Kids & Family

Allergy Misery Is One Sandy Legacy

Mold spores left behind are being released now across Long Island; Doctors say allergy season to be among worst in memory.

Mold spores and their sneezing, coughing impact on allergy sufferers is among the lingering legacies of Hurricane Sandy, six months after the super storm tore across the East Coast, experts say.

Medical experts say Long Island is going through one of its worst allergy seasons in memory, in part because of the mold spawned and left to grow in moisture-prone places. Countless millions of mold spores are rising from the warming earth, causing allergy misery across Long Island.

In fact, a recent survey indicates that Long Island is the fifth-worst place in the country right now for allergy sufferers.

"This year's allergy season is particularly bad, and a lot of it is because of the moisture, part of which was that left by Hurricane Sandy and lingering since the fall," said Dr. Ken Spaeth, director of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at North Shore LIJ Hospital.

It may get worse, as well: “It is possible that we may see more people experiencing allergies as a result of Hurricane Sandy or pollen in general in the coming weeks," said Dr. Punita Ponda, assistant division chief of allergy and immunology at Cohen Children’s Medical Center.

As the weather warms and more people venture outside, the problem is expected to get worse on Long Island. "There may be a larger influx in the coming weeks as the weather continues to warm up,” Dr. Ponda said.

Hurricane Sandy slammed into Long Island six months ago today, on Oct. 29, 2012, leaving in its wake widespread flooding, downed trees, and month-long power outages. Hardest hit were many South Shore communities, among them Long Beach, which saw widespread devastation and is still recovering.

Mold, a generic term for an extended family of fungal species, is a natural phenomenon and is all around us. Dr. Spaeth described the fungi world, including the generic "mildew" we find in our bathrooms, as a "remarkable achievement of nature."

"We don’t see it all the time; they only become problematic when the growth is accelerated," he said. "It's on everything and in us and most of the time its not a problem. But some people are affected by it and, clearly, the higher the mold levels become the more symptomatic you can get."

That's what Long Island doctors are now seeing in abundance.

In fact, just last week Long Island was ranked the fifth-worst place in the country right now for allergy sufferers. ZocDoc, an online medical appointment service, examined data on areas with the most allergy appointments booked on ZocDoc 2013.

The Long Island region came in fifth -- five spots higher than New York City and just a notch below Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif. (Portland, Austin and Philadelphia, Pa., took the top three spots.)

Long Island's problem is compounded by Sandy legacy, both outdoors and inside, said Spaeth, who also has a practice in New Hyde Park. The extensive flooding left great amounts of water behind, and lots of that leaked into basements across Long Island. Ongoing clean-up efforts will help, but basements will take time to fully dry out and see mold growth level off to normal.

The problem won't go away on Long Island at least until summer when temperatures rise and work to dry out rain-soaked communities and homes. The lack of moisture will diminish the activity of the mold spores, experts said.

There are measures allergy sufferers can take but they won't entirely eliminate the problem. According to North Shore LIJ's Focus on Health magazine, here are some common mold hot spots:

  • You Pillow: It contains as many as 16 species of fungi. Protect yourself by washing your pillow in hot water at least four times a year.
  • Vehicles: Carpets and upholstery retain moisture from outside. Roll down your windows and run the heater during warmer temperatures for a few minutes to dry them out.
  • House Plants: Wipe them clean and leave them near a window to dry out.
  • Pets: Tree and grass pollen is carried on a pet's coat. Bathe the animal weekly.
When will it end?

"There is no reason to believe (Sandy) will have a mold legacy past this year," Dr. Spaeth said. "If construction repairs are made moisture is eliminated there is no reason to think there will be an ongoing legacy."

That is, until the next big hurricane.



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