Black Mold Exposure Symptoms – Dampness and mold are pretty common in the United States. It is a very costly and dangerous problem, and people should ensure their safety from this toxic black mold.
Black mold is known to affect the health of humans. It can trigger a wide range of health problems, and understanding all the black mold exposure symptoms can help you ensure your safety along with the safety of your family.
Black mold is a type of fungus that refers to several species of mold, which can have different colors, including dark green and black. In popular culture, people believe that the darker the mold, the more dangerous cities are.
That is completely wrong. The color of mold does not decide the dangers associated with the mold, as per the Centers for Disease Control and prevention of the United States.
Black mold is fairly common in the United States, and that is what brings us to help you understand all the black mold exposure symptoms. In the below sections, we will also discuss can black mold kills you.
What are the common black Mold exposure symptoms?
Black mold exposure symptoms can vary from person to person, depending on various circumstances. People who already have allergies can experience symptoms of black mold, while people without any allergies might not experience any.
Healthy people, without any allergies, might not even experience any symptoms at all.
Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States released a list of symptoms that might appear after prolonged exposure to black mold.
The black mold exposure symptoms may include:
- Wheezing
- Nose stuffiness
- Skin rash
- Coughing
- Sore throat
- Red and itchy eyes
- Chronic fatigue
- Persistent headache
- irritation of the nose, throat, and mouth
These are the symptoms of short-term exposure to black mold in people who do not have any allergies or other respiratory conditions.
Black mold-induced asthma
People who are already struggling with respiratory conditions, including asthma, should pay close attention to exposure to black mold for a prolonged period, as per the Centers for Disease control and prevention.
People with asthma and mold exposure can experience a long list of symptoms, including:
- chest tightness
- Clothing
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
Despite asthma or any other respiratory disease coma, everyone should ensure their safety from black or any kind of mold. Prolonged mold exposure can trigger a wide range of symptoms and even cause short-term allergic reactions.
How Dangerous is Exposure to Black Mold?
American societies believe that black mold is toxic mold, Which can further cause a huge number of health problems. But, All types of mold are bad and dangerous.
Symptoms of the dangers from mold or not just limited to black mold, as every type of mold is dangerous and known to cause a huge number of symptoms.
Black mold is usually known to trigger allergic reactions in people who are already allergic to anything in the world. Apart from that, people may also develop mold-induced asthma, which can be a little bit dangerous as compared to regular asthma attacks.
There is no clear indication that black mold is directly going to kill the affected person, but prolonged exposure to black mold might trigger a long list of symptoms which we have already discussed in the above-given section.
You can take a deep look at all the above-given symptoms, including symptoms associated with mold-infused asthma. Still, people with weak immune systems should stay away from any kind of mold.
Popular Myths about Black Mold
Before we discuss anything else regarding black mold, let’s take a quick look at some of the top myths.
First of all, most American societies believe that black mold is known to release toxic compounds that are known to cause health issues, including memory loss, pulmonary hemorrhage, and headaches.
There are no studies available proving the upper given myth. There is a study from 2017 that proved there is no evidence that black mold releases toxic compounds which can cause those symptoms.
Apart from that, you should make sure that you are not consuming black mold under any circumstances. Consuming it directly is going to cause several health issues, but getting exposed to black mold is not as dangerous as eating it.
What are the Causes of Black Mold?
There is no way to prevent mold in a house as it is an important part of our Environment and ecosystem. Mold is known to decompose dead plants and animals, and any type of mold can grow anywhere, depending on the conditions.
Different types of mold require different conditions, and it is known to spread more quickly than anything else if all the conditions are appropriate.
Several things can quickly cause black mold, including:
- Oxygen
- Food sources
- Moisture above 70%
- Temperature between 40 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit
Even though mold can grow anywhere in the house and offices, there are certain places where the chances of mold growing go through the roof.
- Basements with humidity are the perfect place.
- Any areas in the house with a lot of water condensation
- Places with the water leak
- Rooms without adequate ventilation and damps
- Houses and offices after flooding
Americans must be careful as our house provides a good opportunity to black mold to develop. There are several companies and independent contractors that have been providing services to detect mold and get rid of that.
How to Diagnose Exposure to Black Mold?
Unfortunately, healthcare experts had not found any proven test that might help you when and where you were exposed to black mold or any other type of mold.
When you first visit your healthcare provider for the diagnosis of black mold exposure, a healthcare expert is going to ask you a bunch of questions, including your living and working environment.
Later, your healthcare expert might perform some tests, including skin prick tests, to check any reactions to allergies.
Apart from that, your healthcare expert might also suggest you go for a blood test to measure the immune system’s response to Mold and any other allergies.
People with weak immune systems might also have to go for a systemic fungal infection test.
What is the Treatment for Black Mold Exposure?
There are several things that you, as a healthcare expert, will consider before suggesting any specific treatment for exposure to black mold.
- First of all, your healthcare expert will suggest that you avoid the allergen as much as possible.
- Later, your healthcare expert will also suggest you remove carpet with flooring that is not going to retain any moisture, especially in the basement.
- You should also take a shower after coming indoors and reduce humidity in the home.
- You should also make sure your shower has enough ventilation to throw out any moisture.
The Counter nasal sprays are among the most popular treatments for exposure to black mold. Health experts also suggest a solution of warm and distilled water to rinse the nasal passages for any mold spores.
There are several over-the-counter medicines that your healthcare expert might just take for immune system response and minimizing airway inflammation. Decongestants are the most popular choice.
How to Get Rid of Black Mold?
There are several steps you can take to get rid of black mold from your house or workplace.
First of all, you should identify all the places where you have black mold in your home or workplace. It is very easy to identify black mold as it is going to be in darker colors or clusters.
Usually, black mold develops in warm and moist rooms. Apart from that, it is also going to smell a little funny, and people with allergies will experience sudden triggers in the symptoms.
Kindly do not deal with moldy areas without protecting yourself with gloves, rubber boots, goggles, and a high-quality face mask. If you are dealing with a huge quantity of mold, you can also wear disposable clothes.
At the same time, you should also open all the windows and doors to increase the ventilation in the room. Apart from that, you should also stop any water leakage.
Kindly do not reuse the things that have already been touched by mold growth. You can also cut away any mold damage to drywall and ceiling tiles.
How to prevent the development of black mold?
There are several things you can do to prevent the development of black mold in your home and workplace. Kindly keep cleaning your home regularly, including sensitive areas such as the bathroom, to prevent the development. At the same time, you can also leave doors and windows open for ventilation during showers, cooking, and washing dishes.
