Mold Exposure: Prevention, Causes and Health Implications

Mold can grow on various surfaces such as walls, carpets, foods, and clothing. Mold may compromise your health if you inhale the allergens, and it can often be difficult to remove. As such, it’s better to prevent mold before it becomes a problem to your house and health.

What Causes Mold and How to Prevent Its Growth

Ensure Every Area is Dry

Mold thrives in wet places, so ensure every area in your house is dry. After flooding, remove carpets, clothes, or furniture to dry outside. Avoid leaving wet clothes in washing machines and any other damp items on the floors. If, despite all this, you still spot mold growth in your home, it is best to call a company specialising in mold removal in Andover, MA (or elsewhere more relevant) as soon as possible. Professional removal experts will be able to remove any mold already present in your home and prevent the growth from spreading or returning in the future, protecting your health and offering you some peace of mind.

Use Mold-Resistant Products

While building or renovating an old structure, it is advisable to use mold-resistant products such as drywall or Sheetrock. Areas prone to dampness such as kitchens, bathrooms, basements, or laundry spaces should have mold-resistant walls to prevent wetness, thus discouraging mold growth. If you want detailed advice on where to get help, check here.

Ensure your Household Plants are Free from Mold

Flowers and plants add beauty to your home, but they can be a breeding place for molds. In most cases, molds start growing in moist soil and spread to other places in the house. Instead of getting rid of indoor plants, add Taheebo tea to the water used for watering these plants.

Keep Humidity Levels in Check

Environmental Protection Agency recommends humidity levels of between 30 and 60 percent in the house. Humidity is measured with moisture metes, or you can detect it if you notice condensation on pipes or walls. Therefore, dry the surfaces and check where the moisture is coming from.

Improve Air Circulation in the House

A closed room without enough air circulation can get damp, and moisture may fall on walls, or windows making the areas mold-friendly. So, increase air circulation by keeping the windows and doors open and decluttering the space.

Check the Causes of Dampness and Rectify

Removing molds in a building can be hectic and can cause serious health problems. So, it’s better to prevent mold occurrence by ensuring any leaky pipes are taken care of and repairing faulty roofs. The quick intervention will also help you save money that you’d have used to remove molds and for medical care.

One of the leading causes of dampness in structures is something called Rising Damp. This occurs with moisture rises from the surrounding earth up through a permeable wall, allowing the moisture to enter the structure. A company like Danford Brewer & Ives can help you identify Rising Damp and rectify it before it causes serious issues.

Health Problems Related to Mold Exposure

• People in mold-infested houses can get airway inflammation which may cause coughing, nasal congestion, throat irritation, and wheezing.
• Long exposure to house dampness or molds can cause asthma. A report by the World Health Organization shows that over 300 million cases of childhood asthmatic cases are related to dampness or inhaling mold particles.
• Molds can worsen the health conditions of persons with allergies or asthma.
• Other effects of molds are eye and lung irritation, depression, and idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis.

Finally, learn the climatic conditions in your area and know how to control moisture content inside the house. If you get nasal congestion caused by molds, you can buy over-the-counter drugs such as antihistamines or decongestants. If symptoms persist, seek medical care from a professional doctor.