Respiratory Risks: The Health Impacts of Black Mold in Walls
If you haven’t been feeling well and aren’t sure why, it’s time to consider what may be lurking inside your walls: black mold.
Black mold in walls is a hidden health threat that can happen to anyone. Experts recommend drying wet building materials within 24 hours to prevent mold. But if the wetness is in your walls, you never saw the mold coming.
Finding mold in your house can feel like a nightmare, but for your health’s sake, it’s worth taking a look. If you hire professionals to test for mold, you may find the source of your symptoms.
What Is Black Mold and How Does Exposure Happen?
Black mold, or stachybotrys, is black but can have a green tinge. It produces toxins that are dangerous to your health.
Black mold thrives in damp indoor environments. All it takes is a small leak from a pipe, a window frame or a gutter to intrude the walls of your home. Once that water seeps into building materials that mold can eat, mold has everything it needs to grow.
Mold is just one of the contaminants that comes from water-damaged building materials. If your walls have been wet, you may also be exposed to harmful bacteria and microbial volatile organic compounds.
Here are some of the health impacts you can expect if your home has black mold, visible or not.
Stuffy Sinuses and Nasal Symptoms
Black mold exposure can cause chronic swelling and congestion in your nasal passages and sinuses. You may also have a runny nose, itching and nosebleeds.
Sinus and other mold-related symptoms can be more severe in infants, children, older adults and people who have allergies or asthma. People with weak immune systems are also more likely to get invasive mold infections, which can be fatal.
Black Mold in Walls Causes Allergies, Asthma and Respiratory Problems
Black mold exposure can trigger allergic symptoms, including:
- Sneezing
- Chronic dry cough
- Sore throat
- Wheezing and shortness of breath
- Eye irritation, redness, watering and itching
- Blurred vision
- Skin rash, blisters, itchiness and crawling sensations
Similar to pollen or peanuts, some people have allergies to mold. Because mold can grow in walls and other unseen spaces, people don’t always know it’s making them sick. Anyone who seems to be constantly in an allergic cycle should consider hidden mold to be a possible culprit.
Headaches, Fatigue and Stomach Symptoms
People exposed to moldy buildings can have headaches, nausea and unexplained fatigue. Some develop pain and difficulty concentrating.
Mold is linked to chronic inflammation, which can cause a wide variety of symptoms in the brain and body. These symptoms range from neurological to digestive and can include memory problems, food sensitivities, muscle cramps and more.
Remove Mold to Restore Your Health
If you’re worried about black mold in walls, attics or other hidden areas of your home, consider hiring experts to test for mold. If they find mold, they can remediate and remove the problem.
If you live in the Wilmington area and are ready to have your home checked for black mold, contact us for mold inspection and remediation today!
