If black mold has infiltrated your home, your family’s health may be in danger. Toxic black mold or Stachybotrys chartarum is a relatively common type of fungus that is greenish-black in color and thrives on material with high cellulose content, such as fiberboard, gypsum board, and paper, according to the CDC. Black mold growth occurs when there is constant moisture in the home from condensation, water damage, and leaks, or flooding. When black mold is in the house, it must be taken care of as soon as possible to avoid health hazards for yourself, your family, and your guests.
Luckily, getting rid of black mold in your house isn’t very difficult. Once you have spotted the signs of mold or water damage in your Jackson, WY home, you’ll want to contact a local restoration company to mitigate the damage and to safeguard against potential loss or mold regrowth in the future.
Continue reading to learn more about the health hazards of black mold and how you can spot black mold in your house.
Health Issues That May Be Caused By Black Mold In Your Home
According to this article from Wide Open Country, black mold exposure can lead to some scary health effects, with most of these effects causing problems with the respiratory system. Some of the health issues that exposure to black mold in your house can cause include:
- Chronic coughing and sneezing
- Irritation to the eyes
- Shortness of breath
- Skin irritation
- Mucus buildup in the nose and throat
- Rashes
- Chronic fatigue and
- Persistent headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bleeding in the lungs/nose
If your health starts to deteriorate once you have moved into your home or if some or all of your family members are beginning to experience respiratory health issues, you will want to find out immediately whether or not mold is the culprit.
How To Spot Black Mold in Your House
Apart from respiratory issues, here are a few more sure signs to find out if there is black mold in house:
- Musty Smell – If you notice a pungent, earthy musty and unpleasant smell, you probably have mold somewhere in your home, says Megan Patiry of the blog PaleoHacks. If you cannot see any visible signs of mold, contact a mold remediation company in Jackson, WY, to inspect your home for mold. If you ’ve lived in your home for a while, you may have grown used to any “odd” smells your home may have. Invite a friend over to help you discover if there is black mold in your house.
- Visible Dark Rings & Water Spots – An early sign of mold can be the appearance of dark rings or water damaged spots along walls and ceilings. If you see anything like this in your home, it’s best to clean it up with disinfectants immediately. Before or after you have cleaned up the area, you’ll want to contact a mold inspector to make sure that the home is not a black mold “breeding ground”. After their assessment, the mold inspector and restoration company may need to take additional steps to stop mold in its tracks and from continuing to be an issue in your home.
- Visible Mold Growth – If you see black mold spores in your home, or any mold growth for that matter, whether it be white, orange, green or black, you need to treat it immediately.
If you are able to see and reach the area(s) of mold growth in your home, you can treat it yourself as a first step precaution by protecting your skin and eyes with gloves, safety goggles, and other protective gear and disinfecting the area. Once you have finished, make sure the area is well ventilated. Even if you do clean it yourself, you will need to contact a mold inspector in Jackson, WY, to make sure that all the mold is gone and to mitigate mold growth in the future as well as, to protect your family’s health.