Stop The Source Of Damage
Mold often grows in areas with water, so its important to keep your home dry. If your property was damaged by water, make sure the damage was dried and repaired as soon as possible.
Mold can start growing after a water disaster in less than 24 hours. If your home repeatedly gets damaged by water, you can:
- Invest in a dehumidifier
- Use a vent fan when cooking
- Use a fan during and after you shower
- Open the window when possible
If youre faced with a flooded basement or flooded basement, take these steps to clean up the water and prevent mold.
Mold Symptoms & Exposure: Is Mold Making You Sick
If you are reading this, chances are you or someone you care about is having health issues that you suspect are related to mold exposure. Some individuals are extremely sensitive to mold, while others in the same environment are completely unaffected. This makes it difficult to make the case that a moldy environment actually causes illness. Furthermore, the information available to the public relating to molds effect on human health is very limited and extremely conservative. Human exposure to indoor mold growth is not regulated, and unlike contaminants such as asbestos and lead, there are no standards or regulations specifying acceptable limits or exposure levels.
How Does Mold Make You Sick
As we discussed prior, the impact that mold has on human health can vary but the process in which mold enters into the body and makes you sick can be through the same general mechanisms each and every time you are exposed. When mold begins to grow on the surfaces of your home it will go through the process of emitting mold spores into the air, allowing the microscopic spores the ability to float throughout the air in search of a surface to land on and begin its growth phase. During the transition of mold spores traveling in the air of your home the risks become heightened that inhalation or ingestion of these spores can occur in the human body, which will begin the start of the sick feeling in your body.
A 2004 study from the Institute of Medicine found the following in respect to indoor mold growth and human exposure, There was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheezing in otherwise healthy individuals those with asthma experienced asthma symptoms and those people with immune-mediated conditions were found to be susceptible to hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Additionally, other health ailments have been reported by those who have been faced with mold exposure such as a mold headache, mold sore throat, and even coughing caused by mold sickness from mold exposure indoors.
Mold Headache
Mold Sore Throat
Can Mold Cause Coughing?
Read Also: How To Stop Mold Smell In Basement
If Mold Making You Sick Learn More About Mold Prevention At Your Home
There are a variety of symptoms that can indicate that you have mold in your home, ranging from a strange odor to feeling ill. If you personally believe you have mold in your home, getting it taken care of as soon as possible is critical because the situation will not improve over time. However, if you don’t resolve any inherent leakage, you haven’t really gotten things under control the mold will most likely return.
Mold is a common problem in homes, and while it isn’t always dangerous, it can end up causing structural damage and have a detrimental effect on health if left untreated and undetected. If you have a gut feeling that you have mold in your property, the best course of action is to tackle the issue as quickly and thoroughly as possible by enlisting the services of AmPm Restoration formold remediationassistance.
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:
- If you are allergic to mold, those allergy symptoms may be triggered also
If you notice mold on your food that you dont want to throw away, consult the USDAs guide on handling moldy food.
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How To Test Your Home For Mold
The key to avoiding toxic mold is to put a stop to it before it has the chance to become a large, harmful infestation. If you suspect mold may be somewhere in your home, then begin to search for it by checking spots where moisture buildup is common. Mold can also tend to have a musty smell, so be aware of that as well.
You can either hire someone to come test your home, or you can collect samples yourself and send them to a lab for analysis. If you want to hire someone, be sure you choose a company who only tests for mold but does not remediate so that you can trust the results are free of a self-interest in making more money in the remediation.
There are also two types of testing that you can do at home that are fairly reliable one that tests the air for mold, and the other that tests dust in your home. We used the Immunolytics test which uses petri-dish type plates to collect samples from the air. You put a plate in each room you want to test for at least an hour. Then you cover, seal, label, and send plates off to their lab for analysis. They email you results that tell you if any mold growth occurred, what type of mold, how much, and from what room. I like this test a lot because it can tell you which rooms in your home might be more problematic and it is testing the air, which shows current mold presence. They also have a swap analysis option for any visible mold you may have and want to test.
Symptoms Of Mold Exposure
The most common signs of mold exposure are mild. If anyone living in your home has a compromised immune system, they are more likely to experience increasingly serious symptoms. More severe side effects are also more likely to occur with prolonged exposure to higher concentrations of mold.
