Did you know that, according to the EPA, Americans spend 90% of their time at home? The professionals in the MOLDY documentary suggest that over 50% of the US population has mold and mildew problems, and 28% of the population has a genetic predisposition to mold-related health problems.
If your health is a priority, you need to understand the symptoms of mold exposure so you can act quickly to protect yourself and your family members.
In this short article, we will share the typical signs of mold exposure so you can get the better of this nasty fungus.
Most often, when we see mold on items, we simply throw away the damaged item. Some household mold can pose a much greater danger.
Some molds release a compound called mycotoxin that can cause breathing problems, migraines, and permanent neurological damage. Milder symptoms may consist of a runny nose, sneezing, or an obsessive odor.
Contents
What is black mold?
All types of mold can cause allergic reactions at certain levels and possibly be harmful to your health.
We have heard the terms “black mold” and “toxic mold” more and more often. Black or harmful mold and mold spores refer to molds that can release mycotoxins or toxins. Health and welfare concerns from Stachybotrys, individual species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Chaetomium, Trichoderma, Phoma, and Fusarium are of great interest in the classification of harmful or black mold.
Many types of black mold are harmful and produce harmful materials that are especially harmful to people with chronic conditions. High concentrations of mycotoxins can lead to poisoning even in healthy individuals, depending on the concentration, duration of mold exposure, and various other factors.
What is mold allergy?
While many molds and fungi do not pose a health or wellness hazard, there are some molds that can cause serious allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock, which can be serious.
The most typical times when mold allergies are at their optimum are the months between July and the early fall months, but because mold can thrive throughout the year, mold allergies can occur all year round. Most types of mold and fungus become dormant in cold weather but become active again when spring arrives, starting the period of mold allergy. In cases of mold allergy, there is an overreaction of the body’s immune system where a person inhales the mold spores, causing the person to cough, itchy eyes, and make it difficult for the person to perform activities. It also creates breathing problems for some people, especially those with a known diagnosis of asthma.
If you are allergic to mold, your immune system overreacts when you ingest mold spores. A mold allergy can cause coughing, itchy eyes, and various other symptoms that make you miserable. In some people, mold allergy is associated with asthma, and exposure causes breathing difficulties and other respiratory symptoms.
If you are allergic to mold, the most effective defense is to minimize direct exposure to the types of mold that are causing your reaction. Medications can help control mold allergy reactions.
Mold symptoms
Mold allergies cause exactly the same symptoms and signs as other types of upper respiratory allergies. Allergic reaction caused by mold exposure may include:
- Sneezing
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Cough, as well as post-nasal syndrome
- Itching eyes, nose, and throat
- Watery eyes
- Dry itchy skin
Allergy symptoms of mold exposure vary from person to person and range from mild to extreme. You may have year-round signs and symptoms, or you may have signs and symptoms that only appear at certain times of the year. When the weather is damp, or when you are indoors or outdoors with a high concentration of mold, you may notice signs.
Mold Allergy and Asthma
Your asthma symptoms can be caused by exposure to mold spores if you are allergic to mold, as well as bronchial asthma. For some people, contact with certain types of mold can cause a severe asthma attack. Signs and symptoms of asthma include:
- coughing
- wheezing
- Lack of breath
- Chest stiffness
Risk factors
A number of variables can make you more probable to develop a mold allergy or intensify your mold allergy symptoms, consisting of:
Having a family history of allergic reactions. You’re much more most likely to develop a mold allergy if allergies as well as asthma run in your household.
Operating in a profession that exposes you to mold and mildew. Professions where mold exposure can be high include farming, dairy products job, logging, baking, millwork, carpentry, greenhouse furniture, work and also winemaking fixing.
Residing in a house with high humidity. Having indoor humidity higher than 50% can enhance mold in your home.
Mold can grow virtually anywhere if the conditions are right- in cellars, behind walls in framework, on soap-coated grout, and also other moist surfaces, in a rug. Exposure to high levels of household mold can activate mold allergy symptoms.
Working or living in a structure that’s been revealed to excess moisture. Examples include leaking pipelines, water infiltration during rainstorms, and also flood damage. At some time, virtually every building has some type of excessive moisture, which can motivate mold growth.
Residing in a home with bad airflow. Tight doors and window seals can catch moisture indoors and also stop proper airflow, creating perfect problems for mold growth. Wet locations– such as restrooms, basements as well as cooking areas– are most susceptible.
Other issues brought on by mold and mildew
Allergens, mold and mildew can present various other wellness dangers to at-risk individuals. For example, mold can trigger infections of the skin or mucous membranes. Normally, however, mold and mildew don’t create systemic infections except for individuals with impaired body immune systems, such as those who have HIV/AIDS or who are taking immunosuppressant medication.
Signs of mold in your house
There are several subtle signs that indicate that your home may have harmful mold.
1. Strange smell from the air conditioner or heater
If you think your heater or air conditioner has an unusual smell, you might want to check it out.
