Friday, September 28, 2007

Info on Mold Allergies

There are people who have allergies all over the world and no matter what the allergy may be, anyone with one will tell you just how much of an inconvenience it tends to be. Symptoms usually show themselves the most often during the early spring through the late fall, whether it is an allergy to grass, pollen, or mold. Pet dander can be a problem with some individuals and this is one of the only allergies that is really only an inconvenience year round. Molds living in your home can also aggravate your allergies and even bring about new ones and are also one of the only allergies that are a threat the whole year, since molds that live indoors do not freeze like those outside.

A high mold spore level in your home can do a lot to aggravate your already existing allergies and can even cause an allergy to the specific kind of mold living in your home to develop. The symptoms from mold exposure can range from a common episode of sneezing or a runny nose all the way to a reaction that requires an ambulance. Children and elderly people in particular need to pay careful attention to the level of their allergen that they expose themselves to every day. Watch the news for each of the pollen, mold spore, and grass counts. If the counts are high for that day, consider not letting children or elderly people with allergies or respiratory conditions go out that day.

If you have mold allergies and think you are having symptoms, you should avoid eating foods that contain mold, such as cheeses that are made with it, bread, beer, and even other funguses like mushrooms. All of these can make your symptoms even worse.

Most types of mold in the world are not harmful to human beings and while there are a few different ones that can cause serious medical conditions, only a few tend to cause allergic reactions immediately. The most common molds that produce allergic reactions are those in the Penicillium, Alternaria, and Clasosporium genii.

If you are concerned about mold living in your home, you should do your best to reduce the humidity level in it. Keeping your home bone dry is not practical, since air that is too dry can also cause problems like nosebleeds, but keeping it at a healthy medium is best for all. A home that is too moist inside is a breeding ground for mold.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.

Child Mold Exposure

When you have children, you realize that the most important thing to you at that point is making sure that they stay healthy and that if there is anything that you can do to improve the quality of their health, you make sure that you do that. No matter what happens, your foremost concern is their health and welfare.

Having mold growing in your home is a pretty heavy inconvenience for any homeowner, but for parents of small children, it can be a nightmare. The health of small children is very fragile at that point of their lives and most parents understand this, but do not tend to realize just how serious of a threat to their health can exist inside their own homes. We tend to be the most concerned with the threats that come from outside our homes, but one of the most serious threats can be growing almost anywhere.

The areas of our homes that are the most moist also tend to be the ones that we frequent the most, such as the bathroom and the kitchen, and unfortunately, these are the two areas of the home that are the most at risk for mold growth. The food that your children eat is not the only thing in your home that can become moldy. The ceilings, floors, and walls can become just as moldy as a stale loaf of bread, but you may not notice it until it is too late. Symptoms of mold exposure often show themselves in those members of our households that are the most sensitive to environmental changes, such as children, pets, and elderly people.

Symptoms of mold exposure are very similar to the symptoms of most allergies that involve pollen, grass, or pet dander and can include sneezing, runny noses, blocked noses, eye irritation, itchy skin, and etcetera. Infants are in the most danger and if you discover mold growing anywhere in the house, your baby needs to be taken to a clean environment quickly and needs to stay there until the contamination is removed. Infants are susceptible to developing hemorrhagic pneumonia from mold exposure among other conditions, so it should be taken very seriously. Even if the mold growth is old and dead, it can still cause allergy symptoms, reactions, and can aggravate any pre-existing respiratory conditions that may exist in your home.

To keep your children healthy, do not allow them to stay in a home that is contaminated with mold and any items in your home that are found to be molded, especially toys, should be thrown away. Porous items like stuffed animals and bedding need to be thrown away, since it is difficult to completely disinfect these items and small children often put these things in their mouths.

Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
South Carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
Connecticut water damage restoration companies across the united states.

Child Mold Exposure Symptoms

If your home contains almost any kind of mold, your children and pets are probably going to be the first ones that show symptoms, especially if they have any allergies or respiratory conditions like asthma or become sick easily. If you notice your child having any trouble with his or her respiratory system and cannot seem to find the cause, checking your household for mold growth might be a good idea.

The symptoms of mold exposure are typically very similar to allergy symptoms, so you may initially mistake them for the symptoms of the child’s allergies. Your child’s pediatrician may claim that it is just seasonal allergies, but in reality, it may be your home that has the issue. Persistent respiratory symptoms like sneezing, hoarseness, rhinitis, eye irritation, and blocked noses can occur as well as dry coughing, productive coughing, and sometimes wheezing. Skin symptoms such as itching and redness also tend to arise in certain uncovered areas of the body, which suggests that the child has touched the growth.

Other symptoms like fever, joint pain, headaches, and excessive tiredness have also been reported. Your child also may show an intolerance to certain foods like mushrooms, bread, and cheeses, while older members of your household may show intolerance to things like wine and beer. Children that are in high-exposure mold conditions such as where the toxic mold Stachybotrys are concerned can exhibit things such as hemoptysis and nose bleeds.

Children in homes containing mold may also show more intolerance to things like cigarette smoke or household chemicals that emit vapors into the air.

If your child does not have any known allergies and they are showing these symptoms with no readily apparent cause, have your home tested for mold by hiring a professional or performing a do it yourself test.

If your home does have mold growth, your child needs to be removed from the area as soon as possible and relocated until the growth is removed. You should realize that even dead mold growth can cause allergic reactions and that until it is removed, your child’s health is at significant risk.

Any items in your home that have become moldy, especially if it is children’s toys such as stuffed animals or bedding, will need to be thrown away. Do not allow children to play with items that have been exposed to flood waters or mold growth.


Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
north carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
New Jersey mold remediation companies across the united states.