Mold is one telltale sign of excessive water damage in your home, but it can go years and years before it is spotted-giving it time to grow into other areas. Between mold’s formation and its removal, this troublesome fungus can cause a slew of issues, including health problems that can affect your entire family. What is often referred to as “mold sickness” can present itself as the symptoms of a common cold at first, but if left unchecked can seriously jeopardize the health of somebody-or everybody-in your household.
The first sign that you might notice is allergy or cold symptoms whenever you enter a room. This is because mold acts as a mild irritant when it’s only present in small amounts. If you enter a building, room or area of your home and find yourself suddenly feeling unwell, mold could be the culprit. Other allergy symptoms like fatigue and headaches can emerge in addition to sneezing, watery eyes and coughing.
If left alone for longer periods of time, these symptoms can become quite a bit more devastating, including:
- The presence of blood when you cough or sneeze
- Dizziness and disorientation
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Sores and rashes on the skin
We don’t mean to scare you, but simply to enlighten you about the dangers of mold exposure. While you frantically find yourself in and out of the emergency room on a frequent basis to figure out what’s gotten your family member so under the weather, the cause could be right under your nose and in your home. Symptoms of mold sickness can progress even further, leading to blindness, bleeding lungs, other respiratory issues and even death. If your family is getting sick and nothing that the doctors do seems to make it any better, it’s time to look at the space you’re living in. If one or more of your family members have exhibited any of these symptoms, mold could be the culprit. Remaining in a mold-infested environment is basically like asking for trouble.
It can be tough to figure out whether your family member is sick with allergies or they have been afflicted with mold sickness, especially at first. It can be helpful to recognize who is the most vulnerable to this illness:
- Infants and small children
- The elderly
- Those with compromised immune systems
- Individuals with lung disease
As you likely know, mold requires regular access to moisture to grow. A single, small patch of mold on your shower curtain can be easily dealt with, but there are more insidious locations where mold can flourish without being detected through an ordinary visual inspection. Bathrooms, crawl spaces, kitchens, laundry rooms, basements and attics are prime real estate locations for mold to grow, but it can grow in any area of the home that has exposure to moisture.
At Restore Pro we understand how frightening it can be when one of your family members falls ill with the severe sicknesses associated with mold exposure. Call us today at 781-664-9800 or connect with us on Facebook if anybody in your household is showing signs or symptoms of Mold Sickness.