MOLD & YOUR HEALTH....

Mold & Your Health

Mold causes disease through two mechanisms:

Mycoses - fungi infects a human host and causes disease

Toxicoses - toxins produced the fungi cause disease

 

General Symptoms - Headaches, lethargy, fatigue, poor concentration, systemic effects of hypersensitivity pneumonitis

Eye Findings - Irritant or allergic conjunctivitis (burning, sensation of dryness, redness)

Nasal Manifestations - Rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, irritant rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis

Respiratory Manifestations - Chest tightness, cough and/or fever, shortness of breath with exertion, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, infectious pneumonia (Legionella, aspergillus, tuberculosis), respiratory hemorrhage, lung cancer

Oropharyngeal Manifestations - dryness, irritation of the throat.

Skin Manifestations - Dryness, irritation, rash

Other Adverse Effects - damage to the nervous system, kidneys, liver, brain, blood, skin damage, cancer and even death.↑ back to top

Prevention

Mold needs oxygen, food, and moisture to grow. The only item you can control is moisture.

Moisture can enter your home in a variety of ways. Some sources of moisture are easily identified and corrected, such as roof leaks, foundation problems, flooding, or landscaping issues.

However, high humidity levels are often the major source of moisture and can be the most difficult to identify and control. The humidity in your home should be between 40% and 50%. Higher levels will increase the biological pollutants in your home (mold and dust mites). Click here for additional humidity information.

Mold can not grow if the humidity level is maintained between 40% and 50%.

As documented in Healthy Indoor Air for America's Homes, a program developed through the EPA and Montana State University, the humidity level of a 1000 square foot area will be raised from 5% up to 60% with the introduction of 4 to 6 pints of moisture. A family of 4 generates 1/2 pint of moisture per hour simply by breathing. And seasonal outdoor humidity can add 64 to 249+ pints of moisture(water)into your indoor air.

Remember, 'killing mold' will not prevent it from returning. Mold can remain dormant for over 20 years. It is only through moisture control that mold growth can be prevented.