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MOLD CENTRAL: Black Mold

Understanding Black Mold

Hearing about mold can be scary, especially if its in your home or business and its making you and other people sick. It can poison your family, your co-workers, your friends, and even your pets. Most people think green when they think of mold, but black mold, or Stachybotrys, is actually very common as a problem in damp or water-damaged areas (learn how to treat damage) and it can be very dangerous (there are 7 ways to know if a mold is dangerous).

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt

The spores of black mold float in the air, and they’re too small to see. If you breathe them in and they start to make you sick, you should never assume that they will go away on their own. The mold will spread, and the problem will only become worse. Knowing what black mold is and what kinds of problems the spores will cause in the human body are both very important, so that the symptoms can be recognized and addressed in a home or a business.

Understanding The Symptoms

Symptoms of black mold include watering and irritated eyes, sneezing, runny nose, chronic fatigue, chronic coughing, and headaches. It can also produce nausea and vomiting, and extreme cases of exposure can cause bleeding in the nose and lungs. Most people are treated for the problem before it becomes too serious, but some people are more sensitive to black mold than others.

I’ve got the symptoms! What do I do now?

If you or your loved ones or co-workers are experiencing any of these symptoms on a consistent basis, you may be exposed to black mold without realizing it. If that is the case, you should find the problem and have it taken care of quickly, before symptoms become any worse. A professional mold remediator (learn how to choose the right one) should be the one to treat the mold, and people with symptoms should be seen by their doctor, just to rule out any serious concerns.

Get It Cleaned While You’re Gone

Once a person with symptoms gets away from the black mold spores, the symptoms should clear up in a short amount of time. While that person is away, a professional mold remediation company can come in and address the black mold problem. The mold is often seen from water damage, but it can also appear anywhere that stays wet a lot, such as in a kitchen or bathroom, or somewhere that has a leaky pipe.

Under a sink is a common place for black mold (learn about where mold grows), or along the baseboard where a washing machine sits. It can also be found in the corners of bathrooms where the dampness from the shower lingers too long. Businesses can get black mold in the bathrooms, around the water cooler, or in the employee kitchen.

Beware of Water Damage

If water damage has occurred on the property (learn how to remove it)  if its been flooded, for example  black mold could be anywhere. A professional mold re mediator may have to remove the drywall, treat the wooden beams in the walls, and replace the drywall with new materials in order to ensure that the mold problem is stopped. While that can be expensive, it is well worth the trouble to have it done, especially when the health and safety of a family or a business may be at stake.

Contact AuntieGen Today!