A lot of health problems can be caused by infections and infestations of foreign microorganisms in the body. Some of them may come in the form of bacterial infections, and a lot of these are detrimental and frightening especially for children and the elderly. Some of these may also come in the form of viral infections, and these may or may not be dangerous. Nevertheless, they are contagious and they can bring about a lot of discomfort and weakness to the human body.
One form of infection is caused by fungi, which is also known as fungal infection. Fungi are unlike bacteria and viruses that run through the blood stream and infect the various parts of the body. Fungi are made of spores – small, pollen-like constituents that can easily enter the body through inhalation. Some fungi also infect the skin surface, causing various infections, the most common of which is thrush. Thrush of yeast infection is typically found in the mucus membranes of the human body, near the skin. But one of the types of fungi that don’t just infect the skin is mold, and it typically appears in spore colonies located in dark, moist, and secluded places in the home and environment. The bathroom is one favorite location of mold, as well as the basement and the attic. The most typical mold growth in the home is black mold.
Black mold can be very harmful to the health, especially when it is inhaled. If you have black mold present in your home, you will be able to detect it by looking at some of the secluded and moist areas in your home. The bathroom is one of the most common places of mold growth. Black mold appears as some form of staining on corners and surfaces, and they seem to be made up of millions of small pollen-like spores.
But what if you knew about the black mold in your home and your family seems to be having some health problems? If you suspect that the mold has something to do with your family’s health problems, you should know about some black mold side effects that can reflect black mold infection.
In small amounts, inhaled black mold may not cause any problems. Like allergens, humans have a specific threshold for fungal reactions and if they inhaled mold in an amount that can trigger the threshold, that’s the only time when side effects will be seen.
Some of the side effects seen in black mold infection are nasal congestion, cough, runny nose, headaches, sneezing, sinus infections, watery and itchy eyes, nose bleeds, and rashes. If you are particularly allergic to mold spores, the reaction can result to worse symptoms including anaphylactic shock. If you have asthma, asthma attacks can also take place and this can result to other complications like breathing disorders and fatigue.
Sometimes, when the effects of the black mold are very severe, some alarming health problems may be present like bleeding in the lungs, breathing disorders, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and inattentiveness. As a worker or employee, you will not be able to perform your job properly. If you have a child with these symptoms, you will be very alarmed as a parent.
Once you detect yourself or any member of your household with these symptoms, the best thing to do is to first seek medical help. Severe illnesses like bleeding lungs may require confinement in the hospital. While providing treatment for the black mold infected family member, it is best to also eliminate the black mold growth in the home completely so that it will no longer cause similar problems in the future.