What is Mold, and What Happens When You Inhale It?

Mold is one of the most challenging problems to deal with as a homeowner. It's tenacious, spreads quickly, and can be tough to eradicate without the correct information or professional assistance. On top of all of this, many homeowners are constantly afraid of mold because of the health risks. Mold has a reputation for being toxic, causing chronic ailments and even death in some people.

When you are concerned that you may have mold growing in your house, you may also be wondering what might happen if you or your family were to inhale it. This guide can help you understand what you're up against, what steps to take, and how to identify if your mold exposure has become severe.

What is Mold?

Mold is a living entity, just like bacteria and viruses. It's a fungus that grows in warm, moist environments with little light exposure. Mold begins as a spore, a microscopic creature undetectable to the naked eye. These microscopic spores travel from one location to another by drifting through the air.

Mold spores start spreading along the surface once they've taken root in an area with the right growing circumstances, eventually blooming into the characteristic mold patches you could see in your house. These patches are known as mold colonies, and by the time you detect them, they've most likely spread beyond what you can see.

Mold can be divided into three categories:

• Allergenic mold is the mildest and least dangerous of the three varieties. Allergenic molds are usually not dangerous in small concentrations, but they can induce allergic reactions if exposed to them for a long time.
• Pathogenic mold is one that can cause significant diseases in the body. Molds in this group can cause severe sickness in both people who have an excellent immune system and those who have a damaged immune system.
• Toxic molds can be dangerous in certain situations. These molds aren't inherently toxic in and of themselves, but they do release chemicals called mycotoxins that can harm the body.

When you inhale mold spores, what happens?

When foreign pollutants enter the body, the human immune system is meant to react, and this is precisely what occurs when a person breathes in mold spores. People with asthma or allergies to mold may have a more severe reaction than those who aren't, but anyone might have negative symptoms after too much mold exposure.

Mold spores can get into your airways through your nose and mouth, and they can irritate your eyes and skin if they're exposed. Once the spores have entered your body, your immune system will attempt to expel them by provoking bodily responses from you, such as coughing or sneezing. The severity of these reactions is determined mainly by your mold sensitivity.

The following are the most typical signs and symptoms of mold exposure:

• Sneezing
• Stuffy nose
• Postnasal drip
• Throat and nose itch
• Eyes that are itchy or watery
• Skin redness and dryness
• Asthma flare-up

Mold exposure symptoms usually only remain as long as mold spores are present in your body. The adverse effects should subside within a day or two after removing the mold from your home and washing and circulating new, clean air throughout your respiratory system.

If you are in the Hendersonville, NC area and suspect you may have mold in your home, then CONTACT No Mold WNC!

Thank you for stopping by today and reading this article. You may also enjoy: Mycotoxins and Mold