Mold and Its Side Effects

The next time you see a huge patch of mold on your wall, basement or anywhere within your house do not take it lightly. A typical view of the old apartments or your own drainage leaking, is a breeding ground for mold formation. Sometimes dark greenish or extremely black in color; mold can be formed in temperatures as low as 4 °C. Yes! The typical refrigerator temperature is good enough for molds to thrive. Surprised? Precisely why refrigerators too should be periodically cleaned and the stacked ingredients should be emptied at the earliest.

Generally we’d all think that for years together these greenish black patches have grown over our house, how could it affect our life in the least possible manner? Moment of truth! Feeling of nausea or even vomiting due to exposure to household mold is a common side effect. Many a times we do not even realize it. Ever thought about the sudden attack of wheezing or shortness of breath you face? Doctors would treat it under the category of respiratory problems asking you several questions about the kind of environment we are exposed to. How many times do we even tell the Doctors that our houses are infested with molds? The answer is nil and that is because of the ignorance of the effects mold can have on us.

Research shows that inhaling or coming in contact with mold can cause dizziness, flu like symptoms, rashes, can make you susceptible to other viruses and the toxins inhaled from molds can even cause memory loss. Some dandy health conditions that are sure attention grabbers are “Sudden Infant Death Syndrome”, “Bronchitis”, ”Pneumonia”. Infants and elders are easy victims due to compromised immune system. Negligence shown towards water damaged houses and used mattresses in a baby crib are known to have caused lung infections and sudden infant death syndrome.

It’s time to stop worrying and plunge into getting rid of these molds which is another task all by itself. If the society or the building you live in has molds then it should be brought to the association’s notice. If they do not take any action for its removal then it is best to contact a health hazard prevention agency which might be difficult in India unlike the environment protection agencies in US. An attempt to remove molds from the building should not be made by individuals but specialists. Less than 10 sq ft area infected with mold should be removed with adequate cover up of hands, nose and mouth. Soap water can be used to scrub off the mold and ensure the surrounding area is free of any item.

Mold thrives well in damp areas hence it’s important to keep the least visited spots in the house damp free such as basement and attic. Ensure the faucets, bath tubs and taps in the toilets are not leaking. The toilets are haven for molds because of the dampness hence ensure after every use the tubs and floors are dry. Bleach the toilets; molds hate bleaching agents! Air conditioners are increasingly used nowadays  but they also help mold thrive well therefore de-humidifiers are the best resort to keep molds away.

Prevention is better than cure any given day! Therefore one needn’t wait for mold to spread, instead a periodical check of the house right from the kitchen sink to ceiling or surroundings in general can help you lead a healthy life.