The most common black mold symptoms and health effects are associated with a respiratory response. Chronic coughing and sneezing, irritation to the eyes, mucus membranes of the nose and throat, rashes, chronic fatigue and persistent headaches can all be symptomatic of black mold exposure or black mold poisoning.
Black mold can look menacing, but generally is benign. The primary symptoms that could occur would be from inhaling mold, including nasal stuffiness, nasal mucus drainage, cough, and occasionally shortness of breath or wheezing in the chest.
Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores can cause a person to become allergic to mold. Molds can trigger asthma symptoms including shortness of breath, wheezing, or cough in people with known allergies. People who do not have allergies can also become irritated.
The doctor will take a health assessment and health history, and will order blood testing. Antibodies in the patient's body will be checked for a reaction to mold and to other allergens and poisons. The severity of the reaction will also be determined. A skin test will also be part of the doctor's examination.
Urine mycotoxin tests are ideal for testing yourself (and your family members) for mycotoxin exposure. They're absolutely painless, totally non-invasive, and incredibly easy to use. With just a small amount of urine, our experts will be able to spot up to 15 different illness-causing mycotoxins.
This can happen immediately or after exposure, depending on your body. If you don't have a mold allergy, a one-time exposure may cause no symptoms. But sometimes, it can cause symptoms even if you're not allergic. Again, it's different for each person.
Respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, watery eyes, and skin irritation are the predominant symptoms. Mold is also known to cause asthma and life-threatening primary and secondary infections in immune-compromised patients that have been exposed.
Blood test.
A blood test, sometimes called the radioallergosorbent test, can measure your immune system's response to mold by measuring the amount of certain antibodies in your bloodstream known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies.
This condition is called aspergilloma when caused by an Aspergillus mold. The ball most often stays in your lungs but can lead to tissue damage. Symptoms commonly include shortness of breath, cough, or coughing up blood.
Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions.
Taking a Blood Test for Mold Exposure
Your doctor will need to take a sample of your blood and send it to a lab for testing. They will check to see how the antibodies in your system react to various mold species, black mold included.
If you find black mold on your property, there's no need to panic. But black mold presents more health risks to sensitive groups like those with respiratory conditions or immune conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), black mold spores can generate cold- or flu-like symptoms such as: Stuffy nose.
What happens if you breathe in black mold? In most cases, you will just notice some cold/allergy type of symptoms if any. If your immune system is strong, short term exposure won't cause serious harm. However, if you have allergies, severe respiratory issues, or a compromised immune system you can get seriously ill.
It's often described as musty and earthy, and may even smell like rotting vegetables or plants. You might notice a musty smell, but not be able to see any mold growing. In this case, you should look for areas that might be exposed to water.
Like most molds, black mold starts to grow as fuzzy white fibers, looking similar to a cotton ball. However, this is not commonly seen outside of the laboratory environment, as this small, light mold is often well-hidden in a home environment.
Use dehumidifiers to keep relative humidity indoors between 30-50%. Utilize windows, doors, and exhaust fans to keep bathrooms and kitchens dry. Clean shower curtains and bathroom tiles regularly with mold-killing products. Vent appliances that produce moisture to the outside whenever possible.
Do air purifiers help with mold? Air purifiers help capture mold spores from the air, preventing them from reproducing and spreading throughout your home. While air purifiers won't help treat active mold that's already present on surfaces, they are a great way to control the spread of airborne mold particles.
What are the effects of black mold exposure? Black mold does not affect everyone in the same way, but those with an allergy or sensitivity to the spores may experience symptoms such as congestion, red eyes, respiratory problems, skin rashes and so on. In some cases, an infection may occur.
Virulent molds
These molds can colonize inside a normal human's body and cause an infection. For example, the mold species Blastomyces dermatitidis can cause an infection called Blastomyces when inhaled, and Histoplasma capsulatum can cause infections in people exposed to contaminated soil.
Can a Dehumidifier Remove Mold? Simply put, dehumidifiers cannot remove mold. The machine is designed to remove moisture in the air. This means that if there is already a presence of mildew in a home or building, it will not be removed just by working to reduce the moisture after the fact.