Can Having Mold In The House Make You Sick?

Upon exposure to mold and mildew in the house, you, your loved ones or pets could get sick. Mold produces spores that get attached to clothing or the fur of pets, hence distributed to other areas of the house that was not infested. This is their way of reproduction and spread. When you inhale these spores or the damp odors, the body responds by producing more mucus than usual amounts in the airways, making it difficult to breathe, especially in people who have asthma or allergies. It can also cause sneezing and itchy skin on people with no allergies. This article answers the question whether having mold in your house makes you sick.

  • Difficulty in Breathing

People who have allergies can experience trouble when breathing, due to mold exposure. This difficulty is brought about by the airways producing so much mucus than they usually do, in response to the spores produced by the mold. The dampness and awful odors can also make such people experience trouble when breathing. The result is blocked airways, the nose, the windpipe, as well as the lungs, causing a wheezing sound. In asthmatic people, it can get worse to a point of not being able to breathe at all, until they use an inhaler.

The serious difficulty in breathing is manifest in people who have a weakened and compromised immune system. It does not mean that people with no respiratory health issues cannot have trouble breathing, as they too experience sneezing and a runny nose.

  • Runny Nose or Excessive Nose Bleeding

Upon extensive exposure to mold, the most common counter attack action is that the airways produce excessively more mucus, making it difficult to breathe, hence a runny nose that has a lot of redness as you try to clear the nasal cavity. Because of the frequent blowing of the nose and picking it from time to time, you may end up damaging the capillaries in the nose. Upon the rupturing of the capillaries, you may experience some excessive nose bleeding that could result to you going to seek medical attention. However, it is always advisable that you do not assume that it is because of mold that you have these symptoms, visit a health provider as soon as possible.

  • Pale Itchy Skin

People with allergies experience itching on their skin when they are exposed to mold spores. They therefore end up scratching their skin so hard to point that it gets pale and red. This is the same experience people with asthma have, besides asthmatic attacks. In people with a strong immune system, they too may experience itchy skin and the redness. This could also happen to your pets. Medical attention would be required if the itching goes on for quite some time to evaluate whether it is mold causing it. It is important also that you check whether you are experiencing itchiness when at home or away.

  • Cold and Flu

After coming into contact with mold, your body in a bid to counter this allergen will produce more mucus in the airways. This will cause flu and cold symptoms since the immune system is weakened and compromised. With a compromised and weakened immune system, you can have almost every illness, especially the most common ones like cold and flu. When you have these, you will also experience some frequent headaches and increased body temperatures, mainly from blowing and picking your nose from time to time. These simple illnesses can be cured with some home remedies, the first one being getting rid of the mold and second by using over the counter drugs. It is advisable to visit your health provider if the symptoms persist.

Measures such as increasing air circulation, and repairing leaking kitchen and bathroom taps, can help prevent many mold-related health issues. You can also consider getting rid of overly infested items and cleaning the mold using chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide and bleach. Some domestic things like vinegar, alcohol and limewater can also be used to clean the mold. Sometimes even after doing all this, you find that the mold keeps coming back. At this point, you will need to hire professional mold removal services. They will not only detect it, and clean it; they will also put in measures to prevent future infestation and educate you on mold infestation, how to get rid of it and its effects on your health. Nevertheless, if you happen to experience any health issues due to mold, be sure to seek immediate medical attention.