Mold: The Pervasive Fungus Among Us
As a relative of mushrooms and yeast, mold serves nature well by decomposing dead organic matter like leaves and wood. However, when mold grows in your home, its powerful enzymes eat through wallpaper, wood, and other materials. Scientists have identified over 200,000 species of mold, and they continue to find more.
Mold reproduces with mold spores, which are like microscopic seeds. At about three microns in size, mold spores are invisible to the human eye. For comparison, the period at the end of this sentence is roughly 300 microns in size - that's 100 times larger than the typical mold spore! Not only are they invisible, but mold spores are virtually indestructible, and many species release chemical toxins (mycotoxins) into the air as a self-defense mechanism. The more you learn about mold spores, the more they sound like extraterrestrial invaders in a sci-fi flick.
Mold & Your Health
In 2006, a University of Cincinnati study found that infants who were exposed to airborne mold spores were more likely to develop allergies to mold, pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and certain foods as they grew older. Tina Reponen, author of the study, says, "It turns out that the health effects of airborne fungal spores are more complicated than we thought."
Over 80% of allergy sufferers are sensitive to mold spores, and a 1999 Mayo Clinic study discovered allergenic fungal sinusitis among 93% of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Like other allergens, mold can cause sneezing, chronic cough, runny nose, congestion, itchy and watery eyes, skin rashes, sinus headaches, and respiratory problems.
But you don't have to be an allergic individual for mold to adversely affect your health. mold can also act as an infectious agent, like bacteria and viruses. Additionally, some species of mold produce chemical toxins called mycotoxins. Stachybotys (pronounced "stack-ee-BOT-ris"), also known as black mold, is the most common and dangerous species of toxic mold. Symptoms of toxic mold exposure may include memory loss and other cognitive disorders, nose bleeds, dizziness, nausea, anemia, difficulty breathing, and death.
How to Prevent Mold Growth
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that half of all U.S. buildings contain areas damp enough for mold growth.
Your Home + Moisture = Mold Growth
It's as simple as 1 + 1. If there's not enough moisture in the air, then mold cannot grow. Therefore, if you suffer from mold allergies (or if you don't want mold to decompose your home), you must monitor your relative humidity with a humidity gauge and use a dehumidifier to to remove excess moisture. Keep your relative humidity below 50 percent to prevent mold growth.
Mold flourishes on your bedding, feeding off moisture from your body. Sleep on allergy relief bedding that prevents the growth of mold and other microorganisms to avoid breathing in allergens while you're sleeping.
Specialized cleaning products can both clean and also prevent mold growth on surfaces like tile, shower doors, furniture, mattresses, wallpaper, ceilings, walls, and many more. Finally, if your home experiences water damage from a leak or flood, be sure to dry out all damp materials within 24 - 48 hours.
Modern houses and apartments are sealed up tightly for energy efficiency; however, those tight seals trap allergens and pollutants inside your home. Air out your home as much as possible and use air purifiers to remove mold spores and other allergens from the air. Hidden mold often grows inside HVAC systems. An allergy relief vent filter will trap mold spores before they have a chance to enter your lungs.
For allergy sufferers, frequent cleaning can transform misery into relief. While dead human skin makes up the majority of household dust, mold spores are present in dust as well. Vacuum thoroughly and regularly with a HEPA vacuum cleaner to remove mold spores from your carpet.
According to the EPA, if you find a mold colony that's 10 square feet or smaller, you should be able to handle the cleanup job yourself. Scrub the mold off hard surfaces with water and a specialized cleaning product. But be careful! Cleaning mold releases spores into the air, so if you are sensitive to mold, you'll need to wear goggles, gloves, and an allergy mask for protection. Make sure the area is well ventilated, and wash all supplies and clothing after cleaning.
If you suspect that the mold may be releasing toxic chemicals or if the mold colony is larger than 10 square feet, you should consider hiring a mold remediation professional.
As a relative of mushrooms and yeast, mold serves nature well by decomposing dead organic matter like leaves and wood. However, when mold grows in your home, its powerful enzymes eat through wallpaper, wood, and other materials. Scientists have identified over 200,000 species of mold, and they continue to find more.
Mold reproduces with mold spores, which are like microscopic seeds. At about three microns in size, mold spores are invisible to the human eye. For comparison, the period at the end of this sentence is roughly 300 microns in size - that's 100 times larger than the typical mold spore! Not only are they invisible, but mold spores are virtually indestructible, and many species release chemical toxins (mycotoxins) into the air as a self-defense mechanism. The more you learn about mold spores, the more they sound like extraterrestrial invaders in a sci-fi flick.
Mold & Your Health
In 2006, a University of Cincinnati study found that infants who were exposed to airborne mold spores were more likely to develop allergies to mold, pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and certain foods as they grew older. Tina Reponen, author of the study, says, "It turns out that the health effects of airborne fungal spores are more complicated than we thought."
Over 80% of allergy sufferers are sensitive to mold spores, and a 1999 Mayo Clinic study discovered allergenic fungal sinusitis among 93% of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Like other allergens, mold can cause sneezing, chronic cough, runny nose, congestion, itchy and watery eyes, skin rashes, sinus headaches, and respiratory problems.
But you don't have to be an allergic individual for mold to adversely affect your health. mold can also act as an infectious agent, like bacteria and viruses. Additionally, some species of mold produce chemical toxins called mycotoxins. Stachybotys (pronounced "stack-ee-BOT-ris"), also known as black mold, is the most common and dangerous species of toxic mold. Symptoms of toxic mold exposure may include memory loss and other cognitive disorders, nose bleeds, dizziness, nausea, anemia, difficulty breathing, and death.
How to Prevent Mold Growth
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that half of all U.S. buildings contain areas damp enough for mold growth.
Your Home + Moisture = Mold Growth
It's as simple as 1 + 1. If there's not enough moisture in the air, then mold cannot grow. Therefore, if you suffer from mold allergies (or if you don't want mold to decompose your home), you must monitor your relative humidity with a humidity gauge and use a dehumidifier to to remove excess moisture. Keep your relative humidity below 50 percent to prevent mold growth.
Mold flourishes on your bedding, feeding off moisture from your body. Sleep on allergy relief bedding that prevents the growth of mold and other microorganisms to avoid breathing in allergens while you're sleeping.
Specialized cleaning products can both clean and also prevent mold growth on surfaces like tile, shower doors, furniture, mattresses, wallpaper, ceilings, walls, and many more. Finally, if your home experiences water damage from a leak or flood, be sure to dry out all damp materials within 24 - 48 hours.
Modern houses and apartments are sealed up tightly for energy efficiency; however, those tight seals trap allergens and pollutants inside your home. Air out your home as much as possible and use air purifiers to remove mold spores and other allergens from the air. Hidden mold often grows inside HVAC systems. An allergy relief vent filter will trap mold spores before they have a chance to enter your lungs.
For allergy sufferers, frequent cleaning can transform misery into relief. While dead human skin makes up the majority of household dust, mold spores are present in dust as well. Vacuum thoroughly and regularly with a HEPA vacuum cleaner to remove mold spores from your carpet.
According to the EPA, if you find a mold colony that's 10 square feet or smaller, you should be able to handle the cleanup job yourself. Scrub the mold off hard surfaces with water and a specialized cleaning product. But be careful! Cleaning mold releases spores into the air, so if you are sensitive to mold, you'll need to wear goggles, gloves, and an allergy mask for protection. Make sure the area is well ventilated, and wash all supplies and clothing after cleaning.
If you suspect that the mold may be releasing toxic chemicals or if the mold colony is larger than 10 square feet, you should consider hiring a mold remediation professional.
