Prevent Mold Growth With Routine Maintenance
To prevent mold growth, we suggest using a dehumidifier during the warm months and providing your home or business with the proper ventilation. Use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens. Clean surfaces with mold-killing products.
Keep your humidity levels below 50 percent. Humidity levels shift throughout the day. Inspecting your structure for mold growth is an important part of routine building maintenance.
Seek treatment from a doctor soon as you notice any eye irritation, skin irritation or other common symptoms after exposure to mold, especially when symptoms persist. Its better to be safe than sorry. ECOS Environmental is happy to step in and test your home or business for mold and assist with the cleanup and renovation.
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.
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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Indoor Mold: A Threat To Our Health
According to the World Health Organization, up to half of the buildings in North America are water damaged and, thus, prime real estate for indoor molds. Molds such as Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus thrive in damp environments rich in porous materials, such as particleboard, wood, and drywall. In the presence of these materials, a small water leak from a poorly sealed window or a hole in a basement foundation is all it takes to trigger a bloom of mold growth, with potentially drastic repercussions for residents health.
Once mold has established itself in a water-damaged indoor environment, it begins to release secondary metabolites called mycotoxins. Examples of mycotoxins include trichothecenes, produced by the Fusarium fungus, and gliotoxin and ochratoxin A, produced by Aspergillus fungi.
Mycotoxins pose a serious threat to human health, particularly when they are inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed via dermal contact in moldy buildings. The adverse health effects of mycotoxins are compounded by the presence of other biotoxins in damp buildings, including bacterial endotoxin, fungal and bacterial cell wall fragments, and microbial volatile organic compounds .
The constellation of symptoms caused by mold and biotoxin exposure is referred to as mold illness, biotoxin illness, or chronic inflammatory response syndrome . While mold and mycotoxins impact diverse body systems, the cognitive effects are among the most disconcerting.
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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.
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How Can I Address Mold Toxicity
Most experts agree that the best treatment for mold toxicity involves two main steps. First, youll want to remove yourself from environments with toxic mold. Then, youll want to take steps to get rid of any mold in your environment.
Other treatment options focus on easing symptoms of mold exposure rather than on removing it from your system. Unless you develop an infection, your body will likely take care of removing the mold on its own.
When it comes to managing the effects of mold, you have many options, including prescription options, over-the-counter treatments, and natural remedies.
What Are The Symptoms Of Mold Sickness
If your Total Body Burden is high, or you are genetically predisposed to recycling toxins, regular exposure to mold can cause allergy symptoms, such as:
- Wheezing/shortness of breath
- Long standing or frequent sinusitis
And, serious pain and neurological symptoms, such as:
- Headaches and migraines
- Muscle cramping, aches and pains
- Persistent nerve pain
- Fatigue and weakness
- Poor memory, brain fog, difficulty with focus
In some cases, the spores from mold take root and grow in specific parts of the body, such as the lungs and sinuses. This can cause serious respiratory illnesses and infections.
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Testing Yourself For Mycotoxins
In terms of mycotoxin testing, I always started with the patient first. I recommend using a urine test from RealTime Labs. It tests for 15 specific types of mycotoxins in seven families that may be in your body:
Now, if you DO test positive for mycotoxin poisoning and you are a stay-at-home parent or work in your home, you can be pretty confident the toxic environment is your home since that is where you spend most of your time.
However, if you split your time equally between work and home , it can be tricky to determine which is the toxic environment. Unfortunately, if you live and work in a humid region where toxic mold is more common , both your home and your workplace may be contributing to the problem. There may even be more than one type of mycotoxins produced by different types of toxic mold in these two environments.
How To Recover From Toxic Mold
Tackling toxic mold can be a daunting experience if you dont know where to begin. I want to arm you with the tools to get your life and your health back in order. The good news is that because Ive experienced mycotoxin poisoning myself more than once and worked with hundreds of toxic mold patients, I can pass on what Ive learned and offer you realistic strategies for combating the mold thats causing your mycotoxins symptoms.
