Tuesday, March 19, 2024

What To Do If Mold Is Growing In Your House

Question 4 Of : How Do You Get Rid Of Mold In Your Lungs

What to do if you find mold growing in your home
  • If you have mold in your lungs, you need steroids and antifungal drugs. Aspergillosis is a medical condition thats caused by exposure to various types of mold. It can lead to an infection or allergic reaction in places like your heart, kidneys, and your lungs. If you think you have aspergillosis from toxic mold exposure, see your doctor so they can run tests and diagnose you. They may prescribe oral corticosteroid drugs or antifungal drugs to treat it.XTrustworthy SourceCleveland ClinicEducational website from one of the worldâs leading hospitalsGo to sourceXTrustworthy SourceMayo ClinicEducational website from one of the worldâs leading hospitalsGo to source
  • Symptoms of aspergillosis in your lungs include coughing with mucus or blood, wheezing, fever, and getting winded easily.
  • Your doctor can run skin and blood tests, take cultures, and perform imaging tests to test for aspergillosis.
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    Persistent Cough Or Cold

    Have you been fighting a cough that just wont seem to go away? Prolonged exposure to mold mayexacerbate respiratory illnesses, like persistent or recurring bronchitis and pneumonia. The first line of defense is to consult with your doctor for treatment and to rule out any other underlying illnesses. If there are other indications of a mold problem in your home, this must also be treated by professionals promptly and comprehensively.

    Are you suffering from a pesky cough or cold that just doesn’t seem to go away? Mold in your home may be to blame. To treat the problem promptly and comprehensively, call the experts at ProClean Pensacola at 484-8500. #MoldRemoval#MoldRemediation#PersistentCough

    ProClean Pensacola

    How Do I Test For Mold In My House

    If you arent sure that you have mold or you want to know the seriousness of your mold problem, you will want to test for mold. How do you test for mold in your house?

    You can test for mold by hiring a professional mold inspector or by purchasing a mold kit at your local home improvement store. A professional will take samples of your surfaces, the air, and the dust in your home. These samples are tested in a laboratory, and the test results are provided to you.

    Hiring a professional can be expensive. Fortunately, testing for mold in your house doesnt have to be so costly if you do the testing yourself.

    Not only will you save yourself money, but testing for mold is relatively simple to do.

    Mold test kits can be found at your local home improvement store or on Amazon. Keep in mind, however, that some test kits are better than others.

    What is an Energy Recovery Ventilator ? Ultimate Resource Learn how an energy recovery ventilator helps capture indoor humidity, odors, and pollutants such as chemicals, pollen, and smoke particles.

    Some things to look out for when shopping for a mold test kit::

    • Mold detection kits can tell you whether mold is present on a surface and what kind of mold it is in minutes.
    • These kits will tell you if there is mold in the air but do not identify the type of mold.
    • Some mold kits include lab fees in the price and some do not

    Mold testing that uses ultraviolet light enables mold spores to glow.

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    What Are Potential Symptoms Of Mold

    Most molds will not produce significant symptoms in most people. However, certain types of mold can bring on issues ranging from typical allergenic reactions to more severe problems, based on whether the mold produces mycotoxins, or toxic substances produced by fungi.

    When symptoms are present, they vary from person to person, said Kimble of Turn Key Home and Mold Inspections. Symptoms could include nausea, dizziness, vomiting, respiratory issues, burning eyes, burning lungs and rashes. Severe cases are very rare.

    Can Mold In Air Vents Make You Sick

    How to Identify Mold Growth In Your Home

    Mold in air vents can make you sick by causing many health problems. Mold spores are tiny and easily airborne, quickly spreading throughout a home or office if they are present in the air vents. Those who have respiratory problems or weakened immune systems are especially at risk.

    In addition, mold in air vents can cause musty odors, and it can cause damage to the ventilation system.

    As a result, it is important to have any mold growth in air vents removed as soon as possible. Otherwise, you may be putting your health at risk.

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    Can Mold Cause Health Problems

    Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. Molds have the potential to cause health problems. Molds produce allergens , irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances . Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic responses include hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash .

    Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people. Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types are not commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold. Research on mold and health effects is ongoing.

    This provides a brief overview it does not describe all potential health effects related to mold exposure. For more detailed information consult a health professional. You may also wish to consult your state or local health department.

    How Do You Determine The Severity Of A Mold Problem

    A mold problem isn’t quantifiable in the way you might think.

