Effects of Mold on Health

Molds, you must have seen these fungal organisms growing on organic matter under moist conditions. There are different types of molds. It has been found that there are over 10,000 species of these fungal organisms present in nature. Molds are useful as they help break down all the organic matter in the wild like dead leaves, wood, plant debris, etc. However, when molds begin to grow in and around your house, they tend to get digested or inhaled by members of the family. They may grow under the drywall paper, ceiling tile, the natural fiber carpet padding, clothes, near a leaking pipe or any area where they get high humidity and moisture conditions. Molds tend to be airborne as they are propagated in form of spores. Thus, one tends to breathe in these spores day and night. They can also spread through water and insects. This is not a good sign as it can lead to many health effects of mold in the home. Thus, make sure you learn some tips on mold removal. We shall have a look at these effects of mold on health in the following paragraphs.

Who is Affected by the Health Effects of Mold

People who are mentally, physically and immunologically strong are not susceptible to mold health effects. A few people can resist all the effects of black mold on the body for years. The effects of mold on health are seen in people who are suffering from existing health concerns. These people may show immediate or gradual health effects of black mold on their body. The severity of these mold health effects depends on the sensitivity level of each individual. Those who are highly susceptible to the health effects of mold in the home are as follows:

• Infants and children who do not have a fully developed immune system.
• People suffering from asthma and other lung diseases.
• People who suffer from allergic reactions, pneumonia, bronchitis, etc.
• Elderly, pregnant women and people with weak immune system.
• Immunocompromised people like cancer, AIDS and chemotherapy patients.

If you or any other person in your family fits into any of the above categories, then you should know about how to get rid of black mold which you can apply in preventing or lessening the severity of the effects of mold on health of your family. Let us now have a look at the health problems caused by molds in the following paragraphs.

What are the Health Effects of Mold

Molds tend to grow in the wild, where they are very useful in decomposing the dead and decaying matter. However, once the internal environment of a dwelling is contaminated, it leads to many side effects of mold exposure. These toxic mold health issues include allergies, skin disorders, respiratory problems, vascular damage and many more health concerns. Let us go through some of the black mold health effects in detail.

Mold Health Effects ~ Allergy
One of the effects of black mold on the body includes allergies. The spores of black mold, once inhaled, can trigger an allergic reaction in the body. These allergic reactions can be of three types. The type 1 allergy is the least severe allergy of all. It occurs immediately once spores are inhaled or digested by the body. The symptoms include watery eyes, severe eye itching, sneezing, coughing and head congestion. Next is the type 2 allergy where the allergic reaction is delayed. It causes wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and the person begins to feel as if his chest is becoming tight and feels suffocated. The most severe form, type 3 allergy, is the bronchopulmonary mycosis, that is mostly seen in people with asthma. This condition occurs when the fungal spores overgrown in the bronchial passages making it difficult to breathe for the patient.

Mold Health Effects ~ Fungal Infection
One the very serious black mold health effects is fungal infections by Penicillium marneffei and Aspergillus fumigatus. These fungal infections affects immunocompromised people who cannot fight off a fungal invasion. These people when exposed to high levels of fungal mold develop a sinus infection, lung infection, skin infection as well as infection of the digestive tract. In some infections, one may suffer from toxic mold health issues due to the secretion mycotoxins that may prove to be dangerous for the body. Some of the common infections due to molds include athlete's foot, tinea cruris, etc.

Mold Health Effects ~ Vascular System
Effects of mold on health include irreparable vascular damage. The arteries and veins become fragile due to mycotoxin like aflatoxin, satratoxin, roridins. This results in breakage of the vein and artery walls, leading to internal bleeding due to health effects of black mold.

Mold Health Effects ~ Toxicity
As mentioned above, molds can produce mycotoxins that can prove to be dangerous as well as lethal for humans as well as animals if ingested. Thus, leading to many side effects of mold exposure. When one is exposed to mycotoxins for a long time, it can lead to many toxic mold health issues. These mycotoxins can enter the body by ingestion, dermal exposure as well as inhalation. Prolonged exposure can cause black mold toxicity. The symptoms of this condition include sore throat, fever, dizziness, nausea, headaches, cough as well as sinusitis. The black mold health effects due to mycotoxins can prove to be fatal, if not treated at the earliest.

These are just a few of the effects of mold on health. Other health effects of mold in the home include respiratory system disorders, irritation of the mucus membranes, organ damage, reproductive health damage, etc. This is why it is important to know how to prevent black molds. There are many black mold removal products that help in getting rid of these fungal organisms. These products will keep your house and its environment free from black molds and its spores.

This is all about effects of mold on health, and a little about its treatment. It is important that you keep your living environment free from molds, even if you are not suffering from any health problems. Molds tend to enter our body and gradually grow within our systems. You never know when an invasive infection flares up leading to mold health effects. Hope, you have found some useful information related to health effects of molds from the above paragraphs.