What Health Problems Are Caused By Mold In Your House?

Did you know that your health problem may be caused by mold? Mold is commonly found in homes and can cause a number of health problems that you may not be aware of. How can you tell if mold is the cause?

Have you ever noticed that your nose suddenly gets congested when you walk into certain rooms in the house? This is a sign that you might have mold lurking somewhere and it’s getting into your respiratory system.

Mold grows where it is wet, and it produces spores that can get into the air. Most health problems caused by mold involve these spores getting into your lungs.

Stuffiness or a runny nose may be the sign of mold allergy. Another health problem caused by mold is shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing. You may experience asthma-like symptoms even though you do not suffer from asthma.

In some cases, exposure to mold gives people headaches, fevers or skin rash.

Prevention of mold-related health problems

Mold also grows on rotten food. You may see mold growing on vegetables that have been around for a while. Cheese may also have mold growing on it. And, we’ve all seen moldy bread before.

If you have moldy food, you should throw it out, of course. If you accidentally eat mold, you are likely to experience a headache or nausea.

For the most part, mold is non-toxic. There are no major long-term health problems caused by mold. However, if you suffer from asthma or chronic sinus problems, mold will be a particular problem for you.

If you have asthma, you will want to avoid mold as much as possible. Mold will aggravate your asthma and bring on attacks. The constant exposure of children with asthma to mold has been shown to have long-term consequences, leading to trouble breathing when they are adults.

If you suffer from sinus trouble, mold will aggravate your sinuses. The symptoms of mold allergy are similar to sinus infections, so it is difficult to determine the exact cause of your symptoms.

Even though mold is not terribly dangerous, health problems caused by mold can be inconvenient and painful. It is recommended that you try to keep you home as mold-free as possible.

Every house has mold. If you have mold allergy symptoms, it may be a sign that there is mold hidden somewhere in your house.

The most common household mold is black and grows around your shower or in your kitchen. When you see this kind of mold, you should clean it immediately. Simple soap and water will usually do the trick, but detergent helps as well.

If you suffer from health problems caused by mold, but don’t see the mold, it may be a good idea to get professional help. There may be a build-up of mold under carpets, inside walls, in crawlspaces, and other hard-to-reach places that might be better handled by an expert.

Health problems caused by mold are common, but reducing the amount of mold in your home can help alleviate the symptoms.

Treatment Of People With Black Mold Exposure

Exposure to black mold in the home can be a serious health problem. Prevention is the key, but if you suffer from common mold allergy, or have been exposed to toxic mold, there are options for treatment.

Exposure To Black Mold In The Home

Most black mold found in the home is non-toxic. About one in five people experience an adverse allergic reaction to household black mold. The symptoms usually resemble a cold or sinus infection, with nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat and headaches. If there is a lot of black mold in your home, you may also experience eye and skin irritation, fatigue and other more severe symptoms.

The best treatment for black mold is prevention. This means identifying where mold is growing in your home and cleaning it up. Mold thrives in humid, closed-off places, so keep an eye on trouble spots such as your kitchen and bathroom.

If you experience any of the above symptoms and believe you may have mold in your home, keep a “mold diary.” Write down the times and places where you experience these symptoms. This will help you identify where you have a problem.

Over-the-counter cold and sinus medications will relieve symptoms of black mold exposure, but getting rid of the mold is the only true solution. If you suffer from severe allergy, consult your doctor and they will be able to prescribe a more effective medication. However, cleaning up the mold is the only cure.

Toxic Mold Exposure

Toxic black mold is a much more serious problem. Some kinds of mold are toxic and their spores can cause permanent nerve and cell damage in your body. Toxic mold is often the cause of “sick buildings,” where an old or badly insulated building seems to cause health problems.

Those who suffer from toxic mold allergy will find that their sensitivity increases with exposure. The longer you are exposed to mold, the more trouble you will have in the future. You may develop a reaction to smoke, for example, that you did not have before.

The best treatment to toxic mold allergy is to avoid contaminated items, and anything else that causes a reaction. You must be very careful in the future about being around old things which may be slightly moldy.

