Can Mold And Mildew Make You Sick

Black Mold Symptoms And Health Effects

Learn about black mold symptoms and health effects so that you can identify indicators of black mold exposure and black mold poisoning.

A mold infested room of an old building.

Dariusz Majgier

Mold in homes can be a costly and dangerous problem, particularly when infestations of toxic black mold occur. The symptoms and health effects of black mold exposure and black mold poisoning cover a wide range of health problems, but understanding the indicators can help keep you and your family safe.

Toxic black mold, or Stachybotrys chartarum, as it’s known to scientists, can release spores as it feeds on organic materials in common household materials like drywall, carpet, insulation or sub-flooring that have been exposed to moisture. These spores, if ingested or inhaled, can cause a range of unpleasant and even dangerous symptoms in humans.

Navigating All Of The Confusing And Concerning Information About Black Mold Is Hard But Were Here To Tell You The Truth

Many of us have heard of the dangers of toxic black mold and may worry about black mold poisoning, but the truth is that black mold is a much more manageable problem than you might expect.

Few topics get us more upset than seeing misinformation publicized about toxic black mold, and mold in general, by unscrupulous companies and zealous media articles that seem more interested in sensationalism than fact-based reporting.

When you understand what youre dealing with, you can make informed choices to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy. Were here to cut through the mess and help you understand what having black mold in your home may mean, and give you some tips on how to fix the problem yourself and save big money in the process.

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Children And The Elderly

At two opposite ends of the scale, these two groups have a certain thing in common they have generally weaker immune systems in comparison to young or middle-aged adults.

A weaker immune system leaves them prone to mold-related sickness which can develop over time.

In fact, a 2016 study conducted as part of the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign, discovered that if an infant becomes exposed to a moldy environment in the first year of their life, they are 14% more likely to develop asthma in the future.

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How Long Does It Take For Black Mold To Kill You

Black mold, or Stachybotrys atra, has a reputation for being fatal. This is due to reports that black mold was related to infant deaths in the 1990s. Its also been linked to the idea of sick building syndrome and is often called toxic black mold.

But theres no solid evidence proving that black mold is toxic. Black mold, and mold in general, is not deadly.

Still, black mold can cause unwanted side effects, especially those in people who are sensitive to mold. This includes people who are young, old, or have compromised immune systems.

Visit a doctor if you have:

• persistent sinus and nasal congestion
• frequent headaches
• unexplained skin irritation
• more frequent asthma attacks

Sometimes, it can be difficult to know if mold is causing your symptoms. Many side effects of mold exposure are similar to other conditions, like seasonal allergies. Some symptoms also take time to appear.

Your best bet is to see a doctor, even if youre unsure your symptoms are related to mold. They can help you find relief.

The best way to treat mold exposure symptoms is to reduce exposure. Follow these tips:

• Avoid contact with moldy items or surfaces.
• Avoid damp rooms, like basements.
• Remove mold from the home by cleaning surfaces and drying damp areas.
• Increase ventilation by using a fan or opening windows.
• Reduce indoor humidity with a dehumidifier.

The length of time it takes for mold to leave your body will depend on your level of previous exposure.

• a musty, earthy odor

Ways Your House Mold Is Making You Sick

You’ve seen it in your bathtub, on your sponge or washing machine, and likely in your teenager’s musty sock drawer: It’s mold, the microscopic fungus that loves to live in damp, dark places. But did you know the stuff isn’t just gross?

It can be harmful to your health, leading to nausea, comas, even cancer.

According to the EPA, molds can grow on almost anything if moisture is present . Eat This, Not That! Health scoured the latest journals and medical studies to uncover 15 ways house mold might be making you sickand how you can deal with it.

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Getting A Diagnosis For Mold Sickness

While symptoms to mold exposure are not uncommon , many health care professionals struggle to pinpoint the cause behind these symptoms.

Often only a few people or one person and not everyone, in a home or workplace experience symptoms. This is frustrating and confusing for the sick person. When their doctors cant find any reason for the illness, they can start to feel like the sickness is all in their mind.

People suffering from mold exposure can often be misdiagnosed with disorders such as:

How Can I Prevent Black Mold

Of course, moving out is not a simple or accessible process for everyone. If you dont have the resources to move or simply dont want to, consider these prevention measures to protect yourself against black mold:

• Immediately repair leaks
• Constantly wipe down/dry wet or damp surfaces
• Invest in a dehumidifier to clear the air of excess water vapor
• Clean rooms that are susceptible to water collection with anti-fungal products
• Open windows to facilitate air circulation when possible
• Clean rooms/spaces that dont get much use to ensure mold isnt growing there

Like any prevention method, these steps do not ensure that black mold will not grow in your home, but they lessen the chances. The biggest takeaway here is that black mold flourishes in objects that retain water or places that harbor standing water, which is why avoiding humidity is so imperative in preventing fungus growth.

