Could Mould be Affecting your House and Health?

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Could Mould be Affecting your House and Health?

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Exposure to harmful agents in the home can have a serious and profound effect on your health. The average person spends on average 16 hours a day in their home, and when you have family that are under the age of 6 and over the age of 65, this can increase significantly. Mould usually accumulates in buildings that are not ventilated properly and also in buildings that have signs of damp. The problem is that mould usually goes unnoticed for long periods of time, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t silently affecting your health.

When you inhale mould fragments and even spores, this can cause your lungs and airways to inflame and it can even cause symptoms such as chest tightness and coughing. If you have water damage then this can really speed the whole mould-growth process along, and if you or your kids suffer from asthma then these symptoms can be exacerbated.

Indoor Dampness and Mould

According to the WHO, or the World Health Organisation, a significant amount of the world’s population suffer from childhood asthma and this can certainly be attributed to mould and even dampness in the home. Those who live in damp or even mouldy conditions are also at risk of depression.

The Dangers of Black Mould

The most well-known type of mould is black mould. This can grow in water-damaged buildings and it is known for creating toxic spores. In 1994 for example, it was linked to ten different children who experienced bleeding from the lungs. One of them later passed away, and even though a significant amount of concern was raised regarding the mould present in the homes, this blatant link was never established until later on.

Are You At Risk?

It’s a commonly assumed concept that mould will always appear in a damp home. This isn’t always the case, as mould can sometimes appear in homes that do not show any signs of damp at all. Scientists, to this day, are still struggling to measure mould growth correctly indoors but it is a known fact that mould can be exaggerated by dampness and wet conditions. According to WHO, 15% of properties have signs of damp and 5% of them have signs of mould. In warmer climates, 20% of properties have damp and 25% have mould problems.

With mould being known for causing lung problems, it is vitally important that you do everything you can to get any mould issues that you have sorted out promptly. You also need to make sure that you take into account the condition of your home, for example, if you have missing roof shingles or any other areas that could expose leaks then this will exaggerate the problem. The only way to deal with mould would be for you to first deal with any water damaged areas of your home before taking care of the damp itself. It is then wise to have your home damp-proofed, before you proceed with removing any mould that might be present. Only then can you start to deal with the problem without worries of it reoccurring over a period of time.

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