Health effects of house mold
Gordon

Defined Tag: House mold.

Health problems related to mold exposure can fall into four different categories, they are:

1) Allergy
2) Irritation
3) Infection and
4) Toxicity.

House mold spores are so small (5-8 microns) that even our nose can't stop them from getting into our respirator system. Common allergic reactions caused by house mold are itching eyes, runny nose and rashes. It can also lead to fever, headache, fatigue and respiratory infection.

Nowadays, one fifth of the Americans suffers from allergies associated with house mold. Children are particularly sensitive to mold spores. They are at greater risk for the adverse effects of house mold than anyother age group. Notice that the effect of house mold can be cumulative. It is not uncommon to see people who get infected on the 110th contaction while the first 109 exposures have no problem. You should always make sure your family, especially young children, to have as little exposure to house mold as possible.

To combat house mold, one must first find the cause and tackle it completely. It is important to reduce humidity in your house because moisture is one of the major causes of house mold. One of the most effective way to control moisture is by using air dehumidifier. Ideally, 30% to 50% humidity level should be good enough to prevent house mold.

Eliminate the sources of moisture and reduce humidity in your home! Repair any water leaks in the roof, walls or basement. Prevent condensation on walls and windows by maintaining a low relative humidity in your home, ideally 30¡V50 percent (less than 30% is too dry for wooden furniture). Humidity levels are measured by hygrometers available in hardware stores.

Even though bathing and cooking can add as much as 3 gallons of moisture each day, basement is by far the largest source of water. On average, basement can produces 20 gallons of water a day, which is almost 7 times more than the moisture from bathrooms.

That is why dehumidifiers are generally used in basement. In long run, having a good dehumidifier can draw in a lot of moisture from the ground, making it very difficult for house mold to grow.

• Learn how to choose a dehumidifier
• Read more about house mold