Mold Related Allergies, Infections, Mold Exposure & Prevention

If you don’t have an idea about what is Mold and how mold exposure can harm a person, this article is a must-read for you.
 
The unwanted growths and patches of many colors and fuzzy smells on the walls of our houses inside and outside is MOLD. There are hundreds of species and types of molds. Each of them makes us go through many bad experiences like health problems and property damage. You will find complete information on mold-related allergies and mold exposure on this content, so read on.
 
What is MOLD? You ask, well the answer is it is a type of fungus that can grow in any place that holds even a little bit of moisture for a long time. Many unpleasant connotations of ‘Mold & Fungus’ includes damp basements, water leaks, musty odors, poisonous mushrooms, and an athlete’s foot among many others.
 
But there are also some positive aspects of molds too. Mold is also responsible for the creation of many foods and penicillin. Without the Mold and fungi to break down things the world you see would be buried in waste and leaves and grass.
 
Mold causes many allergic reactions, and sometimes it kills people, too because of these allergies. You must know where Mold actually comes from and what it is capable of doing to a human body and your property. It is also best to take precautionary measures are not taken on time to avoid any damages.

Where Mold actually comes from?

Mold as you actually know is a type of fungus. One of the many kinds of Molds are known as mildew. These fungus-like unwanted growths and patches are often found in moist places indoors and outdoors alike.
 
In humid and damp environments, you can find mold thriving. Basements and shower stalls are where mold can be easily found in almost all households. However, any area inside a house that is prone to moisture can harbor these smelly patches of many colors.
 
As you know, mold spores are found everywhere and in every corner of the world with different names and species. But moist places are where you can find it growing actively. The mold can become the source of many potential problems other than being unsightly and smelly. If we follow the definition of ‘Mold’ it damages the things and materials it grows on, putting in danger the structural integrity.
 
Just for the sake of human health mold from all places must be eliminated. Places from schools, homes to businesses must do all they can to prevent mold from growing. This is to avoid any problems to the health by stopping mold exposure. Also, it is essential to take care of human health, quality of life, and structural integrity by preventing mold from growing in busy places.
 
Small places are easily cleanable by the homeowners. But areas where access is not easy and massive places like businesses and schools need experts and tools and techniques to remove the mold altogether.

Know the Fungus and Mold:

There are more than three hundred thousand Mold and fungi species. Fungi are also defined as plants with no roots, leaves, and flowers. It is also found in spoiled foods, and many other foods are made with the help of a fungus or Mold, these foods are cheese, yeast.

Reproduction in fungi is seen by means of spores which can spread through the air. These spores land and if the place where the land is moist, then they start growing actively in these damp places. Even when there is no moisture, these spores have the ability to remain dormant even in dry conditions.

Outdoors, fungi are everywhere and breaking down the organic matter. The fungi consist of many types of spores that differ on the basis of the material it grows on. The growth of the spores is also affected by the season and weather. In the meantime, you can find these spores indoors, and they enter through doors and windows or land on clothing and shoes that you wear to go out.

Now let’s talk about ‘Mold.’ Mold is a type of fungus. The wet places in homes give the opportunity to mold spores to grow and spread. Even little leakages of water can lead to Mold to increase and cause damage to the health of the occupants of the place. Water leaks through basement walls and air conditioners can provide the best suitable environment for mold spores to grow. Just like different fungi are found on various materials, Mold is also found in different types in different places. Like, you will see “Yellow Slime” on hardwood and never on a tiled shower enclosure.

Testing Mold Exposure:

Different tests are performed between indoor and outdoor conditions that can tell if there is mold presence inside the houses or buildings. Molds release spores indoors too, and these tests are able to compare the indoors and outdoors conditions for a positive or negative result. You will find out if there is mold inside your home even when it is not visible or in closed and inaccessible areas of the house.

The presence of mold spores is not always the cause of any human illness. But the test may help in the identification of the presence of the mold spores at a particular moment in time. These tests cannot tell the exact time when a human is exposed to mold spores. And at times even the presence of the spores does not mean exposure: it is because if they are present in the air, it does not mean these spores are also inhaled.

Different species of Mold are found in indoors and moist places:

  • Acremonium
  • Alternaria
  • Aspergillus
  • Penicillium
  • Cladosporium
  • Drechslera
  • Epicoccum
  • Stachybotrys
  • Trichoderma

When you clean the Mold from an area or building identification is not very important. But this information about the mold spore may or may not come in handy during the treatment of health effects caused by mold exposure.

Many allergic reactions and infection involve fever-like symptoms which makes you miserable for some time but are not really life-threatening. However, there are specific allergic reactions and conditions caused by Mold, which can be more severe; these include:

Health Effects Caused by Mold Exposure:

As we know, Mold can quickly grow in damp and moist indoor environments. People who spend their most of time in places like these environments complain about having health problems. These health problems include respiratory effects and headaches and many other physical symptoms.