Here are some of the health problems linked with mold exposure:
While the more serious symptoms on this checklist are rare, its obviously important not to ignore mystery symptoms if theres any chance at all that mold is the cause.
Is mold making you and your family sick? Stop living with uncertainty and fear. Contact Rainbow Restoration ® today for a mold remediation consultation and mold removal estimate.
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Learn The Symptoms And Treatments To Stop Your Health Problems From Getting Worse
Mold is everywhere it is in the air and the soil. It is found in the bathroom, the kitchen, the basement, the attic, and the garage.
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.
This insidious substance travels through the air as invisible seeds called spores which proliferate quickly and take hold on humid surfaces.
The problem starts when you inhale these spores. They produce toxic substances known as mycotoxins that can cause either an allergic or an immune response in some individuals. The most common response is allergy symptoms, but in some individuals, the body can respond with excessive inflammation that triggers many different symptoms.
Certain molds are more likely to trigger this, and specific genetic backgrounds are more likely to react this way. Therefore, some molds are called toxic molds. The environmentally acquired mold illness falls under two possible umbrellas: allergic and inflammatory and may cause CIRS .
How Do You Tell If Mold Is Making You Sick
Its hard to know sometimes. Theres no specific test to see if youve been exposed to mold. We can test to see if you have an allergy to mold. If you have persistent congestion and coughing in the basement or wherever youve seen mold, but get better when youre out of your home, that may be a sign mold is to blame.
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Dig Deep Into Walls And Carpets
Porous materials, including walls, ceilings, and carpets can all house mold without you even knowing. If water damaged your drywall, carpet, or ceiling, get a portion of the material removed to check for mold hiding inside.
Carpets generally have a lifespan of 5 to 15 years. If your carpet is more than 15 years old, it may be better to have it replaced rather than cleaned to get rid of the mold, dirt, and grime hiding underneath.
Read More:Where Is Mold Hiding in Your Home?
What Can You Do
First Identify if your home is hiding toxic mold.
Your nose can be the first identifier of a possible mold problem. If the air smells musty, its time to call a professional. However, smell is not a reliable way to rule out mold. If there has been a flood or leak somewhere in the home it only takes a day or so before mold begins to flourish. Any suspicion of mold should be addressed.
Second Identify if you are experiencing symptoms of mold toxicity.
You may have been exposed to toxic mold if you have been experiencing health problems such as coughing, sneezing, headaches, and other flu-like symptoms. Other symptoms include:
- Wheezing/shortness of breath
- Poor memory, brain fog, difficulty with focus
What tests can determine if I have CIRS?
- Mycotoxin testing can be done with home urine tests to see if you have been exposed to potentially toxic molds.
- Human Leukocyte Antigen genetic test At least 24% percent of the population has a genetically induced predisposition to become ill upon exposure to toxins from mold.
- Mold CIRS Panel of laboratory markers. This panel tests for MMP9, TGF-beta1, MSH, ADH, and osmolality.
- Environmental Relative Moldiness Index test done. The ERMI test is a DNA-based test used to identify specific species living in your home. It is necessary to remove all mold from the home to relieve CIRS.
How to treat or alleviate symptoms?
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How Do Molds Affect People
Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions. Severe reactions may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of molds in occupational settings, such as farmers working around moldy hay. Severe reactions may include fever and shortness of breath.
In 2004 the Institute of Medicine found there was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people with asthma symptoms in people with asthma and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition.
In 2009, the World Health Organization issued additional guidance, the WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould pdf iconexternal icon pdf icon. Other recent studies have suggested a potential link of early mold exposure to development of asthma in some children, particularly among children who may be genetically susceptible to asthma development, and that selected interventions that improve housing conditions can reduce morbidity from asthma and respiratory allergies.
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.
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Is Mold Making Me Sick
Aug 26, 2022 | Blog
MOLD-related health problems are very real and affect countless people every year. If you have chronic health challenges, then MOLD TOXICITY may be making you sick. The good news is that TOXIC MOLD exposure can be helped if you know what symptoms to look for, what laboratory tests are useful and what natural solutions are proven to work, even when all else has failed.
