Mold Information

MOLD: A Health Hazard?

Mold has the potential to cause health problems. Mold produces allergens (substances that can cause allergic reactions), irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances (mycotoxins). Over 25 million Americans suffer from some sort of allergic reaction to mold related toxins known as mycotoxins. An undetermined number of sufferers will die from over exposure. Mycotoxins are toxins that can be produced by certain species of mold. There are over 300 species of mold that can produce mycotoxins. Exposure to mycotoxins can come from ingestion, dermal exposure or inhalation. Mold has the potential to be extremely dangerous and various types of fungi have been proven to cause the following health issues:

Respiratory Illness
Mold can cause serious respiratory problems in people who are exposed to it. Mold is responsible for several different breathing disorders. A person who is affected by mold may begin to cough up blood or black debris. They can be prone to sudden asthma attacks, chronic sneezing, and bronchitis. This is caused by the mold spores entering your lungs, which will begin to irritate the mucus membranes, keeping your lungs from working properly.

Gastrointestinal Illness
Mold also affects the mucus membranes in the stomach. A person with mold sickness may experience several issues related to their gastrointestinal system. One of the most common gastrointestinal symptoms is horrible nausea. The nausea can be followed by vomiting and diarrhea. Finally, mold may cause a person to have a loss of appetite and rapid weight loss.

Skin Issues
When mold spores land on your skin, they can cause massive problems. The first sign of any mold irritation is itchy and red skin. If exposure to the mold spores continues, the skin redness may turn into a serious rash. If left untreated, open sores may begin to show up on the skin.

Other Illness
There are a host of other illnesses which come from exposure to mold. With short exposure, you may begin to develop eye issues such as red or watery eyes. Also, you may begin to experience headaches. Further exposure to mold will cause your headaches to get more frequent and increase in intensity. You may begin to get nosebleeds. Mold also causes a feeling of fatigue, hair loss, short-term memory loss, and muscle pain. There have also been several neurological and nervous disorders, which stem from prolonged exposure to the spores.

Serious Illness
If you are in presence of mold for an extremely long period of time, you may be affected with very serious health problems. The watery and red eyes can continue to get worse which can lead to blindness. Your respiratory issues can begin to cause your lungs to bleed. Your short term memory loss can become long term memory loss accompanied with brain damage. Finally, mold spores can cause cancer and, in some cases, death.

If you feel you may have any symptoms related to mold exposure, you should see your doctor. If you think you may have a mold or moisture problem it is important you contact a professional such as I.C.E.R. to properly remove the mold. If the mold is not properly removed by a trained professional, you run the risk of spreading the mold spores and causing further damage to yourself as well as your property.

What is Mold?

Mold is a group of about 200,000 species of fungi. Fungi/Molds occur in both the indoor and outdoor environment. Mold does have a purpose in nature and that is to breakdown or digest dead or decaying organic matter such as dry leaves.

Reproduction of mold occurs with the release of mold spores into the air. When a mold spore lands on a surface or substrate the spore releases enzymes to digest the surface or food source. The mold spore then germinates and produces filaments called hyphae.

The hyphae are the basic cellular unit of the fungi. The hyphae form a protective mat called the mycelium. The mycelia mat keeps the substrate moist even if the surrounding air is dry. Conidia then generate and release mold spores into the air and the process starts over.

The growth cycle of mold can be as little as four (4) to twelve (12) hours. If it is left
undisturbed, fungi can spread in 24 to 72 hours. When disturbed, fungi can spread faster.

How does Mold grow?

Mold requires three (3) elements to grow: a food source, moisture, and oxygen. A food source can be any organic or cellulose based material from dead leaves to dust, wood and paper drywall backing. Unfortunately, there are plenty of organic materials used to construct our homes and offices such as, drywall, wood, and carpet with organic fibers. Mold can even grow on synthetic material if there is enough organic debris on it such as, dust, dead skin, and oils.

The only element that is not ever-present in our homes and offices is moisture. Moisture is the key element in mold growth. Fungi, like humans, are made up of mostly water, which is why they thrive in moisture rich environments.

This is also why it is dangerous to assume that a mixture of bleach and water will remove mold. Applying bleach will kill the mold but will not remove it. According to the EPA "Dead mold may still cause allergic reactions in some people, so it is not enough to simply kill the mold, it must also be removed".

Is there Mold in YOUR home?

Some of the ways water infiltrates a structure and allows mold to grow is through leaky roofs, high humidity, wet basements, plumbing leaks, as well as improperly sealed windows or doors. This is why it is important to inspect your home regularly, especially after rainfall and wind storms. If mold is found, contact a restoration professional such as I.C.E.R. to avoid spreading mold spores to other unaffected areas.