How Do Molds Get In The Indoor Environment And How Do They Grow
Mold is found both indoors and outdoors. Mold can enter your home through open doorways, windows, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems. Mold in the air outside can also attach itself to clothing, shoes, and pets can and be carried indoors. When mold spores drop on places where there is excessive moisture, such as where leakage may have occurred in roofs, pipes, walls, plant pots, or where there has been flooding, they will grow. Many building materials provide suitable nutrients that encourage mold to grow. Wet cellulose materials, including paper and paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, wood, and wood products, are particularly conducive for the growth of some molds. Other materials such as dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation materials, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery, commonly support mold growth.
Why Are Mold Issues Difficult To Diagnose
Conventional medicine recognizes that mold can cause allergies but does not recognize that mycotoxins emitted by some species of indoor mold can cause a problem, says McElroy. This means that doctors unfamiliar with mold and mold treatment may miss one of the main types of mold reactionsthe chemical and inflammatory reaction. This is for a few reasons:
- There is no gold standard in testing for mold
- There is no standardized treatment protocol or drug for mold toxicity
- There are very limited human-based studies looking at the connection between mycotoxins and human health
- The presentation of mold issues is very different among patients
- Not everyone exposed to mold mycotoxins will have a reaction to them
Its no wonder mold illness can be hard to diagnose. Fortunately, holistic medicine providers consider environmental factors that affect health when evaluating patients and may have additional advanced training in treating mold toxicity.
According to McElroy, one of the biggest challenges with mold is that mycotoxins can cause only some people to launch an inflammatory response. This unpredictable response can go on for years after a long-term exposure in a susceptible individual, she explains.
When To See Your Doctor
See your doctor if you experience any of the above symptoms, especially if these symptoms last for more than a few days and dont respond to typical over-the-counter treatments or home remedies. If you think you have a respiratory infection, like bronchitis or pneumonia, you need to see your doctor as soon as possible.
Let your doctor know if you think your symptoms might be a result of mold poisoning. It wont always affect treatment, but sometimes it may. If your doctor thinks mold is causing or contributing to your symptoms, he or she will probably recommend having the mold removed from the home as soon as possible. Treatment may be of limited effectiveness if you continue to be exposed to mold.
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What Does Black Mold Look Like
The appearance of black mold can vary depending on the species, but it is usually a black to dark brown or greenish-black slimy film that grows on organic matter. It is often found in damp and dark places such as basements, bathrooms, and crawlspaces. Its easy to confuse black mold with other types of mold that you might encounter in your home.
Here are some signs that indicate youve got black mold:
- Unpleasant odors coming from your walls or other surfaces
- Moldy patches on walls or ceilings
- Mold growth on woodwork or other building materials
- Musty smells in different rooms of your house
Mold Toxicity And Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease is an infection caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans by infected black-legged ticks. These ticks bite humans, accidentally inserting the bacteria into the bloodstream. Common symptoms include headache, fever, fatigue, and rashes. If the infection is left untreated, it can progress to severe neurological problems.
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Clean Black Mold And Get Rid Of It For Good
Once you know how bad your mold problem is , its time to get rid of the problem.
- Clean mold yourself. If your mold problem is small and visible, like caulking around your bathtub, you can get rid of it yourself. You just want to make sure you use the right cleaning solution. Bleach wont kill mold entirely, and as the chlorine in bleach dissipates, the bleach turns into water, which creates the perfect environment for new mold to grow. Cleaning vinegar will kill mold, as will industrial chemicals like Moldex. Always wear a P100 respirator so you dont inhale mold spores while you clean. Goggles are a good idea too, and a full body suit for larger mold infestations.
- Get rid of mold-contaminated items. Clothing, carpet, drapes, caulking, and paper goods like books and files will all absorb mold spores and can cause new mold growth. If theyve been in an area with black mold, get rid of them, or in the case of cloth goods, get them professionally dry-cleaned. Throwing out belongings is a bummer, but its better to be safe than to have to deal with a new mold problem all over again.
- Professional mold remediation. If you have water damage or major mold contamination in hard-to-reach places, hiring a professional is your best bet. Mold remediation can be expensive, but professionals have the tools to find and eliminate all the mold in your entire home.
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What Does Harmless Black Mold Look Like
Harmless black mold looks like any other type of mold, but its a little more common in certain areas.