    “Mold is a living organism,” said Steven Nardozzi of Rochester Environmental and Construction Group, which handles remediation of mold, asbestos, lead paint and other unwanted household issues.

    “When we deal with lead paint and asbestos, those are fibers particulates that can be measured. Mold cant be measured. It’s always growing,” he said.

    Spore count numbers are evaluated using air quality testing equipment based on what the outside numbers are in any particular area, said Wes Kimble of Turn Key Home and Mold Inspections.

    For example, if the spore count is 13,000 in a garage, 2,000 in an adjacent living environment and 1,000 outside, then you could deduce that the garage likely has a mold issue, said Nardozzi.

    Not all molds are toxic, and often a number of types are present in an area at one time.

    Other tools to determine the extent of a mold problem include visual inspection, and moisture meters that determine the level of moisture in building materials, said Nardozzi.

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    Where Does Mold Originate

    Mold growth often begins in a high moisture area, such as standing water outside the shower or leaky windows. Once a source is identified, it should be fixed promptly and all the excess moisture removed, said Kimble. While many say bleach can handle a mold cleanup, it destroys the plant life itself but it waters the spore, or the seed, with moisture, which allows it to survive, he said.

    Bleach may work on non-porous surfaces such as glass, metal or plastic, but not on porous surfaces like wood, concrete or drywall, where mold could easily seep into the material and stay alive, said Nardozzi.

    What Is Black Mold

    How to Stop Mold from Growing In Your House

    Black mold is a type of mold that many people think of and often fear.

    They may have heard about black mold poisoning or black mold symptoms, and they likely believe black mold can be dangerous for their health.

    However, black mold is not as dangerous as some media outlets make it seem. It has never been scientifically proven that mold which happens to be black is any more unsafe than any other kind of mold.

    Black mold is one of many different types of mold that grow on surfaces or in places where there is an excessive amount of moisture.

    Most molds are pinkish-gray to black, depending on the species.

    Black molds appearance comes from the spores that black mold produces black mold grows and spreads by releasing black-colored spores into the air.

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    Mold In Air Vents In Apartment

    One of the most common places for mold to grow in an apartment is in the air vents. This is because the air vents provide a perfect environment for mold to thrive they are dark, moist, and full of small crevices where mold can take hold.

    Even if the apartment is clean and free of mold elsewhere, the air vents can still harbor mold spores.

    Air vents are connected to the HVAC system, which means that mold spores can easily be circulated throughout the apartment.

    If you suspect that there is mold growing in your air vents, it is important to have them professionally cleaned as soon as possible.

    Otherwise, you run the risk of mold spreading throughout your home.

    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 the unhealthy levels of harmful types 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 determines the potential health risk. Most of us are 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 could mean you have unhealthy mold conditions in your house:

    • Allergic symptoms
    • 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.

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    How To Get Rid Of Mold On Shower Tile And Grout

    Shower tile and grout can be a difficult area to keep mold free because the wet and warm conditions make it a prime breeding ground for mold. However, small areas of mold can be removed with a grout cleaner , a mold remover, or a bleach-and-water solution.

    • Spray the grout, let the formula penetrate, and rinse. In some cases, there’s no scrubbing needed: In our tests, Clorox Tilex Mold and Mildew Remover spray killed 99.9% of mold and mildew germs and bacteria in only five minutes.

    You Probably Have Mold Growing In Your Washer Here’s How To Kill It

    3 Mold Damage Emergency Tips for Homeowners

    If your clothes smell gross when they come out of the washing machine, you may have a mold problem. But you can fix it.

    Katie Teague

    Writer

    Katie is a writer covering all things how-to at CNET, with a focus on Social Security and notable events. When she’s not writing, she enjoys playing in golf scrambles, practicing yoga and spending time on the lake.

    If you’ve noticed that your towels and clothes don’t smell fresh when they come out of the washing machine, the issue could be mold, mildew or bacteria — all of which thrive in damp environments. If so, it’s time to start cleaning your washer on a regular basis to get rid of the smelly source and prevent it from coming back.