Cleaning Your Home of Toxic Mold
This can be an expensive and time-consuming process, so consider whether moving to a new, mycotoxin-free home is your best option. If thats not possible or desirable, I strongly recommend that you get out of your environment while its being cleaned, ideally by a professional mold removal company with several years of experience and excellent references. This is not something you should do yourself.
Take as little as possible with you, and either discard or make sure all your remaining possessions are cleaned before you return.
Before You Return
As a last step before you return to your home, you may wish to hire a contractor to inspect your home with infrared lighting to detect water damage in your house. Although it will not give you a definitive answer about mycotoxins, it will help you determine if all the water damage has been repaired. If you do choose this test, try to schedule it for after it has rained, rather than when the weather has been dry to avoid a false negative result.
After You Return
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What Is Mold Growth
Mold is a type of fungus that thrives in warm, damp environments, whether indoors or outdoors. Airborne mold spores latch onto surfaces and multiply when theres moisture from leaky plumbing or air conditioner units or condensation from cold surfaces, such as windows and doors. Wood materials can also harbor mold when theyve been saturated for a long time and not dried completely. When theres water damage or moisture present, mold will naturally reproduce and therefore could cause a person to experience symptoms.
Mold infestation can be difficult to detect in its early stages because it is not always visible. Higher levels of mold infestation can cause noticeable discoloration of walls and ceilings, support beams, and sheetrock. These signs indicate active household growth.
Although you might not see the source, there could still be a water leak or standing water, which can only be detected by the musty odors it emits. There is no single fool-proof test to determine whether mold is present in your home, so keep track of symptoms to help confirm a diagnosis since some health effects are initially similar to allergic reactions.
Respiratory Black Mold Symptoms
Black mold poisoning happens when you breathe in the spores of the mold. These spores contain toxins.
At first, you may only experience mild irritation. Over time, though, symptoms of mold exposure usually get worse.
Since symptoms are produced when you breathe in the toxins, the most common symptoms are respiratory. You may notice:
- A sore or itchy throat
- A stuffy or runny nose
- Coughing
- Wheezing
Black mold symptoms are different for certain people, such as those with asthma. They may experience:
- Allergic reactions
- Difficulty breathing
- Frequent chest infections
You may also have itchy skin or eyes. Nosebleeds are also common. Some people may experience fatigue and headaches.
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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, which is the harmful types of unhealthy levels of 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 is what determines the potential health risk. Most of us are typically 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 will help you know if you possibly 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.
Contact A Specialist That Handles Black Mold To:
- Get a free assessment of your situation, including a complete inspection of your home in order to locate all areas of mold growth.
- Verify if the mold in your home is in fact black mold, so you can let your physician know exactly what substances youâve been exposed to.
- Get customized information that will help you do the job right if you decide not to hire a specialist.
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Final Word From The Experts
Toxic Black Mold may look like a simple stain on your wall or ceiling, but it can cause a lot of damage to your quality of life. Mold toxicity is a stealthy condition, so it is best to have you checked for this alongside other tests and understand how mold affects the human body with prolonged toxic black mold exposure.
If exposure to black mold is confirmed, go to an expert on this field to obtain the best treatment possible. Sponaugle Wellness Institute has changed the lives of thousands of people who had been suffering for years due to undetected mold toxicity.
About Sponaugle Wellness Institute
At Sponaugle Wellness Institute we practice integrative medicine, combining the best of conventional and alternative medicine to focus on outcome-based treatments for patient. Our mission is to diagnose and treat the underlying cause of our patients illness rather than to treat their symptoms. Dr. Rick Sponaugle, Director of Sponaugle Wellness Institute, is an integrative physician with extraordinary brain expertise having treated over 8,000 patients who were suffering with various psychological and neurological disorders.aView all posts by Sponaugle Wellness Institute
Toxic Mold Exposure: 17 Signs That You Have It
Mold.
