Thankfully we’ve had a ‘mild’ temperature Summer to start here in Arizona! However, even a mild temperature for us is extreme heat for everywhere else.
Hopefully, we get a wonderful monsoon season in the coming weeks and months to keep us cool.
Unfortunately for some people, the monsoon season can bring some adverse health effects. In Phoenix/Tempe specifically many people report more dust, mold spores, sudden humidity shifts in their environment.
A recent study showed that the dust storms that accompany a monsoon are dangerous for your lung health and it’s important to remain indoors with a high quality air filter (we love AirDoctor).
With increased moisture during monsoon season specifically for homes, new build homes or homes that are actively being built during monsoon season – they become at risk for mold exposure and for mold spores to spread. Meaning it’s necessary to check for mold or mold exposure.
If you are experiencing the textbook symptoms associated with mold exposure, you can schedule a mold exposure test at our office here:
- Respiratory Issues: Sneezing, runny nose, congestion, coughing, sore throat, wheezing, and difficulty breathing can occur.
- Skin Irritation: Rashes, redness, and itching can result from contact with mold or its spores.
- Eye Irritation: Redness, itching, and watering eyes are also common.
- Headaches: Mild to severe headaches, sometimes resembling migraines, are frequently reported.
- Fatigue and Weakness: Chronic fatigue and general weakness can be a sign of mold exposure.
- Neurological Symptoms: Brain fog, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and even numbness or tingling sensations can occur.
- Bleeding: In some cases, mold spores can irritate mucus membranes, leading to nosebleeds, coughing up blood, or bleeding gums.
- Even if mold isn’t a concern for you, you should be aware that the Arizona Monsoon Season can affect your sinuses;
whether the dust causes additional dryness or mucus build up or another symptom altogether, we have various treatment options for sinus support – all of which you can find at fullscript.com all you need is your email address to register and you can start using the high quality supplements Dr. Katie prescribes to her patients.
Some of our favorite Natural antihistamines and inflammation support products can be found here.
Our favorite active ingredient is of course Quercitin.
- Anti-Allergy Properties: Studies show that quercetin can help stabilize the cells that release histamine, suggesting it may have an anti-allergic effect.
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Quercetin is naturally found in a wide array of foods including:
- Onions
- Apples
- Grapes
- Berries
- Broccoli
- Citrus Fruits
- Cherries
- Green Tea
- Red Wine
- Capers
In addition to supplements for antihistamine solutions, you can also attempt a Saline rinse. Make sure too always use distilled water, boiled a minimum of 10 minutes, and then allowed to cool before rinsing in a neti pot as microbes can still be present in filtered and distilled water (even though it should be sterile, it could be contaminated) and it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
As always this is not medical advice, simply educational resources for options you have available to you, not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any disease. If you have a medical emergency please call 911. If you’d like to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors you can do so here.
