Dangers of Toxic Mold Exposure to Your Family
According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), the term “toxic mold” is somewhat misleading. House mold by itself is not toxic, but they do produce toxins that are harmful to a person’s health. Toxic mold exposure can lead to diseases that are mild in some cases but are fatal with some.
This is why you need to take action immediately when you find a colony of house hold in your home. Whether you suspect this colony to be toxic mold or not, you need to deal with it as soon as you can to protect your family from the possible dangers of toxic mold exposure.
What kind of diseases can result from toxic mold exposure? Here are some examples.
Allergies
Toxic mold exposure can cause allergic reactions, even among people who are not prone to allergies or who have no pre-existing conditions of allergies. The allergic response that these people exposed to mold may show is often similar to allergic responses to animal dander or pollen.
Symptoms of allergies due to toxic mold exposure include sneezing, runny nose and nasal stuffiness. The eyes may become red, watery and itchy. These may also be accompanied by redness or rashes on the skin.
Asthma
Asthma is a respiratory illness where the airways of the body become irritated and inflamed due to exposure to allergens and toxic substances. Included in the various symptoms of asthma are wheezing, shortness of breath, a feeling of tightness in the chest, and episodes of incessant coughing.
People who are already afflicted by asthma can have their condition aggravated by toxic mold exposure. In addition, people who do not have asthma can develop the illness when exposed to mold.
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
Another common illness that can be brought about by toxic mold exposure is called hypersensitivity pneumonitis. It is basically a type of lung infection caused by allergens. A person with this condition can exhibit symptoms similar to that of pneumonia such as chills, coughing, fever, night sweats, fatigue and muscle aches. The illness is sometimes referred to as mushroom picker’s disease or bird breeder’s lung.
Rare Illnesses Caused by Toxic Mold Exposure
In some extreme but rare cases of toxic mold exposure, the irritation experienced by the exposed person can be so severe that it is life-threatening. Examples of such cases include pulmonary bleeding and other forms of internal hemorrhage. Some cases of memory loss are also attributed to toxic mold exposure.
What to Do
How a person’s body reacts to toxic mold exposure depends on the strength of his or her immune system. As thus, people with weak immune systems are the ones most easily compromised.
In order to prevent health complications arising from toxic mold exposure, it is very important that you act upon the problem as soon as you detect the presence of house mold anywhere in your home. The sooner you deal with the problem, the higher the chances that you can prevent symptoms of toxic mold exposure from affecting your family.







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