Thursday, March 28, 2024

How Soon Can Black Mold Affect You

Personal Relationships & Mold

Can Black Mold affect my health

An important thing to note when dealing with mold is that its going to be real hard to get people to understand what you are experiencing.

In our story, we found that most people were quick to label us, even when we tried to explain.

Its been our experience that community, empowerment and empathy are words that are just thrown around for buzz-worthiness and ego in many ways. I dont say that to come off as being bitter, . I say it because its the truth, and I dont feel its beneficial for anyone to sugarcoat mold.

Its my hope that someday, people will really embrace things that they do not understand, but for now, try not to waste too much energy to try to convince people who refuse to be convinced.

Symptoms Of Black Mold

What Does Black Mold Look Like?

Stachybotrys is commonly known as black mold because its black in color. We see black mold most often when there is flooding or water damage, such as attics, basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.What does black mold look like? Check out these photos of black mold in basements that experienced flooding:

Is black mold dangerous?

The answer to the above question is It can be, but the vast majority of black mold situations we see are nothing to panic about.If you search black mold youll be sure to find plenty of websites and articles that tout the dangers of it. Weve seen quite the long, sensational list everything from seizures to cancer to death. But the truth is that it most situations are nothing to panic about because:It has never been scientifically proven that black mold is any more harmful than other types and colors of mold.Only a small percentage of people are especially sensitive to mold .Most horror stories come from people with severe, prolonged exposure to mold while most situations are small areas of mold growth that get cleaned up rather quickly.So why does black mold get so much hype? Well, a lot of it has to do with a general lack of information about a strange substance that looks especially ugly and threatening.

What are mycotoxins?Can black mold make you sick, cause cancer, or kill you?

Suspect Mold Poisoning The Natural Remedy You Must Try Now

Finally, if you have symptoms related to black mold syndrome, a high-quality, systemic proteolytic enzyme supplement like Heal-n-Soothe® is a MUST. Proteolytic enzymes are, literally, protein-digesting enzymes.

All living things, including mold and viruses, have a protein on their outer shell, and that protein can be viewed by proteolytic enzymes as not belonging to your body and thus the enzymes will attack it. As noted by nutraceutical researcher Jon Barron, director of Baseline of Health Foundation:

Bacteria, viruses, molds, and fungi are protein/amino acid based. Proteolytic enzymes taken between meals literally go into the bloodstream and digest these invaders.

In your body, systemic enzymes are known for stimulating your immune system, which is also crucial for fighting black mold syndrome. Its important to include raw foods in your diet to help replenish some of your bodys enzyme stores naturally, however for fighting black mold syndrome youre going to want Heal-n-Soothe®, the best systemic enzyme formula to replenish your bodys supply of vital enzymes .

Remember that systemic enzymes must be consumed on an empty stomach. If you take them with food, your body may use them for digestion before they have a chance to enter your bloodstream where the real magic happens.

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Symptoms Of Black Mold Exposure

Many types of indoor mold, not just black mold, can cause symptoms if you are sensitive to them or are exposed to them for a prolonged period of time. Symptoms of mold exposure include:

Symptoms of mold exposure may be worse in people who are most at risk, including:

  • People with an allergy to mold
  • People with a weakened immune system, who may develop infections
  • Older people

Mold Poisoning In Dogs: 15 Symptoms To Be Aware Of

How Black Mold Affects You

Youve probably heard about people experiencing health problems because of mold, but have you heard about how mold exposure can affect our four-legged friends? If your home, doghouse, or other places where your dog frequents, are affected by mold, then the chances of mold poisoning or mold allergies in your dog increase drastically.

We typically know when someone around us is sick, but with pets, its not always as obvious. We can tell somethings wrong with them by observing and noticing changes in their regular behavior, eating habits, and other factors.

In this article, we will describe how to quickly detect mold poisoning symptoms and how to address mold exposure in dogs.

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How Is Aspergillosis Treated

Treatment options include oral corticosteroids, antifungal medications, and surgery.

  • Oral corticosteroid drugs: Solid or liquid oral medications may be prescribed to treat allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. These drugs reduce inflammation and prevent respiratory symptoms, such as wheezing and coughing, from getting worse. Some of the most commonly used drugs are prednisone, prednisolone, and methylprednisolone.
  • Antifungal drugs: These medications are generally used to treat invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Voriconazole is currently the drug of choice because it causes fewer side effects and appears to be more effective than other medications. Amphotericin B or itraconazole are also effective in treating infection. Caspofungin is sometimes used in cases where the infection is resistant to the other antifungals. Antifungal drugs are sometimes used along with oral corticosteroids when treating ABPA. Antifungals can cause serious side effects, such as kidney and liver damage.
  • Surgery: Surgery may be necessary in cases when aspergillomas are present and cause serious problems, such as excessive bleeding. Antifungal medications are usually not effective against aspergillomas, so surgery is recommended. Embolization may be an option to block blood flow to the artery supplying blood to the lung cavity where the fungus ball is located. This will stop the bleeding, but it may recur later.

