Signs and Symptoms of Black Mold Exposure

Oftentimes, symptoms of black mold exposure can vary from person-to-person. What’s needed is to first check for black mold in an environment like a home. This substance can grow in dark, damp or humid spaces and rooms. Also, it can be found under carpet pads, in walls and ceilings, and even in a refrigerator. After finding out where the mold is, it can be easier to associate symptoms to the presence of mold in a home.

Are Black Molds Dangerous? Most black molds aren’t dangerous to humans. Their main detriment is that they cause a range of irritating or inconvenient medical problems for some folks. Generally, molds are unsightly and can smell musty or intensely foul. Sometimes, the odors themselves can cause severe allergic reactions, which have the potential for harm to humans.

Signs and Symptoms. One of the common symptoms of black mold is sneezing. By sneezing, the body tries to expel mold spore from the nasal passages. Also, they may have a cough, or a stuffy and runny nose. Again, the body is most likely trying to expel the mold’s spores from the airway or the lungs. It’s usually in the respiratory system that people exposed to black mold suffer the most.

Headaches and Other Problems. Headaches themselves aren’t directly from the mold, but as a result of breathing difficulties caused by stopped-up noses or irritated lungs. Fatigue or general malaise may be as a result of poor sleep caused by the other medical issues, or directly from a small waste byproduct released by the black mold itself.

Extreme Black Mold Exposure. In cases of severe black mold exposure, there may be memory retention issues, and also flu-like symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea. In instances such as these, treatment of the medical issues and action taken to eliminate black mold are a person’s best bet.

Treatments for Black Mold Exposure. Mostly, treatments revolve around symptomatic care. Good nasal decongestants or antihistamines have been to be effective at treating the problems once they show up. Take aspirin or other pain relievers for headaches. In extreme cases, please consult a physician.

How Do We Fix The Problem? First of all, go after the source of the mold itself. Fix any water leaks or moisture problems in your home. Black mold feeds off moisture and high humidity above 50 percent. If needed, get a dehumidifier and use it on a regular basis in any rooms or parts of the house in which humidity above 50 percent is present.

Clean Up the Mold. Use soap and water or a chlorine bleach and water mix to scrub away black mold wherever it’s found. After doing that, wash it down again with any good store-bought spray-on mold killer. And if it’s on walls, scrub it away, treat it, wash it down and dry it, and then paint it over. If the mold is larger than 10 square feet, call in a professional to handle it.

Prevent Mold from Reappearing. Check periodically for any new moisture or water leaks. Clean refrigerators or other appliances where moisture can build up. Look for signs of mold in darker areas of the home or under carpets, if possible.

Black mold can be very toxic and cause a lot of health problems so you want to check your house very thouroughly so you can take the appropriate clean-up measures if you see even the slightest symptoms of black mold exposure.