How Common Is Mold In Buildings
Molds are very common in buildings and homes. Mold will grow in places with a lot of moisture, such as around leaks in roofs, windows, or pipes, or where there has been flooding. Mold grows well on paper products, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood products. Mold can also grow in dust, paints, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.
The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. We do not have precise information about how often different molds are found in buildings and homes.
Question 4 Of : How Do You Get Rid Of Mold In Your Lungs
How Do You Treat Mold Exposure
- The most important step related to any type of allergy is to stay away from the triggers that cause allergy
- Having said that, mold is a common occurrence and it is very difficult to avoid mold in general
- There is not a guaranteed way to cure mold allergy, however, certain medications can help in reducing the symptoms and ease your discomfort
Mold exposure is treated with the help of several methods, some of which may include-
- The nasal sprays that are available over the counter are corticosteroids
- These sprays reduce the inflammation in airways, which is caused due to mold allergies
- In most cases of mold allergy, corticosteroids prove to be the most effective of medications available
- They are also prescribed by many doctors as primary treatment method
- Nasal sprays, however, may cause you to have a bitter taste in mouth and may cause nasal dryness
Nasal Rinse
- A solution that is made up of distilled water and saline can help in rinsing the nasal passages and remove the mild spores, thereby reducing congestion
- This will also help in reducing the irritation in the nasal passages
- The water used for nasal rinse must be distilled water, sterile, previously boiled and cooled or filtered
- Also, after each use, cleanse the irrigation device with similar type of water and air-dry, to avoid build-up of any growth inside
OTC Medications/Antihistamines
Montelukast
Anti-Allergic Vaccines
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Preventing Black Mold Growth
Coronary Artery Disease: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
The most important factor in preventing mold growth is controlling the moisture levels in your home. Be sure to check areas particularly susceptible to water leakage and high humidity, and quickly address any leaks or areas where water may be getting into your home. For high humidity rooms such as your bathroom, be sure to install an exhaust fan and ensure the room receives a steady airflow and plenty of natural sunlight if possible.
Overall, you should aim to keep the humidity level in your home below 50 percent. If you live in a humid climate, dehumidifiers and air conditioners can radically reduce the risk of black mold buildup. Even smaller measures like hanging up your towels after taking a shower or properly drying your utensils can go a long way in preventing black mold growth.
If you do have a black mold outbreak, its critical to find the source of it in your home and eliminate it as soon as possible. This begins by conducting a mold analysis throughout your home. Make sure to target trouble areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. From there, you can then remove the mold using either chemical or natural cleaning methods. Do note that even if you are able to identify the mold sources in your home, it may grow back again. You need to routinely check trouble areas and keep them clean.
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Black Mold Symptoms + 12 Natural Remedies
Black mold exposure and black mold poisoning can cause a wide range of health problems. Some black mold symptoms can actually be really serious. You may have found this article from googling black mold in shower or mold in house. Unfortunately, mold problems are not unusual in the home, and the shower is a classic location to find black mold flourishing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, molds in general are very common in homes and buildings and they can grow anywhere indoors where there is moisture.
You can help your body recover if youve been exposed to black mold. You can also naturally rid your home of black mold and prevent it in the first place! Black mold symptoms are highly unpleasant so you really dont want to deal with them if you dont have to.
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Supplement With Beneficial Herbs For Respiratory Health
Medicinal herbs may offer therapeutic benefits for respiratory diseases since several compounds have shown anti-inflammatory effects and inhibition of different inflammatory mediators involved in respiratory diseases such as asthma, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . Many studies highlight the antioxidant effects of these products.
Did you know? Chronic respiratory diseases are chronic diseases of the airways and other structures of the lungs. Some of the most common conditions include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , asthma and respiratory allergies, occupational lung diseases, sleep apnea syndrome, and pulmonary hypertension.
A beneficial combination may include various herbs, including:
- Baikal skullcap root
D Treatment Available For Mold Exposure Allergies
When the signs of mold exposure are light, the treatment for the allergic reaction to mold is the same as the treatment for general allergic reactions. Unfortunately, people with a compromised immune system or asthma that has fungal infection may need a hospital treatment with specific antifungal drugs.
In general, there is different mold exposure treatment depending on the severity of the case.
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The Mold Removal Process
It depends on the contractors workload, but the entire process from the initial phone call to complete removal could take place within one week.
The contractor will remove the mold through one of numerous methods, such as:
- Eliminating impacted materials
- Using hydroxyl generators
- Applying mold-resistant coatings
The process for removal is generally the same no matter what type of mold you have in your home. Most importantly, the only way to prevent future mold growth is to correct the situation that created the mold in the first place, so your contractor will likely discuss this with you to prevent any further problems.
Mold Inspection & Mold Testing
There is a difference between a mold inspection and mold testing.
A mold inspection is a visual assessment of an area to determine whether mold is present.
Mold testing is when a certified mold inspector conducts scientific air sampling and collects samples that will be analyzed in a lab. This typically takes place when you cant see the mold but suspect it may be present.
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How To Prevent Mold Growth
The best way to prevent future mold growth is to control moisture and humidity. The CDC offers these tips and best practices:
- Control humidity levels
- Promptly fix leaky roofs, windows, and pipes
- Clean and dry areas after any flooding
- Ventilate shower, laundry, and cooking areas
The EPA also recommends taking steps to prevent condensation and avoiding the installation of carpet in areas where there is continuous moisture.
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.