You may not be able to see or smell it, yet it may be growing in your home and the reason you feel sick. Mold poisoning may be impacting your health. How do you know? In this blog, I want to cover mold illness and who is susceptible.
Most likely your regular doctor wont be much help.
Conventional medicine doesnt really believe that mold exposure is a problem. Plus it can be difficult to diagnose someone with mold toxicity it can mimic many other conditions and symptoms are nonspecific.
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Speed The Process With Sweat
Nothing helps cleanse your body and remove toxins like a good sweat. You may not feel like exercising while you are experiencing the symptoms of mycotoxin poisoning. However, a sauna, particularly an infrared sauna, is a great option. When compared to traditional Swedish saunas, infrared saunas allow you to eliminate about seven times more toxins.
Your skin is your bodys largest organ, so whether you choose a traditional sauna or an infrared, moving toxins out through the approximately 5 million pores in your body will help you feel better fast.
Contact Hrs Restoration Services Today
When you discover mold growing in your home or property, it is essential that you contact the HRS and its certified mold remediation and restoration experts to protect the health and safety of those who live and work in the space.
We are here to help you in an emergency whether its from a fire, mold, water, or trauma. When you need mitigation and restoration services to return your property to its pre-damaged state, trust HRS, the leader in Denver.
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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Is Mold Causing Your Symptoms
The symptoms described above can all be caused by exposure to mold, but they can all be caused by other things, too. It can be difficult to determine whether mold poisoning is causing your symptoms or if something else is going on. Let your doctor know if youve been exposed to mold in the home, as that information can aid your doctor in making a diagnosis.
If youre not sure if youve been exposed to mold or not, we recommend having a professional come in to test your home for mold. You can pick up mold test kits in many home improvement stores, but they arent always accurate, especially if the test isnt conducted exactly right. A professional knows exactly how to conduct the tests, and where in the home to test for mold, so youll get a much more accurate result. A professional can even identify the type of mold growing in your home, which may help your doctor in making a diagnosis and prescribing the most effective treatment for you. Follow the link to find a local professional that can test your home for mold.
Q: Can Mold On Toothbrush Make You Sick
A: Yes, mold on toothbrushes can cause health issues such as asthma, sinusitis, and allergies. The best way to prevent mold from growing on your toothbrush is to keep it clean and dry. If you do not want to throw away your toothbrush, then you should soak it in hot water for 10 minutes. After soaking, rinse it thoroughly with soap and water.
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Black Mold Symptoms: What Happens When Youre Exposed
Dr. Lauren Tessier is a naturopathic physician practicing in Waterbury, VT, and New York, NY. She specializes in treating mold-related, biotoxin and other complicating illnesses and is CIRS-certified. Learn more about her practice Life After Mold by visiting www.lifeaftermold.com. You can also find her on , and .
Stachybotrys chartarum, more commonly known as black mold, was first identified in Prague in 1837. A Czech mycologist discovered the mold growing on an indoor wall of a home. Despite an early discovery, the term black mold only became part of the normal lexicon of the average homeowner in the 1990s, when the nightly news brought the phrase black mold into homes across America. Though black mold is considered harmful, the details are still in question. This article is meant to help inform those who are worried about being exposed to black mold.
What Types Of Mold Cause Problems
Youve likely heard of black mold or Stachybotrys chartarum, which sometimes makes news headlines. It is greenish-black in color and well-known to contribute to mold-induced toxicity.
But black mold is far from the only mold that can harm your health. And Stachybotrys chartarum is not the only mold that can appear black.
Examples of other types of mold often found in toxic indoor environments include:
- Aspergillus
- Sleep: Insomnia, frequent waking during sleep, night sweats
- Urinary system: Increased urination, urgency, incontinence
- Weight: Appetite swings, weight gain or weight-loss resistance
Many of these symptoms could also be due to reasons other than mold toxicity and CIRS. Thats why mold illness is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. The specific effects depend on your bodys unique vulnerabilities.
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