The ecosystem of molds exists all around us – from the air we breathe to the surfaces we touch, the food we eat, etc. In most instances, molds are innocuous or even beneficial to health.

However, dangerous strains also lurk around us, exploiting growth opportunities and reproducing at the expense of our health or the pristine condition of our belongings.

They can invade growth-conducive spots around your home, where they pose the danger of causing health problems when inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through skin pores.

Stachybotrys chartarum (S. chartarum), or Stachybotrys atra, commonly referred to as “black mold” is associated with myriads of health problems ranging from mild to serious and even terminal. The presence of black mold is a constant threat in the home – even the slightest exposure can cause serious health issues for people with allergies or frail health.

However, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from these problems by learning about black mold growth and black mold exposure. In this guide, we’ll equip you with all you need to know to keep mold spores at bay around your surroundings.

In general, you can suspect exposure to mold as the main culprit if you or any of your loved ones experience symptoms like:

Black mold, known in the scientific world as Stachybotrys charatrum, is a toxic strain fungus with a characteristic dark color. It is often found in warm, humid, or damp spaces.

It usually sprawls over moist surfaces of materials with organic compounds that it feeds on, from carpets to subfloor boarding, drywalls, etc. In many cases, these surfaces become damp and conducive to mold growth due to leakages around the home.

Black mold is notorious for damaging furniture, fittings, and structures around the home. It can also leave a trail of destruction when it gets inside our bodies.

Although there are no reports that suggest that this mold can be lethal to healthy people, many do point to increased risks of contracting a wide range of illnesses.

Black mold might not kill you, but it can make you sick. Its presence is, therefore, a constant threat in your home.

It’s especially dangerous to people with frail health, including:

The presence of black mold can make life quite miserable for people in these groups. They may have quite frequent episodes of symptoms like stuffy head, headaches, itchy eyes, skin irritation, etc. In severe cases, exposure to black mold can trigger pneumonia in people with respiratory problems, which can be quite deadly.

It’s impossible to totally rid your home of all mold spores, but there are effective ways to repress mold growth to innocuous levels. These steps usually require tracing out and eliminating not only the mold colonies but also the water damage or source of moisture that’s creating the moist environment the mold thrives in.

Failure to tackle mold growth effectively over time can lead to long-term exposure, which is likely to cause more serious health problems.

The sheer presence of mold spores in a space usually doesn’t pollute the air because they aren’t easily airborne. But some substances that molds emit are. Mold spores emit special toxins called mycotoxins in self-defense against environmental threats.

Mycotoxins are released into the air when a mold colony is disturbed. These minute particles, which are as small as 0.03 microns, can easily latch on to particles floating in the air. As such, mycotoxins are more likely to be inhaled in an infested space, posing an even greater risk than mold spores themselves.

Stachybotrys produces a special type of mycotoxins called trichothecenes, which have been shown in studies to be detrimental to humans, animals, and plants. In fact, there have been many attempts to use trichothecenes in creating lethal biological weapons.

When inhaled into the respiratory system, trichothecenes and other mycotoxins can give rise to allergic reactions like stuffed nose, itchy eyes, etc. If they continue to accumulate in the body, they can break out into the bloodstream, causing more severe health problems.

A 2004 study shows that living in damp indoor spaces significantly increases the risk of contracting upper respiratory tract symptoms as well as excessive asthma symptoms. People with weak immune systems are more likely to develop hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Other serious long-term health effects include:

If the mold colony is small, you can easily get rid of it by wiping the surface with a mold-removing spray. But you need to be very careful and thorough-going, using proper tools and gears. Or you could make things worse with a sloppy job.

The mold spores may stick on the clothes or material you use to wipe it, and you may unknowingly spread the colony even further when the infested material comes in contact with unaffected surfaces.

After cleaning out existing mold colonies, you can prevent new ones from spring up by:

If the mold colony is extensive, you might want to hire a professional to remove it. If you’re renting, you can tell your landlord about it so they can arrange for the mold removal.

When Should you Call in the Professionals?

You need to call in a professional when the mold colonies have grown extensively around a spot or if you find them popping up rapidly in several pockets of space around the home.

In some cases, you may have to call in a professional even when the mold colony isn’t quite extensive. In fact, you might need to call them in to rid your home of invisible mold.

Professional mold removal services usually comprise mold testing, mold inspection, mold removal, and mold remediation.

Prevent Mold Growth Today

Now you know how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the toxic effects of black mold. By keeping black mold at bay, you can prevent both short-term and long-term exposure, which has been linked to a long list of illnesses.

At Moisture Master Pros LLC, we take a tailored approach to mold control, ensuring that each home maintains a balanced ecosystem of molds.

We’ll test for the presence of molds using special techniques like thermal imaging assessment and saturation testing to ensure the accuracy of our tests. After the tests, we can implement a customized mold removal or mold remediation plan for your home.

Call us today!