Mold Dangers | Black Mold Health Risks | Symptoms Of Mold Exposure

What are Molds?

Molds are type of fungi present in nature; you will find molds in house and outdoors. They are tiny microscopic organisms such as mushrooms and yeasts, needed to breakdown the dead material and recycle the organic nutrients back to the environment.

For their survival and reproduction, molds require food source such as wood, leaves, paper etc. they grow rapidly in heat and humid environment.

Dangers Of Mold In The Home

In the process of digestion molds destroy the unwanted organic material, molds release innumerable spores which are airborne and travel to other destinations and infest other articles.

Molds become a health hazard when it comes in contact with humans. They cause allergies, inflammations and infection in human beings due to release of mycotoxins present in them.

Mold Dangers To Health

Some of the mold dangers are:

  • Respiratory disease such as asthma, and upper respiratory tract infections.
  • Allergic Conjunctivitis.
  • Skin allergies, skin rashes
  • Suppressing immune system.
  • Diarrhea
  • Body ache similar to influenza.
  • Food allergies.
  • Sinusitis.

Most common house molds are Penicillium, Cladosporium, and aspergillus.

Black Mold Health Risks

Black molds are called stachybotrys chartarum. They produce mycotoxins , and are present in dead and live spores of the molds.

Spore of black molds enter the body via abrasions and cuts on the surface of skin and through respiration.

Infants, children, elderly people and pregnant women and people with low immunity are vulnerable to black mold mycotoxins.

Symptoms Of Mold Exposure

Headaches, allergic symptoms such as itchy watery eyes, and nose, cough and throat irritation and dizziness are some of the black mold dangers a person faces, if he is infested with its mycotoxin.