Discovering mold in a home makes your heart sink. Your home is supposed to be yours and your family's safe place. This is the one place where you can go to escape all of the troubles of the world and be at peace.
All of that is taken away when there's black mold in your house. Signs of mold in your home should signal a red flag immediately. After first realizing that you might have a mold problem, you should contact professionals to help you address the issue.
Unfortunately, mold isn't always visible to the naked eye and comes in a variety of colors. When we live in a house with mold growing inside of it for an extended period of time, we begin to feel the effects. When you can't see the mold, be on the lookout for a few black mold exposure symptoms.
Your body has its own way of telling you that you're being exposed to mold daily. Here's what you need to know.
The Hidden Dangers
Although no one wants to see ugly black mold growing in their home, it would be better if mold was always visible. Seeing mold is a sure sign that there is mold in the home. This is not always the case, though.
There are many times when mold grows inside a home unnoticed. The high-risk areas in the home for mold growth are the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. These rooms are high-risk because they all have a damp environment.
This doesn't mean that mold can only grow in these rooms, however. Mold can grow anywhere inside the home, especially if there's a leak or a flood. In many cases, the mold grows behind the walls of the home, therefore exposing you to its harmful properties without you even knowing.
The Symptoms
If your home does have a hidden mold problem, then you might notice something is wrong because of a few symptoms your body might experience. Mold might be able to fool your eyes, but your body will become affected by it, signaling to you that there's a problem.
Here are some common symptoms that you might have if you're living in a home with black mold.
1. Irritations and Allergies
If you're someone who already suffers from normal allergies, then you'll be even more affected by the mold in your house. Exposure to black mold causes irritations and allergies. You might notice that your preexisting allergies become worse when you're inside your house.
Some allergy symptoms to watch out for are as follows:
- stuffed or runny nose
- sore throat
- skin rash
- watery eyes
- sinuitis
- dry cough
- wheezing
For those with asthma or other lung conditions, exposure to black mold can be even more serious. If you have a strong allergic reaction to the mold, you could also suffer from shortness of breath.
2. Infections in Weakened Immune Systems
Most people have strong enough immune systems to combat mold, however, not everyone has a strong enough immune system to do so. For example, those with cancer, immune system deficiencies, and others with weakened immune systems could be at risk of fungal infections.
When the immune system isn't healthy enough to fight off a body's exposure to black mold, the fungal infection can grow. If there is someone in your home who has a weak immune system and has a fungal infection or seems to be sicker when at home, then you need to act quickly.
Although mold might not pose too serious of risks for healthy adults, it could be detrimental for those who aren't strong enough to fight it.
3. Flu-Like Symptoms
If you're able to catch the mold problem early in its growth due to an allergic reaction, then you're able to stop it before it gets worse. Many people, however, either don't have an allergic reaction, don't think much of their allergic reaction, or don't realize that their allergies are worse when they're home.
When mold isn't caught early on, you can live with the mold hidden behind your home's walls for a lengthy period of time. If you are exposed to mold for an extended amount of time, then you could begin to suffer from more serious flu-like symptoms.
These symptoms include the following:
- shortness of breath
- nausea;
- fever
When these symptoms arise, your mold problem could be growing out of hand. The mold doesn't present any major health concerns to healthy adults, but the symptoms of living with black mold are enough to want to have it removed as soon as possible.
If you're not sure if there's mold in your home or not, then contact the professionals who can come in, inspect your home for mold, and then proceed with a treatment plan if mold is discovered.
If mold isn't found in the home, then you know that your symptoms are caused by something else and you can continue to live peacefully inside your home.
Know If There's Black Mold in Your House Before You Buy!
You should never feel unsafe in your own home. Your home should be your safe haven, free of worries and free of black mold. If you're already living in a home and discover black mold in your house, then your next step is to have the mold removed.
If you haven't moved into a home yet and are currently in the process of buying a new home, then your next step is to have a mold inspection done on a house before you purchase it.
Do you need your home or future home inspected for mold? Give yourself peace of mind by scheduling an inspection.
Click here to contact us today to see how we can help you stay healthy!