Do you have any mold exposure symptoms in Central Houston?

Mold doesn’t just grow without the presence of moisture and a food source. If your home has had previous water damage, you may want to have it inspected for the presence of mold.

The thought of mold growing in your home is repulsive, but it’s something you can’t ignore since the side effects of mold exposure can be serious.

Since mold often grows out of sight, it can be difficult to pinpoint mold as the cause of many wide-ranging symptoms.

If you think you have been exposed to mold and are experiencing unexplained symptoms, then speak with your doctor for specific medical advice.

While the common signs of mold exposure are usually mild, some symptoms of Mold Exposure, for those living in your home having a compromised immune system, are likely to experience more serious symptoms. The higher the mold concentration or prolonged exposure will produce more severe side effects.

These are some of the health problems that are linked with mold exposure:

More allergy type symptoms:

When you have allergies, your body releases histamines to try and get them out of your system, and mold exposure acts the same way. Coughing, sneezing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and fevers are often associated with mold exposure. Sometimes it’s difficult to determine if your symptoms are from mold exposure or pollen, pet dander and other common allergens. If your symptoms are worse inside your home, then this could be a clue that you have untreated mold.

A substantial increase of asthma attacks:

If you already suffer from asthma, the added presence of mold in your home could trigger a lot more attacks. Mold exposure to seemingly healthy children could cause them to develop asthma, especially if they are already genetically predisposed to develop asthma.

Respiratory infections and illnesses:

Mold contains mycotoxin spores, which float around in the air and enter your respiratory system when you breathe. You could have mild symptoms such as a stuffy nose or more serious issues like difficulty breathing and chest tightness or even pulmonary hemorrhaging (bleeding in the lungs) which can be fatal. Those with chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems are at an increased risk for severe fungal infections in the lungs and hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an immune-mediated condition that causes the lungs to become inflamed.

Digestive/Gastrointestinal problems:

Even though there may be high concentrations of mold in the air, it can affect your body’s ability to remove waste and toxins. These high concentrations can cause gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), diarrhea, vomiting, and even internal bleeding. Your liver could also begin to suffer as it works overtime by trying to remove mycotoxins from your body.

Rash and skin problems:

Never come into direct contact with mold as it can cause rashes, dermatitis or fungal infections of the scalp, which can lead to hair loss.

Mental health side effects:

Adults, especially seniors, can experience memory loss at an alarming rate when exposed to high mold concentrations. Children who are exposed have been observed developing learning disabilities. Mental effects are possible because olfactory neurons and optic nerves are tired directly to your brain, where mycotoxins can cross directly from your nose and eyes into your brain.

Mycotoxins and reproductive complications:

One effect of mold exposure is that it can make reproduction more difficult because the presence of mycotoxins in your body throws off your hormonal balance which make it harder for a woman to conceive a child and carry a healthy baby to term.

Mold and Life-threatening diseases:

In some extreme cases, mold exposure could cause a person to develop an autoimmune disease, such as MS (multiple sclerosis), fibromyalgia or lupus. These type diseases could affect you for the rest of your life and may even be fatal in the end. There has been research indicating a possible link between exposure to some types of mold and increased risks of cancer.

While these are the most serious symptoms and are rare, it’s still important to not ignore mystery symptoms if there’s any chance at all that mold is the cause. Call your physician if you suspect mold exposure symptoms.

If you would like your home inspected for mold or if you have mold and need it removed, call Restoration 1 Central Houston for immediate response.