Mountains and Mold: Are You Experiencing the Symptoms of Toxicity?

Recent years in the southern Appalachians have been warmer, wetter, and more humid. Dew point temperatures have been higher for longer periods. All very uncomfortable!

As we’ve run our air conditioners more often we’ve chilled our downstairs, basements, and crawl spaces. Couple that with the draw of outdoor humidity through our air-leaky duct systems and we’ve created very favorable conditions for molds to thrive indoors adversely affecting the healthiness status of your home.

Once the conditions favor mold growth the spores only need 24 hours to become active. More mold spores, hyphal fragments, mycotoxins, and musty odors means that those of us who live in the mountains need to be watchful of the subtle ways your house could be making you sick.

Prevent Mold before it happens. 3 Mold Stopper Projects for Summer and 3 Low Cost Ways to Manage Runoff and Prevent the Humidity and Damp that Cause Mold.

What types of illnesses are complicated by breathing mold?

Mold doesn’t just cause that earthy, musty odor. It is well-documented that mold is a serious factor in illnesses ranging from asthma, upper respiratory tract symptoms, cognitive difficulty, and even organ damage.

Here are some of the common symptoms that suggest mold and its toxicity may be a factor in your home:

Chronic fatigue
Brain fog
Anxiety
Depression
Mood swings
Muscle weakness
Weight gain
Itchy skin
Cough/Wheezing
Stuffy nose
Breathing problems

When it’s your health that matters most, toxin exposure from mold is a healthiness concern that should not be allowed to compromise optimum wellness in homes, schools, or the workplace.

In reality, mold exposure is so common in the southern Appalachians that folks often assume they’ve got a mold problem without looking further. Certainly, mold likes basements as well as bathrooms. It thrives when wet, or damp, or humid conditions occur. It can grow on many surfaces. Mold can look like spots, a film, grow in different colors, and smells musty.

More … How does the mountain climate affect mold growth?

In the mountains, mold thrives, especially at this time of year.

Mold Growth Is Western North Carolina’s “Quiet Ecological Disaster” of Devastating Proportions.

Is it mold? Find out with A Healthier Home Examination

However, in most cases, mold is not the only thing that’s causing sick symptoms. That’s why questions about mold shouldn’t be the only questions a home healthiness professional looks for.

Are you a medical professional? Is your patient presenting with symptoms?

Functional medicine doctors are clear that mold isn’t identified with one specific health problem. Instead, mold symptoms are considered a type of toxin exposure covered under the condition “chronic inflammatory response syndrome,” or CIRS. When toxin exposure is suspected, physicians look for specific markers through testing.

Information about mold and mold test for the functional wellness professional

We’re here to help track down the problems

At A Healthier Home, our home examinations look for mold and the conditions that lead to mold growth. We consider the whole house, its systems, and other healthiness criteria that could compromise health and wellness. We rigorously identify the root causes of those healthiness problems and work with our clients and wellness professionals to find good, workable solutions to protect the home environment.

Learn more about Sustaining Healthiness After A Diagnosis