Ow It Affects Your Health
When mold is inhaled into the lungs, it leaves its mark on your body in a variety of ways. Mycotoxins are produced by mold, and many of them can be measured in your urine, saliva, or stool.
Mold exposure can cause health problems that baffle doctors and experts, as they seem to have little in common. On the mild end, you may see inflammation and an uptick in allergies. On the more serious end of the scale, you may experience asthma, oxidative stress, and immune problems.
There are several symptoms you can look for as you try to figure out whether or not youve been exposed to toxic mold. If you suspect you may be a mold victim, look for these symptoms:
- joint pain and stiffness
- difficulty with concentration and memory
- physical fatigue and weakness
- difficulty breathing or sinus issues
- tingling or numbness in the skin
- light sensitivity
Who Is At Risk For Mold Toxicity
While anyone can become ill from exposure to mold and its mycotoxins, some are more susceptible than others.
People who already have allergies or asthma can be more severely affected by mold toxicity than those who do not have allergies.
Also, people who are already ill, have immune suppression, or who have respiratory illnesses are more likely to have noticeable and intense symptoms resulting from mold exposure.
Symptoms of mold toxicity are relatively persistent and should not be ignored.
Symptoms Of Mold Exposure
Mold spores can easily be brought into your home on your shoes or clothing or through open windows or doors. If these spores can find a warm, damp, humid environment, they can begin to multiply. Soon, your home can be filled with toxic mold. If you think mold has invaded your home, look for various symptoms of mold exposure.
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Treating Mycotoxin Exposure To Alleviate Joint Pain
It goes without saying that when mold is the cause of a persons joint pain, no efforts to alleviate this discomfort will produce long-lasting results until the responsible environment is changed. Among the most effective strategies for dealing with the effects of mycotoxins is a thorough detox. This can be accomplished by implementing a natural, low-carb, low-sugar diet that limits the most readily available food sources in your body. The next and most important effort in this fight is to flush the body of mycotoxins, and to release them from all of the structures and systems that theyve bound themselves to. This can be effectively accomplished through a targeted, IV flush and various other strategies.
As such, the best treatment approaches target mycotoxins directly, and bolster and build your own natural healing abilities. When your immune functioning is improved, your blood becomes better oxygenated, and you implement a diet and life habits that bolster your general well-being, your joint pain and all your other symptoms of mold toxicity will gradually abate. If youve been living with the widespread effects of mold exposure and want lasting relief, we can help. Call us today at .
Common Black Mold Health Issues
Keep in mind that not everyone exposed to black mold will get sick and those that do become ill as a result of exposure to mold may not develop all of these symptoms. You should also know that black mold is not the only type of mold that can cause health problems. Exposure to any type of mold can make you sick.
Common health problems caused by exposure to black mold include:
- Cough
- Asthma attacks or the development of asthma in people not previously diagnosed with the disease
- Itchy rash or hives
Some of these health problems may become chronic, not going away even after youve gotten medical treatment and are no longer exposed to mold in your home. Most of the time, mold-related health problems resolve when those two things happen, but occasionally they do not. Here you can read more about long-term health problems caused by exposure to mold.
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Quantification Of Labeled Cells
Data were collected without knowledge of mouse identity or treatment. All tissue quantified was matched across animals for comparable medial-lateral position. Area and perimeter measurements and cell counts were performed using a computer-yoked microscope and mapping software . The dorsomedial hippocampus, dorsomedial DG, and CA1 were defined using anatomical markers in accordance with the mouse brain atlas . The granular and subgranular zones were identified by packing density and cell morphology forming the boundary with the hilus, and lying deep to the relatively cell-free molecular layer . Labeled cells were visualized using lightfield or fluorescence optics, marked with Neurolucida software, and saved digitally.
2.10.1. Iba-1
The granular cell layer of the DG was traced using darkfield optics in 10 sections per animal. All Iba-1-expressing microglia within the DG in these 10 sections were marked using Neurolucida. Microglia with small somas with thin, delicate, radially projecting processes were classified as ramified while microglia with densely stained, enlarged cell bodies and few short processes were classed as amoeboid . Numbers of ramified and amoeboid microglia per mm2 sampled were then calculated for each mouse.
2.10.2. BrdU/Hu and BrdU/NeuN
2.10.3. DCX
Young neurons expressing doublecortin labeled with DAB were visualized using brightfield microscopy and quantified per mm DG as described above.
2.10.4. IL-1β
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The most difficult challenge for many homeowners is identifying first that mold is present in the home and second what type of mold they are dealing with as well as the best plan of attack for each type. We are gonna break down the most common types of household molds and the how best to identify each varying type.
Mold in your home, especially black mold is something to take very seriously. Having knowledge of the effects of black mold and the health effects it can have on you, can help you become better prepared in defense against black mold in your home.