Mold Removal & Remediation

Once the source of moisture has been identified and stopped and the mold has been tested, the removal and remediation process can begin.

Technological tools are employed to dry affected areas. Then all mold is removed, and the areas where it once thrived are cleaned and disinfected.

This important step helps to limit the exposure to toxic mold spores that can be inhaled, lowering potential effects on the health of those living and working in a space.

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How To Prevent Mold Growth

At the end of the day, the best way to prevent the growth of mold is to control the moisture in your home. There are several tools you can use:

  • Dehumidify: Use a dehumidifier to reduce your indoor humidity. Try to keep your humidity level to around 40% relative humidity for optimal conditions.
  • Use An Air Purifier: Take steps to reduce that risk of inhaling mold spores and other airborne irritants. Using a HEPA air purifier is a great way to eliminate microscopic particles for your indoor air.
  • Proper Ventilation: If youve woken up in the morning to notice condensation on your windows, your home may not be properly ventilated. Consider installing a ventilation fan to improve the airflow in your home and limit the creation of moisture.

Removing Mold From Your Home

Can Black Mold affect my health

Resolve any issues causing mold growth, and throw away anything affected by mold or contributing to mold growth that you cant clean.

  • Wear protective gear. As youre dealing with the moldy area, cover yourself with a mask, gloves, goggles, and rubber boots. If youre cleaning a lot of mold, you can also wear disposable clothing or a mold-resistant suit.
  • Ventilate the room. Open all doors and windows to increase ventilation.
  • Sort and discard. Remove any objects from the area that havent been touched by mold growth. Throw away any items that cant be cleaned.
  • Replace moldy housing materials. Cut away and replace mold-damaged drywall, ceiling tiles, and carpet.
  • Scrub and disinfect. Cover and scrub nonporous surfaces affected by mold with bleach, a fungicide, or detergent and water, then dry them. Dont mix cleaning products together.
  • Address any water issues. Make sure any water problems are fixed and the area is dry before you renovate the room.

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The Science Behind Mold And Babies

Babies immune systems are still growing so they are much more susceptible illnesses. A baby is an easy target! In fact, Vicki Lankarge, author of What Every Homeowner Needs to Know About Mold , reported 45 infant exposure cases in Ohio since 1994 and 16 of these infants died. Thats a 36% mortality rate. Why is this stuff so dangerous to babies? Well, when a baby breathes in mycotoxins, the blood vessels in the babys lungs are weakened, pulmonary hemorrhaging is possible, and even a possibility of bleeding inside of the babys lungs.

Side note: If a baby has consistent exposure to both mold and cigarettes, the chances of pulmonary hemorrhaging increases even more.

When a baby survives a major condition due to mold, it is likely to follow him/her for a lifetime. The Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology once published a study which surrounded the subject of mold and asthma. According to the study, infant exposure has not yet had a direct link to asthma later on in life. However, it does suggest that there is link between consistent exposure and the development of chronic inflammation of the lung airways. Chronic inflammation causes wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. I wont go too far into detail here since weve recently established a list of moldy conditions that can possibly affect your life forever.

As Much As Its Said To Be Rare Its Not Rare At All

In fact, mold and a persons environment should be one of the first thingsdoctors look at. I find it oddly strange that no one evaluates that in western medicine. No one ever spent any time asking if I had been exposed to chemicals, a water damaged building, a moldy house, or anything else closely related to environmental toxins.

We are all taking in toxins on a daily basis, through our air, our water, our soil, our food, our products, our homes, and buildings.

Youd think since we spend 90% of our time indoors that environment would be a determining factor or contribution to our health in mainstream medical thought, but youd guess wrong.

A large amount of the illnesses that are being tossed around, autoimmune this, autoimmune that, thyroid, leaky gut, migraines, hormone issues, mental health, etc. âits ALL rooted in environment.

The awareness surrounding mold toxicity has skyrocketed within the alternative health, biohacking and functional medicine communities online in 2020 alone, but the affects of mold and mycotoxins on health still has a really far way to go before it saturates the mainstream. Its both incredible, and alarming to see just how many people are surfacing with mold toxicity.

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Hrss Mold Remediation & Restoration Services

At HRS, our team of certified mold remediation technicians in Denver work to not only stop water from damaging your home and allowing mold to grow, but also to bring your space back to its pre-damaged condition.

Having a water incident in your home, and then learning that mold has infected it is highly stressful for property owners.

Our team, with a combined two decades of experience helping homeowners just like you in this type of situation, understands. It is our mission to limit health effects and damage to your property and bring it back to life after a water emergency.