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Your Pet Bowl Isnt Much Better

You put a lot of thought into what your pet eatsbut what about the bowls the eat from? One study found that 45% of all pet bowls had mold growing on them, compared with 27% of toilet seats. So, itâs actually healthier for your pooch to drink from the toilet than eat their dinner from their bowl.

The Rx: You wash your own plates every time you eatdo the same for your pets.

Can Sleeping In A Room With Mold Kill You

No, it is not healthy to sleep in a room with mold and mildew. An interior mold of any kind of exposure is something to worry about and mold inside your bedroom is particularly so, simply as a result of the number of hrs you invest in your bedroom breathing it in while you rest. Beyond the instant allergy signs and symptoms, mold and mildew direct exposure usually create rest concerns, too.

Recognize What Are The Symptoms of Mold Exposure

If they enter into contact with mold, they may experience signs and symptoms, such as:

• a dripping or blocked nose.
• watery, red eyes.
• an aching throat.

So, how long you can really stay inside a room with mold? 2 days. Also even worse, if you dont take any action the mold will certainly continue growing until actions are taken to get rid of the problem. Drying out extensively may assist avoid prompt and long-term health problems. Permit areas to completely dry a couple of days before replacing damaged products.

If you have mold on your property you should call a professional mold remediation company right away. give us a call today at 866-632-6270.

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Diagnosis Of Mold Toxicity

The conventional medical community is slow to acknowledge that chronic mold-induced illness is common. However, many functional and foundational medicine practitioners have expertise in mold toxicity and CIRS.

A common and simple test for mold toxicity is a urine mycotoxin test. Excreting an elevated level of mycotoxins is a sign of mold illness. Still, if your body is holding onto these toxins, your level may be falsely low.

Some functional medicine doctors also check specific immune system and inflammatory markers via blood tests. Examples are C4a, TGF Beta-1, and MMP-9. Elevated levels of these markers dont prove you have mold illness, but they contribute to the evidence.

Urine mycotoxin and inflammatory markers are best considered in the context of other signs and symptoms of mold illness. These include the following five areas:

The more of these criteria you meet, the more likely it is you have mold-related toxicity. And if you meet all five criteria, its more likely your mold illness is advanced and longstanding.

For more information, watch this short video on mold toxicity testing and its availability. The video mentions two labs that offer urine mycotoxin tests. These are Real Time Laboratories and The Great Plains Laboratory.

Can Mildew Make You Sick

Like mold, mildew can cause health problems with prolonged exposure. While the fungi themselves are not toxic, certain species produce mycotoxins, which can cause mild to severe symptoms in humans. These symptoms are typically reminiscent of a cold or flu and are more dangerous if you suffer from a pre-existing condition like allergies or asthma.

The main reason mold poses a greater threat to human health is because its more likely to go undetected for extended periods of time. Because mildew is a surface fungus, its usually easier to spot and remove.

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What Is Black Mold

Lets start by identifying the enemy: black mold. Black mold, or Stachybotrys chartarum, is a species of mold or fungi. You can typically identify black mold by its color. Many other molds are green or grey, but black mold tends to be a dark greenish black or gray color. It will appear around the home as a slimy, dark greenish-black or gray substance. Black mold grows off of moisture, releasing spores as it consumes organic substances.

The types of substances this type of mold feeds off of include things such as wood and cotton. In the home, you can expect to find it growing on materials such as damp drywall, insulation and carpets. Mold typically does not grow on metal, glass and plastic. Because of this, the most common places you find black mold include walls, carpeting, insulation, furniture and ceilings.

Unfortunately for homeowners, black mold also loves air vents, where spores are naturally circulated. If air vents havent been professionally cleaned in a while, there will be plenty of dust for black mold to feed on. Similarly, if your air ducts arent inspected and repaired routinely, leaks and other problems can allow black mold to thrive.

The spores of black mold can cause a variety of undesirable symptoms and health problems when inhaled or ingested by humans. These can be symptoms as simple as itchy eyes to more serious consequences, including long-term lung damage.

Where Does Mold Come From

Mold has been around for millions of years, and mold spores can get inside your home through an open door, window, or vent or be carried inside on an item of clothing or a pet.

Mold will then grow in moist places inside your home, such as near a roof leak or pipe. Surfaces that can support mold include paper products, ceiling tiles, wood, paint, dust, wallpaper, carpeting, fabric, insulation, and drywall.

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What Causes Mold Sickness

The toxins in your system from breathing in mold spores add to the total amount of toxicity in your body. We call this the Total Body Burden. When your burden is high, you start experiencing symptoms many which are seemingly unrelated.

For most people, toxins get flushed out from the body when eliminating waste.