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    Why Does Exposure To Mold Cause Coughing

    Coughing is one of your bodys defense mechanisms. It helps you get stuff out that doesnt belong in your body. This could include dust, food, and especially mold spores. Even a small colony of mold in your home can produce thousands and thousands of mold spores, which are very small, and very light. The average mold spore is 10 to 30 microns in size. To put that into prospective, more than 250,000 mold spores can fit on the head of a pin. The average person can inhale as many as 750,000 mold spores per minute when breathing at a normal rate. Because of their small size, mold spores can easily be dislodged and become airborne. Once airborne they can easily be inhaled.

    Inhaling mold spores can irritate the sensitive lining of the throat and nasal passages, causing a cough. Exposure to mold frequently causes other illnesses too, like bronchitis and pneumonia, which also cause coughing.

    Different Types Of Mold

    Molds come in many different forms in fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are probably tens of thousands of types of molds, if not more. Molds play an important role in breaking down leaves, plants and trees. While many molds are harmless, harmful types in enclosed places can lead to respiratory distress, manifesting itself in symptoms that include stuffy noses and wheezing. The effects will be more intense for those who are allergic to that mold or have asthma. Molds responsible for breaking down natural materials, like wood and leaves, can damage the structure of your home. Everyone has an aversion to that.

    Lets take a look at a few different types of mold that you might commonly encounter in various areas of your home.

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    What Do I Do If I Suspect Mold In The House

    If you suspect you have a mold issue on your rented property, either through sight, smell or the presence of water in your home, you should alert your landlord. If you own the home, contact a mold assessment professional to inspect the area or take air samples to determine the potential presence of mold in your living space. Mold test kits are available from around $10.

    You can also reach out to the county Department of Health, which can do a preliminary inspection but does not handle professional mold assessment/remediation.

    Town code enforcement officials also do not typically inspect or mitigate suspected mold homeowners or landlords should refer to commercial agencies for that service, said Terry Ekwell of the Henrietta Building and Planning Department.

    As a real estate agent, it’s important to bring up the M word with both sellers and buyers, said Tina Mattia, an associate broker with Re/Max Realty Group.

    She knows more than she ever wanted to know about mold, given a severe mold problem in her Pittsford home that eventually required a complete restructure. While that situation is extremely rare, mold should be taken seriously, she said.

    Home inspectors typically can’t address a mold issue, so her practice, if she’s on the buyer side, is to discuss any visual signs of mold with buyers. If on the seller side, she recommends that the seller inspect his/her property and deal with any problems before putting a house on the market, she said.

    How Do You Remove Mold From Baseboards

    How to Prevent Mold in your Home

    Mix 1/8 cup of bleach in a spray bottle with 1 quart of water. Apply a light mist to the baseboard to kill off any remaining mold spores. Color-test the baseboard first in an inconspicuous area if youre concerned about fading the paint. Allow the baseboards to air-dry.

    What causes mold around baseboards?

    A huge factor in mold growth on baseboards and walls is ambient humiditywhich is the amount of moisture that is in the air. Even if you dont have leaks into a room that could affect the baseboards, just a high amount of humidity can encourage mold growth.

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    Can Mold Grow In Air Ducts

    Some people are concerned about the possibility of mold growing in their air ducts. While it is possible for mold to grow in air ducts, there are a few things that need to be in place for this to happen.

    There needs to be a source of moisture. This can come from a leaky pipe or condensation that builds up on the ductwork from high humidity.

    Mold also needs a source of food, and this can be dust, dirt, or even skin cells that have been shed by occupants of the home.

    The temperature inside an air duct is usually ideal for mold growth, so if any of these conditions are present, it is possible for mold to grow in air ducts.

    However, there are steps that can be taken to prevent this from happening.

    For example, regularly cleaning the ductwork and making sure that any leaks are repaired can help to reduce the risk of mold growth.

    How To Check For Mold In Your Air Conditioner

    The easiest way to find mold in your air conditioner is to remove the front cover and check for it. Look at the evaporator coil, and if you notice black, blue, or green spots of mold growing on the coil, youll know that its time to call a professional for repairs. The source of the leak can be difficult to find, so you may need to get a professional to find it for you.

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    How Long Does It Take To Get Sick From Mold Exposure

    These symptoms usually first appear 2 to 9 hours after exposure and last for 1 to 3 days Other affected persons have progressive shortness of breath and cough, as well as weight loss.

    Research suggests that when certain mycotoxins are present, acute exposure to black mold can cause neurotoxic, neurological and neuropsychiatric effects These symptoms are sometimes called black mold poisoning and can include cognitive impairment, brain fog, vision changes, confusion, loss of balance and more.

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