Indoor Fungi May Be Harmful to Your Child’s Health

Molds are visible conglomerates of hundreds of thousands fungi cells joined together in a colony in order to reproduce more successfully. These thread-like cells (the hyphae) form grass-like colonies from where they release airborne seeds (the spores) that end up equally distributed all over your home.

Spores that hit the surfaces with minimum moist (damp) are bound to flourish into a new colony, resulting in another discolored patch on your walls or tiles. In short, these fungi can be described as resistant and progressive, but also potentially harmful.

The “Sick Building Syndrome”

Mold spores are unavoidable outdoors and indoors. However, in nature they get scattered along vast areas so the concentration of spores left in the air is minor. Indoors, on the other hand, spores pollute the air and enter our lungs and airways abundantly.

Lucky for us, our immune systems can handle these intruders, unless of course, the fungi specie produces spores which are poisonous. However, many individuals are jeopardized by the pollution because of immunodeficiency, asthma, allergies and respiratory infections. These subgroups of the general population can expect their bodies to react more intensely to spore contamination.

In 1984, World Health Organization (WHO) found that around 30% of new buildings (or newly remodeled ones) all over the world may sooner or later become susceptible to poor indoor air quality.

Children Are Particularly at Risk

In 1988, Dr. Robert E. Dales and his colleagues set out on a large-scale research study inquiring into public health issues as a result of mold pollution. The results pointed out that there are consistently higher levels of respiratory symptoms in Canadian children whose parents reported having mold or dampness in their homes.

Children (and elderly as well) have less effective immune systems than adults. Furthermore, urban life and general outdoor air pollution, along with the wide use of antibiotics in early ages, has led to more frequent early-onset allergies (and even asthma).

Babies are especially prone to respiratory infections. Infant idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage is sometimes found in healthy infants of less than one year of age previously exposed to mold.The condition manifests itself with blood accumulating in the nose and in the airways.

Doctors Know Much, and yet They’re Not So Sure

doctor

A recent analysis published by doctor Kuhn and Ghannoum makes it clear that research conducted to examine the relation of indoor fungi exposure and infectious disease yields somewhat inconclusive results.

Nevertheless, some negative health effects of mold exposure are more certain than others. This includes ergotism (poisoning that leads to spasms, paresthesias, diarrhea, etc.), alimentary toxic aleukia (blood disease), and liver disease. Not to mention toxic mold specie called the Stachybotrys chartarum (also know as “black mold”). It causes a wide range of symptoms starting from the mental health problems (such as learning difficulties), neurological symptoms (dizziness, confusion), breathing difficulties, and damages to internal organs.

Some DIY Mold Remediation Methods

If mold exposure caused one of your family members to suffer any sort of health difficulties then you should have professionals attend to cleaning the household. There are two major reasons for this. One is that most of the removal strategies are applied via water solutions of different chemicals, and water can provide mold with some extra moist to recover from the fungicides you have used.

Another reason is that dampness can be stored in your walls, furniture, carpets, wooden elements in such ways you cannot detect it. For this reason, experts use infrared cameras and surface sampling. Thus, the professional diagnostics cannot be carried out as easily with DIY methods, and this is the only way to completely clear up your home from mold contamination.

mold attack

DIY methods include water solutions of bleach (most effective), borax, ammonia (not so safe), and hydrogen peroxide. Bleach and borax solutions are made in the ration of 1 parts chemical to 10 parts water. However, when applied bleach releases harsh fumes so make sure the room is ventilated before treating the surface.

Another more natural and safe substance to use are tee tree oils (most effective), grape seed extract, and vinegar. The latter is excellent to use interchangeably with baking soda solution, since baking soda kills the sorts of fungi vinegar cannot remove. Both are pretty cheap and safe.

Now, let’s do a quick recap. Molds are unavoidable tenants of humid indoor environments, and our household can accumulate large amounts of dampness. Fungi/mold pollutes the indoor air and can cause various health consequences.

Contributed byhttps://www.bustmold.com

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