Mold Symptoms In Humans

Mold House Symptoms Linked To Allergies

Mold house symptoms are a growing concern throughout the world as more people realize a possible "mold connection" to their indoor allergy problems. Indoor air quality (IAQ) problems due to mold infestation have received more media attention over the past few years as more government agencies realize the need to educate people about it. This continues to be the case even though mold spores have been floating around in our home environments since we started building structures to live in.

Living structures used to have leaky windows and attic fans which would bring in a lot of outdoor air. The environmental catch phrase of, "the solution to pollution is dilution" certainly applied to the manner in which structures were built in the past. However, technological advances in energy efficiency have lead to houses, apartments and buildings becoming more air tight. This in return creates a tightly built structure that does not receive outdoor air except through the occasional window or door opening.

Indoor air pollutants per cubic foot of air can actually be higher than outdoor air and can also be smaller in size. Many of these small indoor air pollutants will remain stuck in the lung tissues once breathed in. This is the primary reason why many scientists and researchers have stated that indoor air pollution may be a greater problem than outdoor air pollution. This smaller particle principle also applies to a mold spore which can split apart into many small particles.

Human toxicology studies have shown that persons who have an allergic predisposition to a particular mold species can have a reaction to any particle size of that mold. An allergy sufferer can have an allergic reaction even to a small dead mold particle, and mold is a leading cause of allergies in the home and work environment. Non-viable or dead mold may be present within a house, apartment or building even though there is no apparent mildew-like odor. Most indoor home environments will have some presence of mold and it is not common to find multiple species. Mold allergy reactions are merely a combination of the type of mold species and the amount of that species one may breathe in during the day.

How to Eliminate Mold Particles

All mold starts as a growing (viable) organism but is rarely seen in that form unless found actively colonizing in a refrigerator pan, air-conditioning condensate pan or wet wall. There are many indoor sources from which a mold can originate, but most mold spores are sucked into the indoor environment each time we open doors or windows.

Mold-related allergies, asthma and upper respiratory conditions generally arise when too many of the dead (non-viable) mold spores are floating around in the indoor air. Using the proper technology combined with current knowledge can make a drastic reduction in mold and other indoor airborne pollutants. Regular vacuuming with a HEPA (High Efficient Particulate Air) unit is a very effective method to remove the small mold particles which cause many allergic responses. Thorough vacuuming should be performed during the first few weeks in home environments which have an allergy or asthma sufferer.

More Mold Information

Read about Mold Removal or more Mold Prevent Strategies here.

Stan K. Hall is a recognized specialist in Indoor Air Pollution as well as Health & Safety in the home. He has performed over 400 indoor environmental evaluations over the past 26 years and has helped hundreds of homeowners make their home a haven. He is widely known as the originator of T.E.A.M., the scientifically proven approach to controlling and resolving indoor air pollution.

Next page: Air Purifier Mold

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