Black Mold vs Mold- Is Black Mold Dangerous to Your Health?

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Mold, the aggravating fungus growing in your home can be a hassle to deal with in your home. With over a 100,000 different types of mold, it can be difficult to determine the severity of the present mold growing in your home. Black mold, also known as Stachybotrys Chartarum, is a common form of toxic mold that many of us are on the lookout for in our home’s. The dangers of black mold in comparison to other types of mold for the vast majority of people are unknown, leaving you to wonder if regular everyday mold is every bit as dangerous as the dreaded black mold.

What Does Mold Look Like

Identifying mold in your home can be a challenge, as the color of mold can range depending on the different type of mold growing in the environment. Mold can come in a variety of colors from black, white, green, or even orange. Sometimes though, mold can take on an unusual color such as a whitish thread-like color or possibly a cluster of black spots can form as the mold grows. The most common types of mold that can form in your home can include Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Black Mold. For many molds, they tend to have a greenish-blue appearance, but there are some cases where a mold can take on an orange-red color. The molds that appear this color tend to be found outdoors, as it thrives on moist wood or decaying plants. The most concerning color you should be examined for in your home is a greenish-black color that is associated with the formation of black mold. Black mold is a mold that takes on a very dark color that can typically be spotted fairly quickly.

Can You Smell Mold?

One of the first signs of mold in your home could be the smell it is putting off into your environment. Mold produces gasses called microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC). A fair amount of the gasses produced can be completely odorless but some, however, can produce a musty smell that can be quite pungent. If a musty smell develops in your home, there is a good chance that mold can be growing in your home inconspicuously. The musty odor can also contribute to the release of compounds from mold spores, which can become dangerous when inhaled. These compounds called mycotoxins can be toxic and lead to an array of possible medical issues, such as difficulty breathing, sinus infection, bronchitis, sore throat, inflammation, and digestion problems.

What Does Black Mold Look Like

Black mold has a distinct aesthetic look than most forms of molds. It will often appear as slimy and can have a dark greenish-black, sometimes almost gray, coloration to the infected area. It can also appear in clusters, dotting its environment with its spores. When you are dealing with black mold, you tend to find it in areas where moisture tends to build-up such as your kitchen, bathroom, and other areas of your home where moisture can be found. Another form of black mold to consider is toxic black mold which can have a very dark black appearance in contrast to other forms of mold.

The Dangers of Black Mold: Is it Dangerous to Your Health?

Toxins released from Black Mold can be a detriment to your overall health when exposed to the mold for a considerable amount of time. The toxins released into the environment from the black mold are a specific type of toxin called trichothecene mycotoxins. This toxic substance has the potential to kill neurons making it very dangerous to your health. Mold spores are the transporters of these toxins into the environment and can increase your dangers of black mold health effects.

Side Effects of Black Mold

There are common side effects associated with the exposure to black mold. These symptoms are closely related to those of a respiratory response and include signs such as:

• Chronic coughing
• Sneezing
• Irritation of the eyes
• Rashes
• Chronic fatigue
• Persistent headaches

Prolonged exposure to black mold can lead to more severe health effects that can be dangerous to your overall well-being. More serious symptoms to look out for can include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bleeding in the lungs & nose

How Do You Get Rid of Black Mold

Black mold can be hard to remove and can require many steps to completely rid your environment of its toxins. The first step to getting rid of black mold would be to remove any and all moisture from the area and make sure that you seal off or rectify the moisture issue. Also, you want to make sure you seal the doors of the infected area so that the mold will be contained in the small confinements with no room to spread. Once you have contained the mold, the best next step is to have this area professionally mitigated by a mold-remediation specialist. You may think that after this process is done your environment will be free of all toxins and molds but think again.

After a mold-remediation specialist has come in and removed the mold, this process can cause mold spores to get released into the air and cause health problems for those in the environment. The EnviroKlenz UV Mobile System was designed to trap and destroy air contaminants in your indoor air such as particulates and molds. This air purification system contains a two-stage filtration system, utilizing a patented earth mineral air cartridge to remove odors and chemicals from the air, as well as a hospital grade HEPA filter to capture and trap small particulates as small as .3 microns in size. The HEPA filter will catch the mold spores in the air, allowing the ultraviolet germicidal radiation (UVC lights) to do their job of shining on top of the HEPA, killing the spores with a high efficiency of kill.

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