Mold Symptoms & Health Hazards of Having Mold in Your Home
During the COVID pandemic many of us stayed in our homes to keep from getting sick. Our homes were a haven and the place where we felt we could stay healthy, but in fact that may have been very far from the truth. Could your home actually be making you sick? The answer is yes! Some homes harbor a problem that can literally create health issues. The problem is mold. Although having mold in your home won’t necessarily make you feel sick, mold growth in your home has the potential to cause a variety of serious health concerns.
Figuring out that mold is the reason for your health issues can be tricky. Problems with mold mimic many other health issues. A number of the minor symptoms of mold exposure sound like seasonal allergies or average respiratory problems. These symptoms include runny nose, eye irritation, coughing, sneezing, sore throat, headaches, and wheezing. Although these may be common ailments they are definitely not pleasant and not something you want to live with day in and day out.
Interaction with many of the common types of mold affects people differently. Some people may have no reaction at all while others can become seriously ill. Generally speaking, the people who are at a higher risk for problems with mold exposure are infants, children, and elderly people. Pre-existing conditions can also increase a person’s chance of having a bad interaction with mold. People who are immune compromised, allergic to mold, or those who have continuing respiratory diseases like asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disorder are most susceptible to serious issues such as fungal infections and severe breathing difficulties.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. It is not known exactly how many homes are infected with mold or which of the common mold types is the most prevalent. It is important to note that not all molds are the same. While some molds may cause issues only in susceptible people there are other molds that can be significantly more serious. Under certain conditions, molds such as Stachybotrys and Aspergillus, can produce toxins called mycotoxins. Exposure to mycotoxins can cause severe, even long-term illness.
If you have mold in your home do not be embarrassed. Mold is not a sign of poor house-keeping but it could be a sign of poor house maintenance. If your home has improperly vented rooms or there are leaky pipes the chance of mold increases significantly. If mold is allowed to get a foothold in a home it will eat any organic material it can reach including wood and drywall. Although mold doesn’t always cause health problems it should always be removed. There are many tips and tricks on the internet for mold removal but in reality mold removal is best left for a professional. If not done properly, attempts at mold removal can actually send more mold spores into the air allowing them to be deposited in other areas of your home.