Like all molds, harmless black mold is a fungus that thrives on moisture and grows on surfaces that are damp or wet. It can be found in places like the bathroom and kitchen, where humidity is higher and the temperature tends to be warmer.
As with all molds, harmless black molds growth depends on how much water there is available for it to feed on. If you find a patch of harmless black mold growing on your shower curtain or in your basement, it could be due to excessive moisture in those areas.
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Water In The Foundation
Look out for a build-up of water around your homes base. This can lead to foundational problems for your home if there is a lot of water. At your homes foundation, gathering rainwater can be prevented by sloping your yard outwards from your foundation. In the same line of thought, damp basements are another culprit. Usually, there is no good ventilation in basements. This is an indication that basements could contain higher humidity or moisture amounts compared to other rooms in the home. Also, basements are often colder which means more condensation occurs which leads to humidity and basement.
Who Is Most At Risk For Health Problems Associated With Exposure To Mold
People with allergies may be more sensitive to molds. People with immune suppression or underlying lung disease are more susceptible to fungal infections. Individuals with chronic respiratory disease may experience difficulty breathing. Individuals with immune suppression are at increased risk for infection from molds. If you or your family members have these conditions, a qualified medical clinician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment.
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I Heard About Toxic Molds And Black Molds That Grow In Homes And Other Buildings Should I Be Concerned About A Serious Health Risk To Me And My Family
There is always a little mold everywhere in the air and on many surfaces.
Certain molds are toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins . Hazards presented by molds that may produce mycotoxins should be considered the same as other common molds which can grow in your house. Not all fungi produce mycotoxins and even those that do will not do so under all surface or environmental conditions.
Mold growth, which often looks like spots, can be many different colors, and can smell musty. Color is not an indication of how dangerous a mold may be. Any mold should be removed and the moisture source that helped it grow should be removed.
There are very few reports that toxigenic molds found inside homes can cause unique or rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. These case reports are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxigenic mold and these conditions has not been proven.
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Identifying Mold In Your Home
- Appearance or dark spots or clusters. Look for spots or clustered growths, especially in warm, moist rooms.
- Musty smell. You may be able to identify mold by a musty smell.
- Allergies or asthma. If you experience asthma attacks or allergy symptoms in your home, that may also indicate theres mold.
- Potential causes. Look for causes of mold growth, like a leak, water damage, lack of ventilation, or old food, papers, or wood.
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Is Black Mold Dangerous
The short answer isnot really. But that doesnt mean you should keep black mold as a pet.
Everyone has different levels of tolerance to allergens like mold spores, but thats all black mold isan allergen.1 Those with asthma, respiratory allergies, or immune suppression will feel the effects of black molds mycotoxins more than most folks.
As one source put it, Previous reports of toxic mold syndrome or toxic black mold have been shown to be no more than media hype and mass hysteria. 2
But whether you feel black mold symptoms or not, its best to get rid of black mold as soon as you find it.
How Does Black Mold Form
The main reason behind the formation of black mold is moisture, which can be caused by several things, such as, water leakage, lack of proper ventilation, flooding, irregular maintenance, humidifiers, condensation, clogged-up gutters, damp clothes, humid basements, or even water accumulation around the foundation of your house.
Did you know?
Stachybotrys is the 3rd common toxic mold type found in homes we tested?! Find out more exciting mold stats and facts inside our mold statistics page.
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State Of The Art Facility
Dr. Sponaugle spent years of research to find treatment for stealth conditions that attack the nervous system, such as mold toxicity and Lyme disease. His clinical research correlated patient symptoms and intensity of mold sickness with over 9,000 Neurotransmitter patterns, 6000 Mold Mycotoxin levels, 2000 Industrial Toxin levels, and thousands of mathematical biomarkers for Gastrointestinal Dysbiosis , Immune Dysfunction, Stealth Infections, and Genetic Testing. The Sponaugle Wellness Institute use highly-advanced technology for precise diagnosis, and to determine co-infections. The patient undergoes periodic brain scans to monitor progress.
How Fast Does Black Mold Spread
Mold begins to grow as soon as its spores land on a damp, fibre-rich material and it can spread around the house within 24 to 48 hours. It colonizes in one to twelve days and grows at one square inch per day. In less than a week, it can cover surface areas of several square feet.
Unfortunately in most cases, mold is widespread and already a big problem before a problem is even suspected by the homeowners.
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How Can You Be Exposed To Black Mold
You can be exposed to black mold, or any species of mold, by breathing in microscopic mold particles in the air, or through consumption of food that contains it.