For some, the toxic load is so high that its too much for the body to eliminate them all efficiently. For others, they may have poor detoxification processes or they may even recycle or reabsorb these mycotoxins back, as the body tries to eliminate them. Genetics plays a huge role in this difference from person to person

In short, multiple symptoms happen because, as we say in environmental medicine genetics points the gun, and then the environment pulls the trigger.

How Do You Keep Mold Out Of Buildings And Homes

Inspect buildings for evidence of water damage and visible mold as part of routine building maintenance, Correct conditions causing mold growth to prevent mold growth.

Inside your home you can control mold growth by:

• Controlling humidity levels
• Promptly fixing leaky roofs, windows, and pipes
• Thoroughly cleaning and drying after flooding
• Ventilating shower, laundry, and cooking areas.

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How To Know If You Have Black Mold In Your House

Mold isnt always visible. If you can see mold, its only a sign of the real potential health risk the unhealthy levels of harmful types mold in the air of your home or workplace.

Airborne mold is all around us in both the outdoors and indoors. The types and amount of mold determines the potential health risk. Most of us are accustomed to the varieties and amounts of mold present in our outdoor environments.

Healthy indoor environments will have mold conditions similar to or better than those in the surrounding outdoors. Over time, because of moisture , many indoor spaces develop unhealthy types and/or unhealthy levels of airborne mold that can be harmful to you or your pets.

These signs could mean you have unhealthy mold conditions in your house:

• Allergic symptoms
• A damp or musty odor in one or more places
• Frequent headaches
• The air in the home feels different
• Your house has been flooded or currently has leaks
• You previously tried removing mold yourself

Take note of how you feel in and out of the house. If the symptoms disappear or decrease when youre out and about, then you might have a mold problem, yes, even if you cant see mold.

Is Resting Beside Mold Bad For Your Health

Direct exposure to mold or wetness in your home has been associated with adverse respiratory results in all age groups. This direct exposure has actually likewise been connected to sleeplessness in adults. We aimed to explore the association between direct exposure to visible mold or wetness at home and also sleep problems in children.

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How Does Mould Affect Health

Mould associated with damp buildings can trigger nasal congestion, sneezing, cough, wheeze, respiratory infections and worsen asthma and allergic conditions.

People who are more susceptible to these symptoms and other serious health effects include those with:

• weakened immune systems
• chronic, obstructive, or allergic lung diseases.

You should seek medical advice if you are concerned about the effects of mould.

How Can I Prevent A Relapse

Mold spores can be found just about anywhere, whether inside or outside. However, you can take preventative measures to ensure they dont breed into larger, toxic colonies. If there are water leaks in or around the house, have them repaired immediately. Dark, wet environments and plenty of organic material create the perfect home for mold growth. Keep your attic and basement or crawl space dry and free of moisture. Consider bringing in an environmental professional and having an ERMI mold test done every so often to evaluate your home for the presence of mold. There are DIY kits that can be purchased, but these results arent always accurate.

If you suspect that you have been exposed to mold, either because you have found mold in your home or you have had nagging symptoms similar to the ones discussed, make an appointment with your healthcare provider. As you make a plan to remove mold from your home and prevent future relapses, team to have the mold problem removed.

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How To Be Preventative About Moldy Weed

Thereâs a lot of risk that goes along with smoking moldy weed, and although you may not experience serious, life-threatening side effects, itâs never a good idea to take a chance â no high is worth that!

Unfortunately, once your weed has been contaminated with mold, thereâs no salvaging it. Desperate consumers have attempted cutting around the mold to get to the âgoodâ part, but once mold has entered the chat, there isnât a whole lot of âgoodâ left.

If you have reason to believe thereâs something wrong with your weed, youâre probably right. Itâs best to err on the side of caution and toss it, rather than take the massive risk.

Luckily, there are a few measures to take to ensure your cannabis stays fresh, healthy, and mold-free:

• Store your weed properly. To prevent moldy weed, your best defense is proper storage. Exposing cannabis to the wrong lighting, temperature, humidity, or oxygen levels can easily promote mold growth.

To combat this, use airtight containers , and avoid storing your cannabis in the freezer or fridge. The low temperatures and moisture are too risky. You should also store your stash in a dark, dry place and be wary of excess humidity levels.

Smoking moldy weed is never worth the risk, and you should never pass contaminated cannabis on to others. When in doubt, throw it out.

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What Does Mildew Look Like

Since mildew grows on surfaces, its often easier to spot in its early stages than mold. Mildew is generally classified as either powdery or downy. Powdery mildew is white or gray in color. Over time, it turns yellow and eventually dark brown or black. As the name suggests, it has a fine, powdery texture. Downy mildew initially shows up in the form of yellow splotches. As it ages, these splotches turn a darkish brown.

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