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Toxic Mold Syndrome: It Was Like I Lost My Personality
Kimberlyn, a 46-year-old married mother living in Arizona is not your average patient. She is highly detailed, analytical, logical, and carries with her a masters degree in pattern analysis. When Kimberlyn got sick, she applied as much as she could from her work life to try to uncover what was adversely affecting her. Even so, coming to the right diagnoses took a lot of work and required outside help.
Focus On Natural Remedies Vs Man Made Medicines
When healing from mold toxicity, its important to opt for natural remedies instead of man made medicines, because only natural remedies are geared to address the root cause of the problem, without any added side effects. Man made medicines can be great at suppressing symptoms, but these symptoms are your bodys way of communicating with you if you fail to hear the message, you gear up for larger troubles in the long run.
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Common Ways To Treat & Diagnose Mold Illness/exposure
The Shoemaker protocol is complicated. And to become a certified Shoemaker practitioner is not easy. Thus, the internet is full of many different diagnostic and treatment options for mold. Most of which are both ineffective and expensive.
Ill give you a list of some of the more common means of testing and treating mold below. Ill share my thoughts and what the evidence suggests for each methodology as well.
EAV
EAV stands for electroacupuncture by Voll. But you may know it as electrodermal screening , bio-resonance therapy , or computerized electrodermal screening .
These devices emit a tiny direct electric current that flows through a wire from the device to a brass cylinder covered by moist gauze, which the patient holds in one hand. A second wire is connected from the device to a probe, which the operator touches to acupuncture points on your other hand or foot. This completes a low-voltage circuit and the device registers the flow of current. The information is then relayed to a gauge or computer screen that provides a numerical readout on a scale of 0 to 100.
A reading > 50 is positive. In the context of mold illness, your practitioner may place a glass vial containing specific mold species in the device and measure how your body reacts to it. If you score high, the practitioner will diagnose you with mold illness/allergy.
Dietary alterations
But please dont think that the one thing keeping you from getting better is your diet.
Taking Your Dog For Inflammation Therapy
This is an important thing to do to get them treated for the specific allergy they may be having.
Here they get to be informed and talked through the possible allergens and how to reduce the exposure.
They also get medication for their dogs allergies.
Dogs get some creams for applying on the skin to reduce the redness.
They also get omega 3 pills which help boost the medicine given to your dog.
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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 let the doctor know that 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 nose 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.
What Happens If You Eat Food With Mold
The thought of eating something moldy likely makes you want to gag. Most of the time, this is the only symptom youd get after eating moldy food. If somethings not right with your immune system and you eat something moldy, you might experience symptoms like:
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- If you had an allergy to mold, then you might have symptoms connected with it as well
If you notice mold on your food that you dont want to throw away, then USDAs guide on handling moldy food will be for you.
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Removing Mold From Your Home
Mycotoxins Damage Your Health
Mycotoxins are sneaky. While mold itself cant enter your bloodstream though it can hang around and colonize in spots like your nostrils and lungs mycotoxins can get into your bloodstream and circulate throughout your body.
These opportunistic toxins can hijack your immune system, making you more vulnerable to infections. If your immune system is already compromised , mycotoxins take advantage. If youre healthy, they can make you very sick.
Studies show that mycotoxins can:
- Cause lung inflammation that can make it harder to breathe
- Worsen allergy and asthma symptoms
Unfortunately, mold toxicity is frequently misdiagnosed. Because of its wide-ranging effects, its typically mistaken for other conditions including depression, multiple sclerosis, or autoimmune conditions. Plus, because mycotoxins are opportunistic, theyre often connected with debilitating diseases such as Lyme disease, IBS and fibromyalgia.
Your Genes Can Make You More Vulnerable
Around 25% of people are genetically predisposed to get sick from mold exposure. A simple test, called the HLA-DR, can tell you if youre in that more susceptible population.
If you are, it means your immune system cant easily identify and get rid of mycotoxins. That can allow them to build up in the body, causing harm wherever they end up. On top of that, because of that genetic twist, even relatively small exposures to mycotoxins can affect you.
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Signs Of Mold Exposure On Your Dog
When dogs get exposed to mold spores which can be everywhere, they usually cause a serious physical reaction in dogs with serious allergies to mold.
Some of the signs can be extreme in some cases so it is important to alert your vet in the case where you think that your dog has been exposed.
Unlike humans, non-food allergens in dogs show themselves through the skin.
Here are some of the signs to look out for in case of mold exposure:
- Loss of hair
- Shaking ears and head for no reason
- Ear infections
How To Treat Mold Exposure In Dogs + Protecting Dogs Against Molds
Mold exposure is sometimes difficult to contain when it comes to the exposure and your dogs safety.
When it comes to mold, it can be difficult to keep it away from dogs.
This is because mold can be found on all types of surfaces especially surfaces that are damp or places with decaying material.
This means that your dog can be easily exposed to mold unless you as a dog owner are careful of their surroundings.
An example of this would be to prevent your dog from going next to a damp wall in your compound with a moldy surface.
In the case that your dog gets exposed to mold, there are a few remedies for your dog before they start acting up. It is good to note that they may get inflamed skin. The treatments discussed are to be used once the irritation starts showing.
This is because that will guide you on what to do.
The first thing is to wash your dog in its shampoo to remove the mold on their skin. The other thing is to get it treated by either attending a session of inflammation therapy or taking your dog to get injections of the allergen in the body in an increasing dosage to help fight the current allergen.
Below is everything you need to know about mold exposure when it comes to dogs including dogs with allergies as well.
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