Stachybotrys is unique because its spores are sticky and easily adhere to a surface when the mold colony dries. They are not regularly found in the air unless the mold colony has been disturbed. Though its spores are not readily airborne, black mold can produce other harmful contaminants more easily found in the air .
A disruption to a black mold colony can be as simple as slamming a door, opening a window or knocking into contaminated furniture. More force is required for Stachybotrys spores to become airborne, as compared to other commonly found indoor molds .
How Long Does It Take To Remove Black Mold
Armen D. Glendale Ca.
The time it takes for Black mold removal, is all dependent on how severe the growth is, the location of it, what caused the mold to grow in the first place, sewer wastewater, or freshwater leak.
We have removed black mold in 4 hours for lite contamination, and up to 4 days for severe contamination.
Having the proper certified black mold removal agents makes the removal process safe and very effective.
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Can Black Mold Make You Sick And What Are The Symptoms
The most common black mold symptoms and health effects are associated with a respiratory response. Chronic coughing and sneezing, irritation to the eyes, mucus membranes of the nose and throat, rashes, chronic fatigue and persistent headaches can all be symptomatic of black mold exposure or black mold poisoning.
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To Test Or Otherwise To Test
Thats why it is difficult to inform if any type of offered mold is black mold by appearances odor or also area Any type of mold could trigger health troubles How Can You Tell if Mold is Toxic, as they aim out. You need to set up to have any type of mold in your home got rid of, no concern what kind it is.
Outdoors, how to know if you have moldand mildews play a component in nature by cracking down dead natural issue such as dropped leaves as well as dead trees, yet inside your home, mold development ought to be stayed clear of. Mold and mildews are normally not an issue inside your home, unless mold spores land on a moist or damp area as well as start expanding. Touching or breathing in mold or mold spores might trigger sensitive responses in delicate people difficult to get rid of all mold and also mold spores inside some mold spores will certainly be discovered drifting with the air as well as in property dirt. While the terms toxic as well as black mold are typically utilized reciprocally, just one is identified as black mold by many experts for how do you know if you have black mold symptoms Stachybotrys chartarum, often called Stachybotrys atra.
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How Do Doctors Test For Mold Exposure
If you are aware of mold growth in your home and you feel sick, inform your doctor about the mold and your symptoms right away. But sometimes you cant see mold, and it is not clear whether its mold exposure thats made you sick or not.
Because mold allergy or mold exposure symptoms can resemble that of other allergies, the doctor will typically start by asking about your medical and family medical history. Additionally, doctors usually run tests for mold exposure which may include one or more of the following:
- Skin test for reactions to allergens, including mold
- IgG mold antibodies test to see the immune systems reaction to molds. A positive test means that an individual was or is currently exposed to mold
- Urine mycotoxins test
- A fungal culture of the nasal sinuses
The type of testing youll receive depends on the doctor you visit, so be sure to ask questions ahead of time so you can feel confident in your diagnosis.
A Qualified Environmental Lab Took Samples Of The Mold In My Home And Gave Me The Results Can Cdc Interpret These Results
Standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable or normal quantity of mold have not been established. Sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable quantity of mold have not been set. The best practice is to remove the mold and work to prevent future growth. If you do decide to pay for environmental sampling for molds, before the work starts, you should ask the consultants who will do the work to establish criteria for interpreting the test results. They should tell you in advance what they will do or what recommendations they will make based on the sampling results. The results of samples taken in your unique situation cannot be interpreted without physical inspection of the contaminated area or without considering the buildings characteristics and the factors that led to the present condition.
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How Long Does It Take To Get Sick From Mold Exposure
The answer to this question is highly dependent on each individual.
Those who are more at risk may experience more severe symptoms quicker, while others may never experience symptoms, at all.
There are other things to consider, as well.
This includes exposure length, allergies or sensitivities, proximity to the mold during exposure, and more.
Generally speaking, you can expect to experience symptoms anywhere from two hours to three days after exposure.
Stopping The Symptoms Of Black Mold
There are two things that need to be done in order to stop the symptoms that are occurring:
First you should consult with your doctor and let them know that you have been exposed to black mold. Most doctors are familiar with the dangers of black mold, and can prescribe treatment options for each of the symptoms that are occurring.
The second step is to get rid of the black mold problem. Going to the doctor will not do any good if you dont eliminate the mold. Continued exposure will cause your symptoms to get progressively worse.
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