Mold and Your Health
Mold comes from tiny organisms that already exist in your home or business. It is identified in many different ways, often showing spots in the area, and can be black, green, purple, white or orange. There can be mold indoors or outdoors, though it is more dangerous indoors since exposure becomes more common and problematic.
When mold spores exist in small amounts, it may not be dangerous, but if there is growth of mold, you can become exposed and it does negatively affect your health. Mold most often grows in damp area, such as a basement, laundry room, crawl space, bathroom, or kitchen.
The Link Between Mold and Health
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), exposure to mold can be harmful to your health. With exposure to this type of indoor air pollution, it causes eye irritation, skin spots, throat irritation, coughing and wheezing. If you have mold allergies, these symptoms can worsen. If you have a weak immune system, you are at an even greater health risk from mold, as it can lead to infections in your lungs or other parts of your body. Generally, the first signs of mold affecting your health is with burning or itchy eyes, itchy skin, and a stuffy nose. When it seems to come out of nowhere and doesn’t go away, this may be due to mold in your home or business.
How You Get Exposed to Mold
Mold exposure occurs by either breathing in the mold spores, or having physical contact with it. Mold can live indoors and outdoors, so most people do have a minor amount of exposure. However, it is when there is sufficient mold growth in certain areas that inhaling or getting physical exposure causes negative health effects. Inhaling a lot of mold can cause your family members or your employees to become ill, which is why cleaning it up and preventing it is so important.
Cleaning Up Mold Safely
If you have found mold in your home or business, cleaning it up needs to be done pronto. You can hire a professional or clean it up yourself. Remember if you clean it yourself, to always ventilate the room and use gloves so you don’t have direct contact with it. If you use bleach to clean it up, avoid mixing the bleach with other household cleaners, as this can cause toxic fumes. Ventilate the room by opening the doors and windows, and protect your eyes and hands.
How to Prevent Mold
Preventing mold comes down to ventilating rooms that tend to have mold growth, and trying to keep out excessive moisture. A great way to ventilate and reduce moisture buildup is by having a whole house fan. Lowering the humidity levels in rooms like bathrooms and basements is done with a humidifier. Try to keep the humidity below 50 percent in these rooms. Use mold-killing agents to clean bathrooms and kitchens, and replace carpets in the rooms with tile or hardwood floors.
With this information, you are able to prevent mold and recognize it so you can get it cleaned up. For the health of you, your family members, and your employees, it is important to stop the growth of dangerous mold.