Black Mold Symptoms in Children

Black mold is a subset of fungi, typically characterized by flossy powder-like growth, which can cause numerous health problems in humans as well as animals. Also known as toxic mold, black mold is most often seen growing in places such as walls and ceiling wherein the moisture content is high. At times, you will also come across black mold growth on food items and clothes that you wear. Exposure to mold spores and mycotoxins can make you vulnerable to various harmful effects associated with it. Generally, black mold health effects range from allergies and skin rash to much more severe problems, such as toxic mold poisoning and various invasive disorders, which may even result in death at times. Before we move on to see what are the toxic black mold symptoms in children, let's try to get an overview of black mold health risks to children.

Black Mold and Children
Children are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of exposure to black mold as they are least aware of the problems it can cause. There have been quite a few cases of serious black mold health problems in children, especially, infants, in the United States. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was forced to carry out an investigation of black mold outbreak on Cleveland, Ohio, after a few cases of infant deaths associated with the same were reported in this region. Even though the symptoms of toxic mold in children and adults are quite similar, children are comparatively more vulnerable to exposure to this toxic mold health problems. Even though our body has the ability to resist the mycotoxins present in black mold to some extent, these mycotoxins in larger amount can be fatal - especially, when it comes to children.

Symptoms of Black Mold in Children
As we mentioned earlier, the symptoms of black mold poisoning in children are quite similar to the symptoms in adults. Even though toxic black mold exposure is most often known to cause allergic reactions, at times it can result in some more serious problems, which may eventually result in death of the person. Mold spores are the most common components of house dust in homes with toxic black mold, and that makes people more vulnerable to toxic black mold health risks. Given below is a list of black mold symptoms in kids which will help you determine whether your children are vulnerable to toxic black mold syndrome.

• Respiratory problems such as experiencing difficulty in breathing and wheezing
• Eye problems such as itchy eyes, watery eyes, blurred vision, extra sensitivity to light etc.
• Dark urine and pain while urinating
• Coated tongue and poor appetite
• Sore throat and chronic dry cough
• Nasal and sinus congestion, accompanied by headache
• Sensitivity to strong smells
• Rashes and irritation of the skin
• Aches and pain in various parts of the body
• Chronic fatigue and balance problems
• Recurring cold and chills
• Profuse sweating and drooling when sleeping
• Ear infection, accompanied by pain
• Feeling feverish and dizzy
• Numbness in the limbs
• Irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, sharp abdominal pain etc.
• Choking, difficulty in swallowing and coughing up mucus
• Open skin sores and lacerations
• Hypersensitivity when re-exposed to molds
• Memory problems, headache, and other such problems associated with the central nervous system

These were some toxic black bold exposure symptoms in humans which can be seen in a child suffering from black mold health problems. These black mold symptoms in humans play a crucial role in the diagnosis and treatment of black mold syndrome. Generally, black mold treatment involves the use of antihistamines, corticosteroids, decongestants etc. for treating black mold symptoms.

Taking into consideration the mold dangers mentioned above, it is wise to make sure that your home is free of this nuisance. In order to do this, you can resort to various measures of mold removal and mold growth prevention. In fact, simple measures such as using a dehumidifier and making sure that you don't leave any damp corners in your home, can help you keep black mold at bay.