Black Mold Health Risks

Many people don’t understand the seriousness of black mold health problems, and as a result they may ignore mold within their home because they don’t realize the dangers of black mold on their long-term health. Allowing mold to grow within the home can lead to chronic health problems, and it may even result in death if left untreated.

If you are experiencing any type of long-term illness, it is a good idea to have your home tested for mold in order to determine if mold is the cause of your health problems. Many homes will experience mold problems at one point or another, and identifying the mold growth early on will prevent severe health problems.

Symptoms of Black Mold

In the beginning, the dangers of black mold may seem small because the symptoms are mild. In fact, it is common to not realize that you are suffering from black mold health problems because you may assume that your symptoms are due to another health condition. Many doctors do not initially consider mold exposure as a reason for illness, so the actual cause of the health problem is often overlooked.

Black mold health problems usually start out similar to the flu or a head cold: irritated eyes, sneezing or coughing, wheezing, dizziness, fatigue, runny nose, headaches, or sinus infections. When these symptoms are due to a virus or other illness, they usually go away within a week. However, when these symptoms are a result of black mold, the symptoms will continue for long periods of time. In fact, the dangers of black mold become worse with continued exposure, and the symptoms will also become more severe.

Over time, additional health problems may occur such as autoimmune diseases (chronic fatigue syndrome or lupus), digestive problems (diarrhea, nausea, or heartburn), fertility problems, internal infections, or even cancer. Even though these conditions are not present in everyone that is exposed to black mold, a person’s risk increases the longer they are exposed.

Killing Black Mold

Once the black mold health problems arise and you have learned about the dangers of black mold, it is essential that you begin an immediate plan of action to get rid of the source of the mold. Black mold can grow in damp, humid, or moist areas, such as the carpet, drywall, insulation, and even wood. Look for areas in your home that may have continued exposure to water or higher levels of humidity, such as the basement or the bathroom.

Identifying the source of the mold is only the beginning, because once you have found the mold it is necessary to identify how much the mold has spread. Any item that has been contaminated by mold needs to be either thrown away or completely sanitized with the proper mold cleanup procedures.

You may be hesitant to throw things away, but fabrics and other porous types of materials must be disposed of because the mold spores are likely present within the material. For example, carpet or drywall with mold grow cannot be completely cleaned of the mold, so it is more effective to simply throw it away and replace it with brand new materials after the cleanup process is complete.

A thorough cleanup process will reduce the dangers of black mold within your home, which in turn will prevent black mold health problems from occurring. In fact, if you have been experiencing symptoms of black mold, it is likely that your health problems will go away once the mold has been removed.

Some people should not attempt to remove black mold themselves due to the health risks, including:

People that are experiencing health problems related to mold exposure.
People that have environmental allergy problems.
People with breathing problems, including those with asthma.
People with immune system disorders.
Anyone that is currently ill; if you are sick, that means your immune system is not functioning at its best.
Pregnant women.

Check with your doctor if you aren’t sure if it’s safe for you to clean up black mold.

If you need to hire a professional to handle your black mold problem, you can find a list of Mold Removal Specialists here. Contact one to schedule a free consultation.

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