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Mold Toxicity Is Also An Issue And It Is Considered A Chronic Inflammatory Response
An acute and chronic, systemic inflammatory response acquired following exposure to the interior environment of a water-damaged building with resident toxigenic organisms, including, but not limited to fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes, and Mycobacterium serve as inflammogens! Inflammogens keep your body in a state of inflammation.
How To Remove Black Mold
Protect yourself. You don’t need to worry about having mold tested if you find mold in your house. But you should get rid of it no matter what type of mold it is. Take precautions to protect yourself before you attempt to remove mold.
Use an N-95 face mask to avoid breathing in mold spores. Wear gloves to protect your hands and goggles without ventilation holes to protect your eyes.â
Find and destroy the mold. The most important part of removing mold is finding and removing its water source. Mold can’t grow without moisture. Keep the following tips in mind when you’re cleaning up mold:
- Items that can’t be dried quickly should be discarded if they show signs of mold or water damage. Porous items such as carpet, padding, drywall, and paper soak up moisture.
- Do not paint or caulk over moldy surfaces. Remove the mold and dry the surfaces before you paint. Paint applied over mold will peel.
- Use plastic sheeting to block an area with mold from the rest of your house and keep the spores from spreading.
- Scrub hard surfaces with mold with detergent and water and dry them thoroughly.
- Put any moldy items in a plastic bag before you take them out of the room to prevent mold spores from spreading.
- Use a HEPA filter in your air conditioner and furnace to capture mold spores that may be airborne in your house.
- Consult a specialist if you’re not sure of the best way to clean a valuable or sentimental item.â
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What Is Black Mold
Stachybotrys chartarum is a common black mold. It can also be a greenish color. It grows on cotton, wood, and paper products. It sometimes produces toxic chemicals that are found in its airborne spores and fungus fragments.
These are called mycotoxins and are dangerous if they’re eaten. There’s no link to inhaled Stachybotrys chartarum mycotoxins and deadly diseases. But there are risks for people with allergies, asthma, and other hypersensitivities.
There is no evidence that black mold causes symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss, an inability to focus, or a headache. These symptoms have been referred to as “toxic mold syndrome” but are largely due to media hype. Yet some people are allergic to mold. It should always be removed from your home.
How Much Mold Exposure Is Harmful
While there is no magic number for how much black mold you need to be exposed to before it poses health risks, no level of contact is truly healthy, and you should take steps to avoid or limit your exposure. Every persons body reacts differently, and some individuals may have a higher tolerance before exhibiting symptoms of harmful exposure.
If you suspect you were exposed to black mold, look at the symptoms below and contact your physician if youre experiencing any of them.
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How Are Mold Allergies And Exposure Diagnosed
There are no proven tests that show when or where you may have been exposed to mold.
But your doctor may check for mold allergies by reviewing your symptoms and performing one of the following tests:
- Blood test. Your doctor takes a blood sample and then sends it to a laboratory to measure the number of certain antibodies, which can indicate your immune systems sensitivity to different mold species.
- Skin prick test. Your doctor takes a small amount of mold and applies it to your skin using a tiny needle. Your skin will break out in bumps, a rash, or hives if youre allergic to that type of mold.
Is All Mold Toxic
Mold is not the only pathogen that grows from water damage. Fungal fragments, spores, mycotoxins, bacteria, mycobacteria, actinomycetes, VOCs, and other biotoxins can also form in damp buildings. These pathogens combine to produce a toxic soup that can lead to a multi-systemic and multi-symptomatic illness.
Not all mold is toxic, but many mold species from water-damaged buildings produce mycotoxins. It is the indoor concentration of mycotoxins and the rest of the toxic soup that can contribute to chronic debilitating symptoms.
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How Is The Condition Treated
This is not like osteoarthritis, which may require treatment but is not a medical emergency. Fungal arthritis is an infection, a serious infection. Antifungal medications such as amphotericin B or Diflucan are typically prescribed, but often that is not enough. In many cases, a surgical procedure is required to drain the infected joint. You may need to see both an infectious disease specialist and an orthopedic surgeon for treatment.
In addition to getting the medical treatment you need, youll also need to make sure you are not exposed to further mold. If you contracted the infection via contaminated medication, your physician will need to attempt to track down the source of the contamination and notify the manufacturer of the medication. If, on the other hand, the fungal infection spread through your bloodstream to the affected joint, youll need to determine where you were exposed to mold in the first place and make sure no further exposure occurs.
Mold Exposure Joint Pain Treatment
Similar to experiencing joint pain from other sources, applying heat or ice will provide relief of inflamed joints due to mold exposure. Additionally, taking over the counter medication, such as non-steroidal or anti-inflammatory tablets can help. If youve visit a doctor, he or she may prescribe pain relief medicine. But this will not eliminate the problem of repeated long-term mold exposure. While it is good to have an accurate diagnosis from a physician, it is important that the is eradicated.
