Mold and Your Health
September is mold awareness month. Since our last blog post addressed how to tell if there is a mold problem in your home, this week we will discuss how mold can affect your health. Different types of mold affect people differently. Most of the time a reaction to mold is caused by allergies. This could explain why some people have a much more severe reaction to mold exposure than others do.
As we discussed last week, mold grows best in warm, damp environments. Water must be present in order for mold to reproduce, spread its spores, and recolonize. The spores are very resilient and can withstand exposure to harsh environments. Some varieties can even survive dry conditions, which do not support normal mold growth. The inhalation of the spores is what causes someone to experience the symptoms associated with mold exposure.
Most types of mold are harmless and will only affect your health if you are allergic or sensitive to them. Some common symptoms of a mold allergy are:
Nasal Stuffiness
Eye Irritation
Sneezing
Wheezing or Coughing
Skin Irritation
People with a more severe allergic reaction may experience:
Fever
Shortness of breath
Tightness of chest
Sometimes you hear people refer to mold as “toxic mold”. What they mean is that some molds produce mycotoxins, which are toxic compounds. Excessive exposure to these mycotoxins can result in serious neurological problems and in some cases even death. Fortunately, these cases are very rare and almost never occur, even in buildings with serious mold issues.
Now that you know a little bit more about how mold can affect your health you understand why remediation is important. Even if you personally do not experience allergy symptoms to mold, others might. Visitors to your home, your family members, or even your pets can suffer from reactions. If you know that you have a problem, take care of it before it escalates into a larger and more expensive issue.
Check out this website for tips on how to prevent mold growth in your home:
If you have a mold problem and would like some help determining what to do next, give us a call! ServiceMaster by Bailey is certified in and has years of experience with mold remediation. We can get your home back to normal and keep your family safe from mold exposure. We are available to help 24/7/365 so give us a call today! 770.720.9533
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