Our mold mitigation and restoration process begins with stopping the moisture that is coming into your space. Then, we test the mold that is growing, use professional-grade tools to clean and remove it, and disinfect the area. Finally, our team of licensed contractors is able to restore your property to its pre-damaged condition in as little time as possible.

How Long Does It Take Mold To Grow In A Flooded Home

What Is Black Mold? A Guide to Mold

Water damage from flooding, leaks or high humidity can not only compromise the integrity of your home and its contents, but also cause mold growth. Mold can grow quickly after water damage, making the restoration process more difficult. Even a small amount of moisture, if not handled quickly and properly, can turn into a large mold infestation.

Mold spores tiny airborne particles that are not visible to the naked eye exist everywhere in nature, and they can grow into visible mold after a water damage incident. When it starts invading your home, mold can threaten the health of its occupants. Mold exposure is especially dangerous for people with breathing problems caused by allergies or asthma.

However, you can avoid mold growth in your home if you act fast. All it takes is eliminating the moisture before mold has had the chance to start growing. But how quickly does mold grow after a flood or moisture problem?

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How Quickly Does Black Mold Grow After Water Damage

Since water is one of the key components required for mold growth, black mold tends to start developing very quickly after your home has some water damage. Stachybotrys chartarum can germinate in as little as 24 hours after the fact, and the mold will continue to spread and worsen the longer it goes untreated. If the damage occurred in a particularly warm area, the mold can germinate and colonize very quickly, so its important to start mitigating the damage right away.

Contact Hrs Restoration Services Today

Finding mold in your home or on your property makes it imperative that you act quickly to stop the water, dry your space, and disinfect to keep the girth from reoccurring.

Having professional, certified technicians to assist you is essential to ensuring that the health and safety of those who live and work in the mold infected space are protected.

When you discover moisture and find mold, contact HRSs highly trained team of professional disaster restoration experts in Denver, and we will start the process of bringing your home back to the condition it was before it was infected by mold.

what is iicrc and Why is it important?

IICRC stands for the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification. Formed nearly 40 years ago, it is a non-profit organization that establishes globally recognized standards for the cleaning and restoration industry, as well as providing certifications, journeyman and master designation, and education.

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Brain Spect Imaging Helps Treat Brain Toxicity Caused By Black Mold

Kimberlyn had booked a Full Evaluation, which took two days to complete. She filled out multiple questionnaires and history forms, talked to specialized counselors, and finally had a set of SPECT images taken of her brain. Just to really see exactly what was happening to my brain in the SPECT scans and that I do have a toxic injury due to mold was amazing, said Kimberlyn. They did such a good job with all of the evaluations, and they were so thorough. By the end of the second day, Dr. Arsalan Darmal had a whole binder of material that discussed the results of the testing I had done while I was there.

Dr. Darmal and the staff at Amen Clinics Orange County, CA discovered that Kimberlyn also had ADHD and a previous traumatic brain injury that was increasing the effects of the mold injury. When my brain swelled from the mold exposure, I was getting almost no blood flow to my prefrontal cortex, explained Kimberlyn.

Co-occurring conditions that can increase the effects of an injury or illness on the brain are common, yet can be easily overlooked. Kimberlyn was shocked to hear that the brain injury she had suffered in high school was impacting her life today and even more surprised that she had ADHD. The medication for ADHD has made a huge difference in my productivity and ability to focus. That was like the bonus prize that I wasnt even expecting, said Kimberlyn.

Treatment For Exposure To Black Mold

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Medical science has yet to develop a specific course of treatment for toxic mold exposure. Removing the mold with professional mold remediation techniques or removing the affected person from the mold-ridden environment is the only way to stop mold exposure symptoms. Once an individual is far from the mold source, their body will recuperate, and the manifestations will cease. Unfortunately though, if an individual suffered permanent organ damage, they wont recuperate from that harm.

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Inspecting For Poisonous Black Mold

If you suspect your home has mold issues, it is essential to have your home evaluated by a professional mold remediation company. Homeowners who dont know about the dangers of a toxic mold may not realize they have a serious health threat in their home. People often ignore the signs of mold-related illness because the symptoms of mold toxicity may seem like a cold or allergy attack.

Sometimes only a professional can find the source of mold, since it may not be apparent or visible to the naked eye. When you have a mold assessment done it is imperative to analyze the water issue that caused the mold growth, as well as the mold itself.

An expert black mold remediator will have the diagnostic tools to analyze where the black mold is developing. He or she can also measure levels of moisture. These are the clues to finding concealed water line breaks or areas of the house where water is getting in from an outside water source.Strong, musty odors, water-stained walls, and ceilings bowed drywall and cracked or peeling paint are also signs of a developing black mold problem.

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