Another way to keep yourself healthy is to monitor your diet. Make sure that you get enough calcium and potassium. Your doctor can also prescribe inhalants which you can use to relieve symptoms.

In order to treat toxic black mold exposure, you must detoxify the body. These spores destroy cells in your body, which you can not get back, but detoxification will help stop the process. Most doctors are inexperienced in the field of mold treatment, so ask your doctor to refer you to a detoxification specialist.

Most people who suffer from toxic mold exposure greatly underestimate the health dangers. Make sure you educate yourself about your problem and get the right treatment.

The Danger Of Black Mold: Recognizing The Symptoms

Black mold is found nearly everywhere and while most symptoms of mold allergy are not serious, there are dangers. Most black mold is not terribly harmful, but it can become toxic, and recognizing the symptoms can help to reduce the danger of black mold exposure.

Black mold lives by feeding on dead, organic matter. It thrives in humid, warm environments. Most homes and buildings contain some mold, especially in hard-to-get-to places. Mold also grows outside on plants, trees and sidewalks.

The danger of black mold exposure is caused by tiny spores which can become airborne. These spores may cause difficulty breathing and other minor irritations such as headaches and itchy eyes. Most people are sensitive to mold and suffer minor reactions.

However, there are some kinds of mold which may become toxic and pose a more serious health threat. Here are some symptoms of black mold exposure:

Suppressed Immune System – In severe cases of toxic mold exposure, sufferers have trouble with their immune systems and become more susceptible to colds and other diseases. It is hard to trace this specifically to mold exposure, but studies have shown that there is a connection.

Asthma or Respiratory Problems – All mold is dangerous if you suffer from asthma or respiratory problems. Mold spores most commonly enter the lungs and there wreak havoc on your respiratory system. Toxic mold can cause long-term damage to your lungs and sinuses, so it is very important that it be removed as soon as possible. Exposure to a high level of toxic mold can lead to respiratory infections.

Exposure to toxic mold may be a factor in the development of asthma and breathing problems. It definitely brings on asthma attacks for those who suffer from asthma. This is why it is especially important for asthma and respiratory illness sufferers to keep their homes as mold-free as possible.

Nose, Eye and Throat Irritation, such as: congestion, dry cough, itchy or watery eyes, and sore throat. Everyone is sensitive to mold to a varying degree. Some are most sensitive than others. These nose, eye and throat symptoms are common for nearly everyone who is exposed to mold, whether toxic or not.

Fatigue and General Achiness – Many people that have been exposed to toxic mold experience fatigue and a general feeling of malaise. If you often feel tired, drowsy or achy, this may be due to the presence of toxic mold in your home. This is a severe case and the level of toxicity may be dangerous to your overall health.

Memory Loss, Mood Swings and Appetite Suppression – When toxic mold spores get into your lungs, they can get into the bloodstream and affect all kinds of bodily functions, including your brain. If you experience these symptoms, your health is in great danger from toxic black mold.

How Do I Know If I Have Toxic Mold?

It is difficult to tell whether mold is toxic or not without a full mold inspection by a licensed professional. For the sake of your health, you should work to remove mold from your home whenever possible.

If you can see or smell mold, remove it immediately. If you experience any symptoms such as nasal congestion, headaches, eye irritation, fatigue or rashes, this may be an indication that you have a mold problem.

Health Problems Related To Mold

Common household mold causes a variety of health problems, but it is difficult to prove the exact cause of these symptoms. Mold spores can become airborne and contribute to a variety of respiratory and eye problems.

Because the symptoms of mold allergy resemble those of sinusitis, common cold and asthma, it is often difficult to determine the exact cause of these symptoms.

Most people suffer an allergic reaction if exposed to mold. The symptoms of mold allergy include:

-Stuffy and runny nose.

You may feel suddenly congested when you walk into a certain room, basement or other part of the house. This is likely because there is mold. Areas that are humid or have had water damage are ideal places for mold to grow.

-Itchy eyes.

These same mold spores can make your eyes red and itchy. During clean up of mold, it is important to protect your eyes, because the irritation can be severe. Itchiness or redness around the eyes may be a sign that you have mold.

