Though you may have heard mold mentioned, you may not be familiar with what it is and how dangerous it is. Fungus spreads through tiny spores that typically can't be seen and quickly grow in a variety of damp, dark conditions.

Types of Molds

Molds can be classified based on the effects they have on your health:
 
  • Allergenic Molds: If you have an allergy to mold or have asthma that is aggravated by mold, this is most likely the type of mold you've been exposed to, with children being particularly sensitive to developing health issues due to this type of mold.
  • Pathogenic Molds: Though less common, this type of mold causes an infection, especially when the immune system is weak due to other health issues. This can include responses that resemble pneumonia or Apophysomyces trapeziform is, a mold that showed up in victim's wounds following an outbreak after the Joplin, Missouri EF-5 tornado.
  • Toxigenic Molds: Toxigenic mold creates mycotoxins, chemical toxins inside or on the surface of the mold. When it's unwittingly inhaled, ingested or touched, it causes serious health effects for most people such as a suppressed immune system and cancer. Aflatoxin grows on peanuts and grains, as well as other foods, and is one of the strongest carcinogens.

House Mold Smell

Locating Mold - Though you usually associate mold in your home with its visible appearance in a dark corner, a musty odor should always be investigated because mold isn’t always in places it can be seen. Mold is typically associated with damp, dark, warm conditions, but it can grow anywhere with sufficient moisture and can be hidden inside walls, the ceiling, and floors. Mold can also cause problems with your home's structural integrity.
 
Inhaling mold health risk - Be careful to avoid inhaling the mold spores while investigating. Ignoring the odor won't make it go away and can cause serious health problems. Specifically, black mold is a toxigenic mold that can cause significant health problems.
 
Eliminating mold smell- The musty, mildew smell that mold produces is difficult to get rid of on your own. Our Utah Flood Cleanup professionals perform a thorough mold remediation that removes not only the mold itself but the mildew smell that comes along with it completely from your home. If you have problems with mold in your home, Utah Flood Cleanup can help with mold removal remediation.
 

House Mold Sickness: Adverse Health Impacts

While ignoring the mold in your home, you may treat the symptoms of your health issues without making the connection to the mold that is the problem.
 
Here are some areas where your health can be impacted by mold exposure:
 
  • Vascular: fragile blood vessels, bleeding from tissues or the lungs.
  • Digestive: Diarrhea, vomiting, bleeding, liver damage, fibrosis or necrosis.
  • Respiratory: Trouble breathing, allergies, asthma or bleeding from the lungs.
  • Neurological: Headaches, loss of coordination, tremors, multiple sclerosis or depression.
  • Skin: Burning sensations, rashes, photosensitivity (easy sunburning) or sloughing of skin cells.
  • Urinary: Kidney toxicity.
  • Immune: Suppression of the immune system.
  • Reproductive: Changes in reproductive cycles or infertility.

Symptoms of Mold Allergies

Unfortunately, mold-related health issues are difficult to diagnose. In addition to the different effects different molds have on human health, reactions from one person to the next can be very different. While one person in the household may develop memory issues, another has headaches while a third has respiratory symptoms.
 
Here are some of the most common symptoms:
 
  • Lower respiratory issues like coughing, wheezing, and asthma.
  • Sinus problems like a runny nose and post-nasal drip.
  • Skin irritation like itchy rashes or blackening of wound edges.
  • Neuromuscular issues like joint pain.
  • Neurological changes including depression, memory problems, headaches or tremors.
  • Unusual bleeding or hemorrhage, especially in respiratory or digestive systems.

Toxic Mold Syndrome is a collection of symptoms that can occur in mold illnesses. Many individuals and physicians don't associate the symptoms with mold toxicity because they can mimic seasonal allergies. However, it can also include a number of other symptoms that are dismissed as unrelated to the allergy-related symptoms. If you're experiencing a range of symptoms, you should have your home tested for the presence of mold.

Tips for Preventing and Controlling Mold

Here's what you can do to prevent and control mold in your home:
 
  • Keep humidity levels as low as comfortable.
  • Quickly repair leaking roofs, windows, and pipes.
  • Clean and dry after flooding.
  • Vent the home, especially high-moisture areas such as your bath, laundry, and kitchen.

Contact Utah Flood Cleanup: House Mold Removal Professionals

If you have discovered mold in your home, or are experiencing any of the above symptoms and are suspicious that mold may be the culprit, contact Utah Flood Cleanup right away so we can perform an inspection at your home. At Utah Flood Cleanup, we are experienced and trained mold remediation specialists that are able to effectively remove mold and its odor from your home, making it safe again. We're available 24/7, so call us today at 801-416-2666 for a free phone consultation and free inspection on water damage covered by insurance. We also offer affordable financing and a 2-Year Guarantee on our work!
 

Download PDF

The following two tabs change content below.
We are disaster cleanup experts located in the state of Utah. We perform cleanup for water damage, floods, mold, fire & more. Give us a call at 801-416-2666 if you're in need of assistance.