Black Mold Symptoms - Could Your Illness Be Caused By Black Mold?

In many cases, physical black mold symptoms may differ depending upon the person involved in the exposure. The first thing to do is to check out the areas where you live or work, especially in the home. Mold grows best in dark, wet areas or in zones of high humidity above fifty percent. Mold may also be evident on walls, ceilings, under carpets and even in household appliances. Once mold is identified, it can be easier to tie it back to any physical ailments.

Can Black Mold be Harmful?

In most instances, black molds (with one exception) aren't generally harmful to humans other than be irritating. Mold is ugly and can smell bad in many cases. And some folks are sensitive to strong odors, which can cause the onset of allergic reactions or other issues within the body, so be cautious.

Black Mold Symptoms

Black mold exposure in humans usually leads to a range of physical symptoms. Mostly, they revolve around problems with the airway, nasal passages, and lungs. Coughing, sneezing and stuffy noses are usually evident in people exposed to large amount of mold. This is because our bodies try to physically expel the irritating substance from the nose or airways.

Aches and Pains

Most aches are of the headache variety. They're not actually from the mold, but because we work so hard to blow out our noses and cough mold from our lungs, our heads begin to ache a bit. In a few cases, a non-fatal toxin from the mold will cause these pains, or even general fatigue.

Heavy Amounts of Black Mold. If a person is subjected to a lot of black mold, minor lapses of memory can result. Additionally, it could feel like the onset of the flu has begun. Also, there may be some nausea or vomiting, and maybe even diarrhea. In this case, go see a doctor.

Treating Illness from Black Mold

The best bet is to first treat and resolve any of the above symptoms. Cough and cold pills or medications containing anti-allergens are a good bet. As always, aspirin seems to be the drug of choice when dealing with minor aches or pains. If you think you're having serious issues, don't waste time self-treating. Make an appointment with a doctor.

Making Black Mold Go Away

In all cases, ridding the home of black mold will generally resolve any issues. Molds thrive on water and humidity, so check the house thoroughly for these problems and get them fixed. Dehumidifiers work well, so think about having one on hand. If there's no mold, there won't be any physical issues caused by the mold.

Mold Cleanup

Soap and water solutions and a good scrubbing will usually be all that's needed to stop mold, once the underlying water or humidity issues are fixed. And store shelves are stocked with anti-mold sprays. In cases where soap isn't good enough, a good chlorine and water solution and a scrub brush also helps. If the mold's on walls, remember to repaint the surface after getting rid of the mold. And if it's too large, call in a professional mold cleaner.

It's important that you get rid of black mold symptoms for good by keeping the mold from coming back. Keep a sharp eye out for any water leaks in the home. Damp walls or ceilings are a good sign of such problems. Keep your refrigerator spotless, too. Check under carpets, when possible and sniff around for musty odors.

Find out more about black mold symptoms.