Black Mold and Children

It is a proven fact that the effects of mold exposure may have serious consequences for children in the early years of life. Prolonged black mold exposure, in particular, is extremely dangerous as it increases the risk for hemorrhagic pneumonia and consequent death among infants.

A person’s reaction to mold depends on their sensitivity and overall health condition, the amount and the type of mold present in their surroundings, and the length of exposure. However, the longer a child lives in a mold-affected environment the more sensitive to the harmful microorganisms he/she will become. The resultant allergic reactions will also become more and more severe, causing the black mold symptoms to aggravate considerably. So, to prevent serious health problems and reverse the negative effects of mold, you need to take quick and efficient measures at the first signs of mold growth in your home.

Toxic black mold spores can be easily breathed in, ingested, or absorbed through a person’s skin or eyes. Once the mycotoxins find their way into the bloodstream, they can cause a number of circulatory symptoms and vascular problems, such as irregular heartbeat, heart inflammation, heart damage, low blood pressure, problems with blood clotting, internal or external hemorrhaging, etc. Other symptoms include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Weakness and general discomfort
• Immunosuppression
• Muscle, chest, abdominal and joint pain or other aches
• Fever, flu-like symptoms
• Recurring colds, ear infections and/or impaired hearing
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Hair loss

What to Do About Mold in Home

Mold thrives in warm and humid environments, so damp areas in the home, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and basements, are the most likely places to find household mold. Mold removal, however, can be a daunting task – you need to effectively discover and kill all the mold spores in your property, as well as to get rid of the mold toxins (when mold is disturbed, it disintegrates into little particles that may contain pathogenic mycotoxins). So, unless mold covers only a small area that can be easily cleaned or the contaminated materials can be easily replaced, you are recommended to hire professional mold removers to take care of any mold problems you have.

Once the mold remediation process is efficiently completed, most mold allergy symptoms should gradually decrease. Some of the health effects of mold, however, can be permanent – if a child has been long exposed to toxic black mold their immune system will remain weak for life and they’ll be more sensitive to mold and mycotoxins in the future.

Written by Luke Armstrong, Reprinted from restorationmasterfinder.com.

Author: Carolyn Willbanks