A stand-alone air conditioner is one of the main places where mold starts to grow. These devices are dark, damp, and often exposed to warm temperatures when not in use. If you put your air conditioner in a warm place in winter, this also increases the risk of mold.
Regularly check the condition of the air conditioner and clean it every two years.
2. The seams between the bathroom tiles have become dark
When you take a shower, pay attention to the seams between the tiles. If they are dark, it is most likely mold. Luckily, this type of mold is not that dangerous.
However, if your bathroom has been leaking recently or flooding an adjoining room, you may be dealing with a more toxic type of fungus that will be harder to remove.
3. Wallpaper starts peeling off
While wallpaper may discolor or wear out over time, wallpaper peeling is not normal. If the wallpaper bubbles or cracks, this indicates the presence of moisture on the walls. And moisture is a precursor to mold.
Pay attention to walls and any areas that look damp or warped.
4. Your cold won’t go away
Symptoms of a mold reaction may be subtle. It can be a common runny nose or bouts of sneezing. If you feel like your cold has dragged on, this could be a hidden sign of a mold problem.
Try to pay attention to whether your symptoms get worse if you spend time in a certain room, such as after washing in the bathroom.
5. You notice dark or colored spots on the walls
Mold can take on a variety of shapes, shapes, and colors. For example, it may be in the form of green, dripping mucus or harmless gray hairs.
If your walls are stained, double-check pipes for leaks and rooms for high humidity.
6. Asthma symptoms start to get worse
If you have previously had breathing problems that suddenly worsened after a long break, mold may be the cause.
Most types of mold do not bother those who do not have respiratory diseases but immediately aggravate the symptoms in people suffering from asthma.
7. Itching appeared
Do you feel like your clothes are itching? Many people know that mold can grow in dark, damp places, but they don’t know that it can live on your clothes.
This is especially true for wet clothes. If you’re used to leaving wet towels on the floor or drying clothes on a rack in your home, mold will start to grow in the fibers of the fabric, leading to skin irritation.
To prevent this, always dry wet clothes as soon as possible and don’t pile wet towels in the bathroom.
8. Your seasonal allergies are not going away.
If the season is long past and your seasonal allergies continue, mold is a likely cause of your never-ending runny nose or cough.
Symptoms of mold exposure mimic or exacerbate an existing seasonal allergy. If symptoms improve during the day when you are at work and worsen in the evening at home, this could be a mold allergy clue.
9. Musty smell
If you notice an unusual musty smell in your house, even after you have cleaned and washed everything, you need to check your house more carefully for mold.
To understand that a strange smell is mold, and not just a long break between cleaning, pay attention to whether the smell intensifies in certain places or even corners of the apartment. If the carpets are cleaned, the curtains are washed, and you threw out the garbage on time, it could be mold.
10. You always feel tired
Toxic mold affects everyone differently, and one reaction to it can be to feel tired. If you find it hard to wake up in the morning and find yourself constantly drowsy throughout the day, mold may be the source of your problem.
11. Leak in the bathroom or toilet
Any flooding almost guarantees the development of mold. Most people don’t know that even a small overflow of water in the bathroom or constantly leaking pipes creates all the conditions for the spread of mold.
Prolonged exposure to mold can lead to more severe effects such as:
- Hair loss
- Anxiety and depression
- Memory loss
- Number of hands and feet
- Stomach ache
- Sensitivity to light
- Overweight for no apparent reason
- Muscle cramps
How to avoid mold exposure?
To reduce mold growth in your home, take into consideration these tips:
- Eliminate sources of moisture in basements, such as pipeline leakages or groundwater seepage.
- Use a dehumidifier in any type of area of your house that smells moldy or damp. Maintain your humidity levels below 50%. Bear in mind to clean the collection container as well as condensation coils routinely.
- Make use of an air conditioner and consider mounting central air conditioning with a high-efficiency particle air (HEPA) filter add-on. The HEPA filter can trap mold spores from outdoor air before they’re circulated inside your house.
- Clean filters on your heating system as well as air conditioners regularly. Have forced-air heating ducts examined as well as, if required, cleansed.
- Make sure all bathrooms are properly vented, and run the ventilation follower during a shower or bathroom as well as promptly after to dry the air. If you don’t have an airflow follower, open a window or door while you’re showering or bathing.
- Promote groundwater drain away from your house by eliminating fallen leaves as well as vegetation from around the structure and cleaning gutter frequently. Make certain the ground inclines away from the foundation.
- Throw away or reuse old publications and newspapers. If left in moist places, such as cells, they can rapidly become moldy.
FAQs
How do you know if mold is making you sick?
Various symptoms are caused by mold allergies. These symptoms include itching and watery eyes, runny nose, nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, and difficulty breathing. It also aggravates asthma symptoms.
What does mold poisoning feel like?
Most commonly, mold poisoning often feels like Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome.
How long does it take for mold to make you sick?
Probably over 95% of people have no symptoms and no long-term effects of mold exposure. After all, we are all constantly surrounded by mold spores wherever you go.
Only people who are sensitive to mold actually react, and they usually react immediately, and they generally react to more severe mold exposure rather than everyday exposure.