Mold is responsible for producing allergens (allergy-causing substances) that are irritating for sensitive individuals. Moreover, there are molds that produce substances or spores that are harming to health such as mycotoxins. But, Mold itself is not a toxic or a poisonous thing.

A study by IOM (The Institute of Medicine) found that a person will most of the time never get allergic or show any changes in health after staying in a damp indoor place for a long time. But experts also pointed out the chances of getting respiratory illness: cough, asthma symptoms, wheeze, and nose and throat symptoms. The study also found little evidence against the claims like shortness of breath and asthma problems in people who never had such issues.

The study also found no evidence or symptoms of shortness of breath in healthy children after staying in damp indoor places for a long time.

Many claims of other symptoms like irritation, cancer, lung disease, and skin problems were rejected. But other health effects let them to a conclusion of making damp indoor places a subject to discuss for a public health problem.

These other health effects by mold exposure and that cause illness in humans are:

  • Sneezing,
  • Coughing,
  • Runny nose,
  • Wheezing,
  • Redness of the eyes,
  • Watery eyes,
  • Itchy eyes,
  • Rash or skin irritation.

Asthma attacks can happen to people who are already suffering from the disease if they are exposed to mold spores. Like the study said there is no hard evidence, but still people complain and report symptoms like irritation in airways, eyes, and skin. Let’s take an example of a type of Mold known as “Black Mold” Stachybotrys, and many other mold types that release harmful toxins in the air such as, mycotoxins which leads to the irritation of airways and skin in people who have weak immune system against such allergic reactions.

Some people might develop even severe allergic reactions that may lead to high fevers and difficulty in breathing. This kind of response is not so common, and that is why not everyone should worry about it. If you have previous health conditions and you believe you are exposed to such toxins, then get in touch with a specialist doctor as soon as possible.

Hypersensitive pneumonitis is also reported as the result of long-term exposure to Mold affected areas. Vulnerable people with this particular kind of immunological condition are the target of mold toxin, which has an effect similar to pneumonia. But conclusive evidence is yet to be found.

Allergies and Asthma problems related to Mold:

There are countless studies with different and varying conclusions. It is near impossible to check and do extensive research on each mold type, spores, and toxins or smokes they give off by the destruction of the material they are active on. Because so many things are present at a time in a damp indoor place with Mold and spores that sometimes-considering Mold as the cause for respiratory allergies and asthma.

It is hard to assess if the illness is caused by Mold and spores or by some other reason. But it is possible to treat people with symptoms that show asthma or respiratory problems. A process of elimination is used to determine the exact cause of such illness or allergic reactions. Before considering Mold the cause of asthma attacks or respiratory problems, patients must go through an evaluation to check pre-existing health problems and illness that just happens to coincide with exposure to mold and mold spores. And once all other possible causes are eliminated then finally, the patient is assessed for any possibility of illness induced by Mold.

• Diagnosis: A medical diagnosis is required to decide whether the patient is suffering from asthma, infection or allergic reaction. There are many methods to diagnose the disease process. These diagnoses can sometimes never tell what triggered the actual allergic reaction, infection, or asthma problem. Sometimes when patients are tested for mold allergies, the results come out as positive, but the people under the experiment show no symptoms. But treatment procedure remains the same even if the trigger is caused by Mold or something else.

• Environmental Assessment: To find out why an individual developed symptoms similar to mold environmental assessment can also be done to check if the affected person is exposed to Mold at a given location only and no other triggers. Some respiratory conditions may develop:

  • Asthma,
  • Sinus Infection,
  • Hoarseness,
  • Sarcoidosis,
  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis,
  • Recurring cold-like symptoms.

What is Hypersensitivity pneumonitis?

It is a lung disease and best known as “Farmer’s lung,” because of the association with the tremendous amount of exposure to the fungi and found in grain and feed. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is also associated with bird droppings and exposure to the toxins released by Mold or Mold in homes and damp places.

If Mold causes more damage, then for treatment, removal from such places that expose to Mold and put a high risk on a person’s health is necessary.

There is no doubt that removing people from damp places solves the problems for many. And in some cases, it is also seen that people developed symptoms when put in damp places and got better when they were removed from such places.

Infections that are not caused by Mold:

The risk of respiratory infections and Bronchitis is increased because of spending time in buildings affected by dampness and Mold, but yet to be proved. There are many other fungal infections, but actually, they are not a result of direct exposure to any kind of Mold or its emissions.

  • Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis: People who suffer from this are actually those who have a history of illnesses like asthma, immune deficiency, or cystic fibrosis, and it is not caused by aspergillosis fungus found indoors and outdoors.
  • Thrush and athlete’s foot: These are also some of the infection that is not related to any presence of Mold.

Other problems caused by Mold:

Apart from allergens, Mold can cause other health effects to vulnerable people. For example, Mold can become the cause of skin and mucus membrane infections. However, other than people with a special kind of immune deficiency against Mold, it causes no systematic infections to people.

Prevention from Mold and places affected by Mold:

There are many guidelines and techniques to remove Mold and keep your places dry to stop any mold activity inside your house or any other building space.

Some of the prevention tips from Mold are:

  • Eliminating any source of dampness: Keep this in mind if you don’t control or put an end to the source, because of which Mold exists, you will never get rid of mold problems. Make sure to repair any pipe leaks and groundwater seepage in basements of houses and other buildings.
  • Always use dehumidifiers: By using dehumidifiers always keep the levels of humidity in places of your house that smell musty and damp below 50 percent. Always clean condensations coils and collection bucket.
  • Use air conditioners: Try using a central air conditioning system with high-quality HEPA filter attachment, and air conditioners in such Mold affected places. The HEPA filter can successfully trap the mold spores present in outside air before the air is circulated inside your house.
  • Changing the furnace filter: Make sure to change the air conditioning filters and furnace filters regularly. Use services to inspect the forced air heating ducts, and if possible clean them.
  • Ventilation in all bathrooms: Keep all of your washrooms ventilated. Keep running the ventilating fan during and after the bath or shower to instantly dry the air. Open a window or door during a shower if there are no ventilating fans.
  • Don’t carpet in damp places: never ever use carpets in damp places because they can keep the moisture on them for long enough to give the opportunity to Mold to grow. So, never use carpets in bathrooms or basements.
  • Always keep the groundwater drainage away from your house: This is important and always insure and promote groundwater drainage away from the house you live in. Similar are the guidelines for schools and big buildings.
  • Keep plant containers dry: If you have plants in your house and building for which you want to take steps to prevent mold attack. Make sure you keep all the plant containers dry all the time. Clean them regularly so that Mold can never get any chance of activity indoors.
  • Recycle and toss old newspapers and books: Never keep old books and old newspapers for a long time indoors. Because in moist conditions these books and newspapers will become a source of Mold related problems. Mold will find its way to these books and newspapers, and the material will start to degenerate. Always recycle or toss away all these unused and unwanted paper and books.

How Can Fun Guy Mold Inspectors Help You?

Fun Guy Mold Inspections follow a very expert approach we make sure to provide quality and value by removing the Mold for you. We make sure to remove Mold from each and every corner and closed place so that no future mold-related problems occur. We inspect by using a third-party expert. They can point out any areas left and clear the site after the work is completed for and construction and other uses.

We are a certified mold inspection company with expert mold inspectors. We can help you in testing for mold allergens and other Mold related health problems like asthma and biological particulates that Trigger Allergy Symptoms. Inspect for Environmental Conditions that Lead to Mold Growth, Allergy and Asthma-related symptoms.

Allergy Test Today > > Call 888.470.0470.

Fun Guy Inspection & Allergy Testing -Picture Left

If you are Renter, Homeowner, Contractor, or Building Professional Contact Us today if You would like to talk to a Certified Mold Inspector in Los Angeles, CA, we look forward to hearing from you. Our expert Mold Inspectors are standing by,

Allergy Relief Dr. Wang Acupuncture Los Angeles, CA

Dr. Wang’s Acupuncture techniques are designed specifically for each individual. Dr Wang Acupuncture specializes in acupuncture, herbal teas, and medicines.

Contact Dr. Wang 1912 Broadway Ste 102 Santa Monica, CA 90404 Neighborhood: Santa Monica (310) 922-0965

The Moldy Times, By funguyinspections.com

guideline from ASHRAE gives facility managers and building operating staff a strong foundation on which to improve the performance of all buildings. “Modern air conditioning systems protect the health, comfort and productivity of building occupants,” ASHRAE Presidential Member Bill Harrison Attention all Facility Managers and Building Operators, Updated 04-09-2012.

Mold Allergy Testing

 

Allergies – Allergens and Molds, Los Angeles, CA

Allergies are a Very Specific Responses to Allergens in our Environment. Sensitive Individuals may Experience Short or Long term Health Effects Triggered by our Body’s Immune System. Allergy and Asthma Related Symptoms may include Runny Noses, Eye Irritations, Coughing, Skin Rashes, Sneezing and Even Flu-Like Symptoms.

Allergen Exposures. High Level of Indoor Mold Spores may Trigger Your Bodies Autonomic Immune System and Begin Producing Antigens that Help fight Environmental Mold Allergy Exposures.  It usually takes multiple exposures to trigger an immune response.