-Wheezing and coughing.

If you have no prior condition or cold, but find yourself wheezing and coughing, this may be because of mold. To test it, you can try moving around to different parts of the house and see if it clears up. If so, the area where you find yourself coughing may have mold.

-Skin rashes.

This occurs only in pretty severe cases. If you experience skin rashes, you might have a lot of mold hiding out somewhere. You may have also come into contact directly with mold and your skin is reacting to it.

These are common symptoms of health related mold problems. Some people are more sensitive than others to mold, but all of us experience some of the above symptoms when we come into contact with mold.

Doctors are not sure exactly what health problems are mold related. But, it has been observed that those with asthma suffer especially bad in the presence of mold.

Some mold is toxic and researchers believe that constant exposure to mold over time might possibly contribute to certain types of cancer. This is not proven yet, but some species of mold, like the common household aspergillis, contain toxins similar to those found in those who suffer from liver and kidney cancers.

Have you ever heard of “sick building syndrome?” This refers to old buildings which may have some toxins in their building materials and cause those who work there to suffer various symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and respiratory problems.

Recent research suggests that sick building syndrome may be in part caused by mold. The symptoms of those who suffer from sick building syndrome are similar to health problems related to mold, and it is known that often old buildings were not built well to protect against mold.

Household mold has not been shown to produce any life-threatening diseases, but exposure to it can be a health problem. For this reason, it is best to keep your home and workplace as mold-free as possible.

The Toxic Mold Exposure Cure : Prevention!

The toxic mold exposure treatment cure is identification and prevention. First, you must find the mold and then eliminate it. As a follow up, you must keep the mold from coming back.

Toxic mold grows nearly everywhere. Unfortunately, it is commonly found in our houses, right under our noses! Lots of old buildings also have chronic mold problems. This is called “Sick Building Syndrome.”

About 1 in 5 people experience an adverse reaction to black mold, and for those who are exposed to toxic mold, the health consequences can be very serious.

Symptoms

Do you feel like you have a constant cold or sinus problem, even when you are otherwise healthy? Do you have eye or skin irritation, and you can’t figure out what’s causing it? Do you have trouble breathing but no long-term respiratory problems such as asthma?

Toxic mold allergy symptoms often resemble those of a cold or sinusitis. You might also experience itchiness around the eyes, headaches, fatigue and mood disorders.

How Do I Know It’s Mold?

It is often hard to determine whether your lingering cold or mood swings are related to mold or something else. If you are not sure, you could get a mold inspection done on your home, but this is expensive.

One hint that you may have a mold problem is that you get congested or have trouble breathing in certain parts of the house or building. This means that you are reacting to the mold that might be hidden behind a wall or under a carpet.

Step 1 – Find The Mold

The first thing to do is find the mold. One idea that works well is to keep a diary of your allergic symptoms. Write down when and where you experience a reaction. This will help you determine if certain rooms in the house may have mold.

The most common culprits are kitchens and bathrooms. Basically, any humid place is a breeding ground for mold. Also, look for places that are shut up and have poor ventilation.

Step 2 – Get Rid Of The Mold

Now that you’ve found the black stuff growing on your tiles or in your walls, you must eliminate it. The best cure is simply scrubbing with soap and water. This can be arduous, but it is the best way to go.

If there is a large area covered with mold, you may have to remove tiles and boards. This may be a major construction job, so you might want to pay a professional to take care of it for you.

If you are cleaning mold, be sure to protect your lungs. Wear a protective mask and, in general, keep the mold off anything else (including your body!). If you have a serious reaction to mold, don’t do the cleaning yourself. Make somebody else do it. And make sure there is good ventilation.

Step 3 – Keep The Mold From Coming Back

This is the hardest part. Mold likes to grow in humid, warm environments. If you keep your eye out for mold on a regular basis, and clean it in little bits as it grows here and there, you won’t have to do another major clean up job in the future.

The cure for mold problems is prevention. If you have a serious allergic reaction, you should see a doctor. You will probably always have an allergic reaction to mold, but prescription medicines can help you control your allergies.