Is Mold Causing Your Health Issues?

Mold Remediation

Mold testing is important for the health of business employees and home residents. Since mold is a natural part of the ecosystem, it grows both indoors and outdoors. When there is indoor growth, serious issues can result. Mold thrives in dark and damp spaces, can trigger health issues and cause damage to homes and businesses. When the conditions in the building are right, mold will grow.

Mold spores attach to a lot of different materials including wood, carpet, fabric and paper. A mold inspection is the process of identifying mold in areas with low light and heavy moisture including:

• Areas around leaky pipes
• Basements
• Sinks
• Showers
• Bathtubs
• Attics
• Around windows
• Crawl spaces

Health Hazards

Even if mold is present, the occupants in a building may not necessarily become seriously ill. Mold can potentially result in specific health issues. Inhaling or touching mold spores can result in symptoms similar to allergies including:

• Headache
• Eye irritation
• Lung irritation
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Congestion and runny nose
• Sore throat
• Sneezing
• Skin rash

Mold remediation is extremely important for any individual in the building suffering from asthma, COPD, allergies, cystic fibrosis or a compromised immune system due to the higher risk of having complications. Mold can trigger an allergic reaction resulting in an asthma attack. In some instances, symptoms must be managed with an inhaler.

Serious Issues Resulting from Mold

Serious reactions can result due to exposure to large quantities of mold. This generally occurs more often in the workplace as opposed to the home. One of the most dangerous complications is called CIRS or chronic inflammatory response syndrome. This is a progressive, multi-symptom illness resulting from exposure to biotoxins including mold.

Doctors who specialize in mold exposure say virtually all of the organs in the body can be affected by this illness if the condition is not treated. An assessment by and indoor environmental professional (IEP) is highly recommended to assess the property for past and present sources of mold and water damage. If the building is damaged by water, the individual is consistently exposed to mold, leading to the possibility of this condition developing.

Diagnosis and Treatment of CIRS

Unfortunately, misdiagnosis is common for individuals with this condition including:

• Anxiety
• Alzheimer’s
• Allergies
• Depression
• Fibromyalgia
• Parkinsonism
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Chronic fatigue syndrome

Even though there are effective therapies available, the symptoms of this condition are not improved. The correct diagnosis is difficult to achieve because laboratory evaluations are often negative for common parameters including inflammation. Patients with this condition have reported similar cognitive issues including:

• Mood disorders
• Fatigue
• Loss of cognitive functions
• Brain fog
• Memory loss

The reason is this condition is one of the most important components regarding innate immune response. Several different markers are available for measuring inflammation in the brain and the innate response.

If you have been diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) and live in a home or work in a building with any of the following conditions, you should contact an experienced professional mold inspector for mold testing.

• The building has been severely damaged by water
• There is hard to reach or large amounts of mold
• Accumulation of dust/ particle debris
• Musty odors
• Humidity concerns

Aeris Indoor Environmental Services offers environmental assessments and testing performed by seasoned professionals through South, Central and North Florida.

For information about Aeris and their indoor air quality services, reach out by email at [email protected] or call 844-692-3747.