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How To Prevent Mold
Controlling moisture is the key to preventing mold from growing in your home. The following tips will help stop mold from becoming a problem:
- Keep the humidity in your house below 50%. Using an air conditioner or dehumidifier can help with this.
- Make sure your house is clean, dry, and well-ventilated.
- Fix any water leaks immediately.
- Use ventilation fans in your kitchen and bathrooms.
- Don’t put carpet in rooms that are likely to become wet such as the basement, kitchen, or bathrooms.
- Make sure wet floor mats are dried quickly.
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For Help Locating And Removing Mold
If you have a mold-related infection, most likely you were exposed to mold at home. If youre not sure if there is mold in your home or not, though, you can have a professional test your home for mold. This article explains mold testing, and when it is necessary.
If there is mold in your home, it is recommended that you arrange for someone else to remove the mold for you if you are experiencing mold-related health problems so that you do not exacerbate your condition by further exposure. If youve just had a surgical procedure to drain an infected joint, youre not likely to feel up to the task anyway.
You can schedule a free consultation with a mold removal professional to discuss your needs. The professional will come to your home or, if your physician advises you not to be in your home until the mold is removed, he or she will come to another convenient location to meet with you. In addition to explaining what needs to be done to remove the mold and make your home safe again, the mold removal professional will answer all your questions. He or she can also tell you about safety precautions you can take to prevent mold in the future. Follow this link to find qualified mold removal professionals offering free consultations in your area.
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What Should You Do If You Think Black Mold Is Making You Sick
You need to do two things, and do them both as soon as possible. You need to get medical treatment and you need to remove the mold from your home. Medical treatment is not likely to be effective as long as you continue to be exposed to black mold.
If you think you might be suffering from black mold health issues, you need to see your doctor as soon as possible. Let your doctor know if youve been exposed to mold in your home. If youve had the mold in your home tested and know it is stachybotrys chartarum, let your doctor know that, as well.
Your doctor may need to order some tests, such as blood tests or a chest x-ray, to help make a diagnosis. The tests will depend on the symptoms you are experiencing, as will the treatment prescribed.
Exposure to black mold can cause a wide range of illnesses, as described above, so treatment will vary depending on how the mold exposure is affecting you. You may need antibiotics or other medications.
In order to recover from black mold health issues, youll need to have the mold removed from your home. Continued exposure will impede your recovery and your condition may continue to worsen even with treatment as long as you are still exposed to black mold.
Sneezing And Nasal Congestion
While many things can trigger sneezing, its also a symptom of mold toxicity that should get your attention. If youve never had allergies or hay fever symptoms and youre positive you dont have a cold, those sneezes could be indicative of mold exposure.
Sneezing is the immune systems standard response to allergens. It could also be a warning sign that your home has a mold problem.
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Can Mold Cause Joint Pain
Some symptoms of high mold exposure include mild to severe joint pain. After longer periods of being exposed to mold you may begin to develop joint pain across your body paired with a variety of other symptoms. Osteomyelitis is an infection in the bone that is caused by Mold and other microbial agents. This infection is responsible for causing joint pain and joint stiffness, and is treatable with a few weeks worth of antibiotics. Remember it is advised that you get your home tested right away to see exactly what you are dealing with!
If you already know you have a Mold problem, the best way to deal with it is to get it removed by a professional. There is plenty of remediation companies out there that provide excellent services and are at your disposal.
Motorious Solutions can answer anymore questions you may have. Call us at or e-mail us at for more information. You can also visit our contact page to use our contact form!
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Increased Risk For Mold Growth
Buildings with flat roofs or basements, or that are built on hillsides or in shaded areas are at increased risk for mold growth. HVAC systems are also a significant source of mold growth, especially when ducting is in a basement. In addition, water damage can come from a leaking roof, pipe, or appliance such as a dishwasher, refrigerator, or wash machine. Buildings that are poorly maintained are much more susceptible to mold growth. Government buildings and schools, as well as rental apartments and homes, tend to be poorly maintained.
There are also circumstances when water damage to a home or building is apparent. A patient shared a story of a wall caving in under the pressure of a paint roller because the sheetrock was so damp from water damage. Others have reported discovering mold growing on a wall after removing a bed or a picture . I have seen patients who were exposed to mold in their car and at their place of work.
Current and past mold exposure can cause illness. People can continue to have elevated mycotoxins from a past mold exposure long after leaving a moldy environment.
However, most of the time, my patients are unaware they have been exposed to mold until they get tested. Once diagnosed with mold illness, people may recall a house they lived in years prior to their health decline had a musty odor. How about the dorm the college student lived in where the air conditioning unit was on all the time? When did their health decline?
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