There are some things that you should be aware of concerning mold and your health. Mold is all around you, outside and inside of your home. You are exposed to mold everywhere you go and all of the time. Exposure to mold happens when you breathe in mold spores of particles, and if you are exposed to a lot of mold, certain types of mold, or if you are sensitive to mold or predisposed to be, problems with your health can develop. Mold can have many different effects on your health, depending on a lot of different factors. The main issues caused by molds concern allergies, irritants, toxins, and infections. Mold allergies affect many people, and they may be annoying but are very rarely serious. Allergy symptoms like sneezing, coughing, watering eyes, stuffy nose, and others may appear if you have mold allergies, but these can normally be treated with an allergy medication that is available either over the counter or through your doctor in prescription form if you need a stronger dose.
Mold irritants are conditions, where the mold irritates the tissue it comes into contact with. This can occur inside or on the outside of your body, and the tissues affected may swell, itch, become red, burn, and be painful. A steroid or hydrocortisone cream can usually stop the irritation if it occurs on the skin, but internal irritation can lead to cysts and tumors in the irritated areas if it is not treated properly. Mold infections are another health hazard and risk when you are exposed to mold. Mold infections are very rare in healthy individuals, but they can occur. These infections are more common in individuals who do not have a healthy immune system, including babies and children, the elderly; anyone who has had surgery, cancer and HIV patients, and any other group whose immune system is not strong and healthy. These infections occur because the mold invades the tissue, whether it is the skin, lungs, or other body organs and areas, and your body’s defenses can not control or fight off the mold growth. These infections are generally termed opportunistic, because if the weakened immune system did not provide an opportunity the mold would not normally infect the body and tissues.
Toxic mold can cause many health problems, and the worst strain of this mold type is the famous black toxic mold called Stachybotrys. With toxic molds, it is not the mold itself that can harm your health and cause symptoms. Instead, these molds release toxins called mycotoxins that can attack and harm your body and internal organs. Schools in Florida were plagued by this toxic mold a few years ago, and many students were exhibiting symptoms and medical problems varying from mild to extremely severe. When the classrooms were inspected, some of them had Stachybotrys mold growing in large quantities under the floorboards. Toxic molds can cause serious and even life threatening, illnesses and medical conditions that can cause permanent damage or even death if left untreated. One treatment for exposure to mold toxins involves using a sauna for an hour each day, to promote sweating so your body can eliminate the toxins quickly before they can build up and cause serious health problems. Making sure that your home is free from any mold contamination will help you protect your health as well as the health of your family and loved ones.
If you are concerned about exposure to mold and your health, there are some tests that can be done to determine if you have been exposed to mold, the types you were exposed to, and what your exposure levels are. This is done by testing your blood for specific antibodies that are specific to mold. If the blood test shows antibodies to mold, this only indicates that you were exposed at some point in your life. This test can not determine when you were exposed, where it happened, or what level you were exposed to, only that at some time in your life you were exposed to mold. A RAST blood test, also known as a radioallergosorbent test, can determine if you are allergic to mold, and exactly what your allergen antibody levels are. This blood test is very costly, and can take weeks to show results. In contrast, skin tests for mold allergies are simple, inexpensive, and give quick results. If you believe you have been exposed to any toxic or harmful molds, you may need to consult with your physician to determine the appropriate tests and treatments should be done.
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