is present, especially if you are around fallen leaves or mulch just after it rains, according to Fineman.

“When it gets wet outside, I notice those things trigger my symptoms more than anything,” Webster said. “It usually starts with congestion or runny nose or sinus infection.”

Dr Fineman suggests when you go outside, avoid midday if you know you have a mold allergy because that is during the heat of the day and when it tends to be the worse.