If you have seen mold somewhere in your home, chances are that your initial reaction was disgust; an instinctual reaction without even thinking about it much. Have you wondered why?
When you have a moment to think about it, you can probably remember seeing something about mold being bad for your health and that you need to remove it. Well, contact a company such as Emergency Home Solutions to remove it from your house, since mold removal is a job best left to the professionals.
But do you really know why mold is bad for you? And what kind of health issues can mold cause?
Different Kinds of Mold
Well, for starters, you need to be aware that there are thousands of different kinds of molds, each with their own niche in the ecosystem and with different effects.
For instance, one type of mold gave us one of the most important medications in history – penicillin, whereas others can cause our food to spoil, and even destroy wooden structures and poison us.
Allergic Reactions
One of the most common transgressions that are mentioned when it comes to mold is that the spores it produces can trigger an allergic reaction and worsen some respiratory problems such as asthma and pneumonia.
All molds produce spores and those spores are all around us; that is unavoidable. In the vast majority of cases, the spores have no effect on us. However, if your house has a mold growing somewhere in it, the concentration of the spores in the air increases, and that might be problematic for some people.
Black Mold
The kind of mold which gets the most of the badreputation is the so-called black mold. This genus of molds secretes a kind of a toxin called mycotoxin. This substance,or these substances, can have a very adverse effect on humans and animals alike, especially after prolonged exposure.
A lot of people who are exposed to these toxins have experienced symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and even pulmonary hemorrhaging, according to the Center for Disease Control.
The CDC report also claims that there is a strong indication that the groups which are the most at risk ofdeveloping symptoms are children and immunocompromisedpeople.
Recognizing the Mold in Your Home
Black mold is really hard to mistake for anything else. An active black mold is a slimy black growth which prefers the dark and inaccessible places. If you are experiencing the aforementioned symptoms without explanation, and if those symptoms are only present in your own home, it might be time to consult experts.
Professional mold removal companies have all the necessary equipment, as well as protective gear to deal with the mold problem. What’s more, they are fairly skilled at finding the mold and they know where to look for it and what even the smallest signs of mold are.
For instance, mold can grow inside your drywall, where you might not be able to detect it until it has made a lot of damage. However, professionals should be able to detect it without much trouble.
How to Prevent Mold Growth
If you don’t have mold problems, and you want to keep it that way, there are a few things you can do to make it as difficult for mold to grow as possible.
First of all, if there is a spill or a flooding, make sure to thoroughly and quickly dry out everything, including the furniture the walls and especially the carpet.
Furthermore, make sure that you clean all of the surfaces which may be wet or damp, as mold requires water to grow. Oh, and check on your basement and water pipes every once in a while, as they are the perfect place for mold to grow.
Even though the issue of mold causing health problems is a bit exaggerated, it is still a very real threat and one that you should definitely not ignore if you come across it.
