Mold and Its Impact on Human Life

Mold is a fungus that thrives in environments of high humidity. As such, it will grow where there is moisture, a food source, and warmth.

How Does Mold Get into Buildings, and Why Do We Pay Attention to This Phenomenon?

Mold gets into buildings through its spores which can travel indoors through the air, clothing, or pet fur. When the mold spores encounter moisture and a food source, it will start to grow. We must pay attention to mold growth indoors because of its many potential health implications.

Common Places Where Mold Can Appear

Mold can grow in virtually any place, provided it has food, moisture, and warmth. You can find mold on:

• walls in the kitchen, under the sink, around your pantry and refrigerator, or in rooms with leakages and moisture problems.
• windows and windowsills in the kitchen, bathroom, and basement.
• clothes, carpets, mattresses, and HVAC systems.

You also can find mold in:

• bathrooms by looking in and around the bathtub, the sink and toilet, and the bathroom floor and walls.
• basements, garages, and attics.
• showers, Jacuzzi, and laundry areas.

Can Mold from Your Food Spread on the Walls?

You can also find mold on food surfaces when those foods start to spoil. This mold comes in different colors and textures and often grows on food after spreading and contaminating the internal parts of the food. Mold spores from these foods can also travel in the surrounding air. And when your walls, floors, and carpets are in the right conditions (humid, moist, and warm enough), mold spores can land on them and start to grow.

How Does Mold Affect Human Health?

Mold is not a healthy growth to have around the home or business premises. Still, mold health effects depend largely on the individuals concerned. Some mold health problems include nausea, dizziness, irritation in the eye, throat, skin, and nose, fatigue, and increased asthma attacks in asthma patients. These mold health symptoms may be experienced when you expose yourself to mold by touching, inhaling, or ingestion it.

Prolonged exposure to toxic mold can lead to coughing, wheezing, and other upper respiratory tract problems in healthy people. It can also aggravate the development of asthma and severe allergic reactions in healthy infants. On the other hand, it can cause fever, shortness of breath, and increased asthma attacks in people with respiratory conditions.

Can Mold Cause Cancer?

The subject of mold leading to cancer has been a source of debate among relevant bodies. However, persistent exposure to mold can lead to pulmonary fibrosis, a scarring condition in the lung. On the other hand, pulmonary fibrosis can also lead to lung cancer. Furthermore, Aspergillus, a toxic kind of mold, produces aflatoxins which can cause liver cancer when ingested. However, no concrete research has directly linked mold to cancer.

Can Mold be Poisonous?

Yes, the production of mycotoxins makes mold poisonous. Examples of mold that produce this toxic substance are:

1. Stachybotrys, also known as black mold or green mold, can lead to flu-like symptoms.
2. Aspergillus, which can lead to a health condition known as aspergillosis.
3. Chaetomium, which is common in areas with persistent water problems.
4. Penicillium
5. Cladosporium
6. Fusarium

Even non-toxic mold species like Alternaria, Pithomyces, Ulocladium, Nigrospora, Stemphylium, and Dresclera can cause some serious health conditions when you are exposed to them.

What to Do if Mold is Invisible, but There is the Smell of mold in the House

Sometimes, you may not physically notice the presence of mold in your home until mold growth starts to appear. But as soon as you notice the smell of mold in the house, you should call a mold professional to confirm your suspicion.

In the meantime, stay away from the area where you perceive the smell of mold in your house until the professionals arrive. This protects your health, prevents the mold from spreading, and prevents the contamination of other parts of your home.

How to Check for and Get Rid of the Presence of Mold

To detect the presence of mold, it is best to hire professionals for mold testing in homes. When they arrive at your premises, they will use different devices to establish the presence of mold in the building.

They will also test for the type and characteristics of the mold to develop an effective remediation plan. This testing is done by collecting mold samples via bulk samples and swab samples.

Once you confirm the presence of mold in your home, always allow professional mold removal service providers to help you get rid of it. If you attempt to remove mold by yourself, you may expose yourself to danger and your home to further mold infestation.

How to Make Sure that Mold Does Not Reappear

To ensure that mold does not reappear in your home, ensure that your mold cleaning professional sanitizes your premises and properly remediates affected materials. You should also ensure that your plumbing is always in good condition and that all water leakages are addressed as soon as possible.

In a nutshell, keeping the humidity of your living or commercial space under control and keeping doors and windows sealed will prevent the entrance and growth of mold spores in your home. Do not hesitate to reach out to Sunbird Carpet Cleaning Hialeah if you suspect the slightest presence of mold in your home.