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Health Risks of Mold
Home » Home Improvement » How Do I Get Rid Of Mold » Health Risks of MoldMold is not dangerous and generally won't cause heath problems indoors unless it is able to find a wet place in which the spores can land and grow. Depending on the type of mold growing indoors and whether it is toxic or non toxic health issues may or may not arise but regardless of that all mold should immediately be removed when found growing indoors due to the difficulty in predicting what health conditions different types of mold can cause. Most of the time people are exposed to mold that is growing in an indoor environment by simply just breathing mold spores but occasionally people are exposed to it by touching a moldy surface and mold can even be swallowed if a person touches mold and then puts their hands in their mouth which causes the mold to be ingested. Molds can produce allergens but they can also be capable of producing toxins called mycotoxins that can be extremely dangerous to people and pets. Mold will most commonly produce allergic type reactions in people that can affect the eyes, throat, skin, nose, and lungs in both allergic and non allergic people. These reactions can begin immediately when the mold spores settle in wet areas or they can be more delayed taking up to a few days, weeks, or in some cases months to affect people. Mold can affect certain people faster and more severely than others, however prolonged exposure to mold will begin to affect anyone which is why it should be removed. Those who tend to be more susceptible to the affects of mold are infants and young children, elderly people, people with asthma or other respiratory conditions or allergies, people with weakened immune systems due to HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy, or organ transplants. Listed below are some of the common symptoms that people exhibit after being exposed to mold, however please note these are not the only symptoms that can be caused by mold exposure:
• Nasal and/or sinus congestion
• Asthma attacks in individuals who suffer from asthma.
• Skin rash
• Eye irritation
• Hay fever type symptoms
• Sneezing
• Wheezing/difficulty breathing
• Coughing or sore throat
• Upper respiratory infections
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