Health Dangers of Mold

8/24/2018 (Permalink)

Mold refers to various types of fungi that can grow in different parts of your home. Damp, warm and humid areas are ideal for the mold to grow in. If there is a leak in your house or if there has been a flood in your home recently, chances of mold growth in your property are significantly greater. You should call in a professional mold remediation service, to inspect the house for mold and to remove it.

If left unchecked, mold can have various adverse affects on the health of those that live in the property. Some of the health risks it poses are:

Allergy or Hypersensitivity

Most people react to mold because it is a highly concentrated allergen and people who already suffer from different allergies have stronger reactions to it. People will normally be faced with nasal and sinus congestion and a runny nose as part of the allergic reaction, because of the mold. In certain cases, it can also cause eye irritation, coughing, and sneezing fits.

Prolonged exposure to mold can actually lead to the growth of the fungi in the airway and become the cause of many different types of lung diseases. But this reaction is very uncommon, it only happens if the person is extremely allergic to the fungi growing in their airway.

Infections

Fungal infections are common in people who have a compromised immune system. People who have cancer, diabetes or AIDS have a higher chance of being infected by mold. The infection can be extremely serious and can prove to be fatal in some rare cases.

There are also various types of superficial infections caused, because of exposure to mold. Most of these infections affect the skin, infecting the skin of feet, arms and also the nails. Oral and nasal infections because of mold are also very common.

Toxins

In some cases, as with black mold, the mold itself is not as dangerous as the toxic substances that it produces. Inhalation and ingestion of these toxins is linked to hypersensitivity, cough, worsening of asthma, and other respiratory diseases.

The harmful effects of mold depend on the type of mold growing in your home and the state of your immune system. But, you shouldn’t wait around to find out how the mold will affect your health. Call us if there is a risk of mold growth in your home;we will come in and perform a thorough inspection of the property and re-mediate the mold.