Allergies are an inconvenience for everyone who has them and there are billions of people in the world who suffer from them every day. Whether it is an allergy to pollen, grass, pet dander, or mold, the symptoms are usually about the same.

They can be anything from a runny nose and a pair of itchy eyes all the way to swelling of the face and neck or even the entire body.

Most allergy symptoms are only prevalent from the spring to fall, but allergies that are caused by things like pet dander and mold show themselves the whole year because they are not related to the outdoor growing season.

Mold living in your home does not freeze and lie dormant like it does in the outdoor environment and can pose a serious health risk for anyone, not just those members of your household that have allergies.

People that have allergies, however, are more likely to feel the affects of mold exposure sooner than the rest of us. Mold exposure tends to aggravate allergies and respiratory conditions that already exist, like emphysema or asthma.

You need to be particularly careful if you have an infant or a small child in your house when there is mold, since their immune systems are currently still very much in development. Disturbing this natural development process can damage the child's immune system irreparably, so removing your child from this situation until the mold is removed is the best thing to do.

Infants exposed to mold have been known to develop a disease known as hemorrhagic pneumonia (bleeding in the lungs) and many times this ends in death.

Those who have allergies and are exposed to mold growth in the home or elsewhere will usually show an intolerance to certain foods that contain fungi, such as yeast, mushrooms, or mold. Cheeses such as blue cheese or Roquefort, bread, beer, mushrooms, and etcetera will typically make the normal allergy symptoms of the person even worse.

Note if the symptoms lessen or go away completely if you leave the home. This will be a sign that there is a problem in the home that is causing the symptoms to become worse and you may need to call a professional mold inspector if there is no visible mold issue.

Coming into direct skin contact with the mold will often leave rashes on even those who are not allergic. Take a good look around your house, especially in areas that are inherently moist like the bathroom, kitchen, basement, or laundry room. These are the areas that are most likely to harbor mold growth in your home.