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5 Types of Immune Responses

  • 1: Immediate  hypersensitivity  (allergy)
  • 2: Cytotoxic
  • 3: Immune complex  disease
  • 4: Delayed  hypersensitivity
  • 5: Autoimmune disease

Immune Mediated Responses

  • Hay Fever
  • Asthma
  • Allergic bronchopulminary mycoses
  • atopic dermatitis (eczema)
  • Anaphylaxis

Did You Know Mold is an Allergen?

Most molds produce potential allergens.  Mold allergens are proteins.  Evidence exists that mold(s) are a cause of allergic disease (asthma, hay fever, upper respiratory allergies, hypersensitivity pneumonitis. 30-40% of the population can have an allergic response to a moldy environment. 10% of the population may have a fungal allergy.

allergy triggers that may be caused by mold or other allergens

Asthma

Asthma is a condition that restricts the upper or lower respiratory airways in an individual.  Approximately 85% of asthmatics are allergic to dust mites.

Antigens & Antibodies

Antigen is any substance capable of inducing an immune response in an individual.  Moreover this can include t lymphocytes or specific cells in your body to respond. An allergen is is usually a antigen capable of triggering an immune response that kick starts the immune system and results in an allergic reaction – Allergy.

Fungal Spores

  • Sexual or asexual reproductive units of fungi
  • The allergens are released into the environment to digest food.
  • The proteins are released after the spore lands and begins to absorb moisture.
  • Exposure is typically outdoors.
  • Indoor fungal growth can occur with persistent moisture

Allergy

  • Genetically controlled
  • Sensitization thought to require repeated low level exposure to allergens
  • Allergens are complex proteins produced by many different organisms
    • dust mites, cockroaches
    • Cats, dogs, Rats, mice, & other pets
    • Fungi, mold, & other plants
    • Symptoms include upper and lower respiratory anaphylaxis and skin

Pollen

The male reproductive structure of vascular plants

  • The allergens are recognition proteins that trigger germination
  • The allergens are soluble and are released quickly into the respiratory track
  • Exposure is mostly outdoors
  • Plants with big flowers typically release small amounts of pollen

Learn more about our testing procedures

Did You Know Mold is an Allergen?

Mold Allergy Symptoms may Cause Symptoms Similar to Allergen Exposures. High Level of Indoor Mold Spores may Trigger Your Bodies Autonomic Immune System and Begin Producing Antigens that Help Counter Act Environmental Mold Allergy Exposures. Learn More 888.470.0470.

Mold Spore Allergy Symptoms , Malibu, CA – Picture Left

How Can Fun Guy Mold Inspectors Help You?

Our Team of Certified Mold Inspectors at Fun Guy Mold Inspections can Help Test for Allergens, Asthma and biological particulates that Trigger Allergy Symptoms. Inspect for Environmental Conditions that Lead to Mold Growth, Allergy and Asthma related symptoms. Allergy Test Today > > Call 888.470.0470.

Fun Guy Inspection & Allergy Testing -Picture Left

If you are Renter, Homeowner, Contractor or Building Professional Contact Us today if You would like to talk to a Certified Mold Inspector in Los Angeles, CA. We look forward to hearing from you. Our expert Mold Inspectors are standing by,

Allergy Relief Dr. Wang Acupuncture Los Angeles, CA

Specializing in many forms of allergy and allergy symptom relief, Dr. Wang’s Acupuncture techniques are designed specifically for each individual. Dr. Wang Acupuncture specializes in acupuncture, herbal teas and medicines.

Contact Dr. Wang 1912 Broadway Ste 102 Santa Monica, CA 90404 Neighborhood: Santa Monica (310) 922-0965

The Moldy Times, By funguyinspections.com

guideline from ASHRAE gives facility managers and building operating staff a strong foundation on which to improve performance of all buildings. “Modern air conditioning systems protect the health, comfort and productivity of building occupants,” ASHRAE Presidential Member Bill Harrison Attention all Facility Managers and Building Operators, Updated 04-09-2012.

ARIZONA:

Phoenix, August 14:TBA. November 13:TBA. Contact Derrick Denis at derrickdenis@csceng.com or call Stephanie at 480-460-8334.

CALIFORNIA:

Los Angeles, July 19: Case Studies of Identifying Unknown Materials. Commercial and Residential Odor Investigations. October 25: TBA.Contact Stephen Roquemore at Steve@affordableinspections.biz.

Allergens are proteins derived from

  •  Airborne particle including pollen, fungal spores, dust mites (fecal particles), cat and dog secretions, rat and mouse urine, and others
  • Food
  • Stinging insect venom
  • Pharmaceuticals
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