Unfortunately, mold issues are often undiagnosed, misdiagnosed and left untreated in conventional medicine. Why do most doctors miss this HIDDEN CULPRIT? The main reason is that mold toxicity causes a wide range of symptoms that can be difficult to identify and even more difficult to solve for doctors unfamiliar with it.
Fortunately, you CAN combat this common, overlooked obstacle to good health. So, lets break down mold toxicity, what it really means and how a safe, natural and science-based approach to detecting and correcting mold exposure can restore your health from this persistent problem that many doctors are not trained to suspect or treat.
Signs Of Mold Illness
by Dr. Michele Neil-Sherwood | Health Tips
Mold is a big problem in most homes, but many people are unaware of the problem. Of course, everyone looks at the shower curtain, under the sink, or in the basement when he or she think about mold issues, but mold can grow just about anywhere.
Mold can be found in drywall, in the roof , and even in ones Christmas tree. One study found that Christmas trees can breed mold, quietly releasing millions of spores into the room causing winter allergies and asthma attacks. Studies have found that indoor air quality dropped six-fold over the 14 days a Christmas tree typically decorates a room.
There are 1,000 types of mold that can be found growing in the modern American home. Scientists classify these molds based on the effect they have on humans and other living things.
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Follow The Signs Clues Of Mold Toxicity
Theres no clear-cut list of signs and symptoms that specifically point to mold illness. But one possible clue is a sudden, mysterious and unexplainable decline in your health.
Have you been given a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome , fibromyalgia, or IBS?
For example, in a study of people with CFS, about 90% had spent significant time in a water-damaged building. Even more had at least one type of mycotoxin in their urine.
The researchers surmised that mitochondrial damage from mold toxicity was causing reduced energy production and therefore, extreme fatigue.
One study found that people working in warm, humid buildings produced up to 1,000 times more inflammatory messengers in their body!
INFLAMMATION causes a cascade of problems.
Brain scans of people with mold toxicity show inflammation can lead to structural changes in brain tissue. This may contribute to being super sensitive to chemicals, foods, and other items that were not problematic just weeks before mold exposure.
Is this you? Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome
A constant inflammatory response to mold can lead to chronic inflammatory response syndrome . In this condition, inflammation affects multiple systems of the body.
Long-term exposure to a water-damaged building is the most common trigger of CIRS. Chronic Lyme is another cause. Some people have both. Thats double trouble to your bodys immune system.
The following are often seen in CIRS due to mold toxicity:
How Do I Know If My House Is Making Me Sick
Testing your building or home for mold can be challenging, since in many cases, indoor mold is not visible or doesnt have an odor. Mold can develop for example, inside heating and air conditioning systems and as a result, you end up with mycotoxins floating through the air.
Depending on your personal living situation , you may want to have the problem professionally inspected.
Some of most effective tests I recommend to test mold in homes use DNA mold technology that can identify mold species and mycotoxins in dust samples. Good examples include:
- HC-45 and mycotoxins through Aemtek
- ERMI and mycotoxins through Real Time Laboratory.
On that note, similarly to urine tests for mycotoxins testing, these tests dont always account for all types of mold and mycotoxins.
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Surviving Mold: Is Mold Making You Sick
Have you been feeling sick and doctors keep telling you that you are fine that it is in your head? Do you feel like you have lost your personality? Could you be reacting to mold or have Lyme disease?
If you had told me six years ago that all my ailments stemmed from mold and Lyme disease I would have been skeptical. I grew up on a farm I worked on a farm I had been around mold my whole life and I didnt think it bothered me. Wrong.
The tricky thing about diagnosing mold is that because the symptoms mimic so many other ailments it is often misdiagnosed.
Sometimes mold and Lyme disease are wrongly diagnosed as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, ALS, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, a learning disability or Alzheimers disease.
Doctors are not necessarily familiar with toxic mold and often do not think to check for it. Instead, they treat the symptoms often never addressing the underlying issue. They help you function by giving you medications, but they never fix what is making you sick.
Toxic mold disease and Lyme disease go hand in hand. My doctor told me that a lot of patients with one also have the other. It is hard to tell which disease may have been contracted first, but one weakens the immune system allowing the other to invade.
Some of the symptoms that I personally experienced were:
Symptoms get worse over time and can include hallucinations, seizures, comas and death. Mold can kill you.
