Tag: does mold effect my health

The Science of Mold

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The Science of Mold

People often talk about mold, but they usually do so in very general terms. It’s one of those things that you know of but don’t really know anything about. You may even be able to spot mold when you see it, but determining which kind and whether it’s dangerous or not is harder. Usually, these things become easier to understand and identify the more you know.

 

It’s like the old saying goes: know your enemy. For homeowners, mold is definitely the enemy – costing America millions each year in remediation costs. Fortunately for you, the leading mold, water, and bio and trauma remediation company for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex – RestoPros – knows the enemy all too well. Today, our experts are going to teach you the science of mold.

 

  1. The Evolution of Fungi.

Fungi has been on earth for a very long time. It’s ancient, in fact. Fungi first diverged from other life somewhere around 1.5 billion years ago, with symbiotic fungi taking off roughly a billion years later. Because fungi are not biomineral (organisms that produce minerals), it does do not appear in the fossil record until the Paleoproterozoic period, which was about 2,400 million years ago.

 

Fungi held a stable but relatively unimpressive foothold on Earth for the next 2,335 million years. However, following the massive extinction of the Cretaceous-Tertiary which took place 65 million years ago, fungi basically took over the world. When the dinosaurs and plants from that event were killed off, it created the opening and conditions for a massive colonization of Earth by fungi. This is refereed as the Great Fungi Bloom, and it’s responsible for people’s mold problems today.

 

  1. How Mold Spores Travel.

Mold spores travel in very interesting ways. The spores are released and are carried by the wind, people, or pets to a new location. Mold spores are released in the greatest abundance when dried out. As the mold dies, spores are released into the air. Under UV lights, the spores look a lot like a cloud of dust.

 

However, because mold spores are relatively heavy, they are not carried too far from the original colony. If you find mold in your home, the best thing you can do to prevent it from spreading is not touch it. Call in a remediation company like RestoPros, so it can be safely removed from the home.

 

  1. How Mold Affects Your Health.

Mold affects our health in much the same manner as when it spreads. It’s not the mold itself that poses a threat to human health; it’s the spores that are the problem. When mold spores are released, we breathe them into our bodies. Generally, this just causes coughing, itchy eyes, and wheezing in people and isn’t too dangerous, though it is irritating.

 

However, when people who have respiratory problems like asthma breathe in mold spores, it can cause an acute health risk – and in some cases –  even death. That’s why it’s important to call in a professional mold remediation company if you discover a mold colony in your home.

 

While we hope this information on the science of mold will give you a better understanding of the enemy, if you discover a mold problem, it’s best to call in an experienced professional. The fact is, proper mold removal may be too difficult and dangerous for the average homeowner. The CDC recommends calling a professional mold remediation company in most cases. The mold remediation experts at RestoPros have a long-standing reputation for expertise, professionalism, and hard work.

 

If you’re looking for a skilled and highly trained technician for mold testing, mold remediation, water damage restoration, or HVAC duct cleaning anywhere in the Dallas Metroplex, call us at (855) 58-RESTO (855-587-3786) to schedule your appointment today!

Mold and Its Effects on Your Health

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When mold is discovered in your home, a common first thought is “is it harmful?” After all, many media publications, blogs, and internet discussions have labeled mold as “toxic,” “deadly” and “poisonous.” So, it’s not far-fetched to believe that encountering or touching mold could be dangerous. However, the connection between mold and your health is more ambiguous than you might think. And answering the question “how does mold effect your health” requires more than a one-sentence response.

RestoPros would like to provide Dallas/Ft. Worth homeowners insight about mold and its impact on their health. We recommend following this article to help acquire a better understanding of mold, preparing homeowners for a plan if it appears.

What is Mold?

Before we attempt to explain the health effects of mold, we must first understand what mold is. Mold is a type of fungus that grows in environments with warm, dark and humid conditions. It spawns and feeds off organic matter. Mold’s appearance varies on the species, but you’ll generally see it as stain-like with different shades of black, brown, yellow, green or blue. It can also appear fuzzy or as a slime.

With the abundance of trees, grass, and vegetation, mold is ubiquitous in nature. You can find mold on rotting trees, dead plants, and animal carcasses. There are over 100,000 species of mold that can work in tandem, meaning one instance of mold growth could contain several different species.

How Does Mold Effect Your Health?

Mold reproduces via spores. Essentially, these are the “seeds” of mold, which travel through the air to find a suitable location to plant themselves and initiate new mold growth. These spores hold the allergens and other contaminants that can make you sick. Symptoms could be runny nose, irritated eyes, chronic cough, headaches, and other allergenic responses. 

Along with spores, certain species of mold can also produce mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are small, toxic substances that can also cause symptoms of sickness and allergies if contacted.

We come in contact with mold spores and mycotoxins almost every day when going outside. So, if all the claims and rumors about mold’s health effects were true, we’d probably all be sick right now. However, considering the openness of the outdoors, mold spores and mycotoxins are so spread out that you’ll usually be safe being outdoors, provided you’re not constantly near mold.

But as the space becomes more confined, the more of a health impact mold can have. Mold spores and mycotoxins in tight spaces are now closer together and larger in quantity, meaning you have a higher chance of inhaling more of them. Therefore, having mold grow somewhere such as your home could possibly lead to negative health effects. And the adversity of these effects depends on factors such as the size of the mold infestation and the status of your own health.

Mold growth has been proven to cause worse symptoms for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions. For example, if you have a lung infection, mold can exacerbate the issue, increasing the severity of your systems. Additionally, those with weaker immune systems such as children or the elderly can also experience more severe symptoms from mold spores.

In Conclusion

Mold can have an effect on your health, but only under certain conditions. Although we recommend following safety precautions when mold has been identified in your home (contacting RestoPros for mold remediation services), you shouldn’t cower in fear upon the sight of a mold-infested plant or tree.

RestoPros is happy to inform Dallas/Ft. Worth homeowners about the possible effects mold can have on your health. And be sure to contact RestoPros for affordable mold remediation services if a mold infestation has appeared in your home. Give us a call at 855-587-3786 to get started.

Related Links

Basic Facts About Mold – CDC