Mold invasion can give you several problems. Not only will mold destroy your things and foods, but it can also cause illnesses, especially in people with underlying health issues. Mold may be a speck on any surface, but it can quickly grow. You may get a dark, smelly room in weeks or days.
With severe mold invasion, you may experience repeated respiratory illnesses, sneezing, fevers, and other health issues. You must take the necessary precautions to prevent mold contamination. Therefore, you should look out for the following signs of mold contamination in your home:
1. Sore Throats Or Coughs Are Rampant
One of the most common signs that mold infection exists in your home is when you frequently get sore throats or cough. Medically termed as a mold throat infection, it can cause chronic cough, sinus pressure, runny nose, and itchy eyes. However, since mold can be airborne, sore throat can be a common symptom for such infection.
You can get a sore throat when mold spores release chemicals called mycotoxins. These chemicals cause allergic reactions that attack your throat and lungs.
Well, if you’re infected, your home may have mold contamination.
2. Sudden Depression, Anxiety, Or Irritability
Sore throats and coughs are only mild effects of mold toxicity. When the invasion gets worse, you can get psychiatric problems. Insomnia, brain fog, attention issues, anxiety, and depression are only a few of the toxic mold-based illnesses that you can get. Although getting such illness depends on genetic vulnerability, you must prevent these diseases because mental health issues are not easy to deal with.
You can accumulate mold toxins in your body if your home has a mold invasion. Mold produces volatile toxic vapors, which then causes CIRS or chronic inflammatory response. With such effects, you can get symptoms like chronic fatigue and other mental issues.
Especially when you’re mentally happy and stable but suddenly became depressed, your home may be infected by mold.
3. Visual Evidence Anywhere
But before mold contamination becomes a health issue, you should consider looking or searching for visible signs of mold contamination. Signs like white, yellow, blue, green, or black mold on any surface indicate severe mold infection. If these spots are randomly seen anywhere, especially where they shouldn’t be, then a more significant source may be producing spores in large quantities.
No matter how contained or small it is, mold on a wall, under your sink, or on your furniture, there’s a problem. You should know that somewhere there’s a source of water that allows mold to grow by keeping your home wet. Moreover, mold can go deep into drywall or wood.
That’s why when mold is growing anywhere in your house, consider it a warning sign and prevent further contamination by using dehumidifiers or hiring professionals to eliminate it.
4. Quick Spoiling Of Fresh Fruits
Another sign of mold contamination you should be wary of is when your fresh fruits and other foods suddenly go spoilt. Yes, fruits go bad. However, fresh fruits usually take five to ten days. However, in the case of mold invasion, fresh fruits go bad only in a few days.
You can even get aflatoxins and mycotoxins from these food molds which can make you sick.
You may think that mold only grows on damp surfaces like your bathroom wall or basement. However, tiny mold particles are in the air. These are not harmful yet. But once the mold particles land on a surface, the spores will search for nutrients and water so that they can feed and grow. Some mold can even take 12 to 24 hours to take over your food.
That’s how fast mold can spoil your fresh fruits and foods. Mind you, cutting out a molded part doesn’t make your food safe. This is because mold can go deep into the food and not just remain on its surface.
5. Odd, Musty Smell
Aside from looking at the visible signs around your home, you can also smell mold if it’s invading most of your house. Generally, the smell of mold is odd and musty. Like something is moist in the room.
You can even compare the smell to rotten paper or wood or wet socks. If you’re the scent is similar to the one that comes after a rain, then mold can be meaty or earthy. Other variations of mold can even release fatty, nutty, herbaceous, camphor-like, or acetone-like smell. Some molds smell like fermenting alcohol.
With these various types of smell, it’s vital to identify whether the smell is really coming from mold or not. If the scent fades after spraying some aromatic perfume, then it may not be mold. However, if it’s mold, then expect that the smell won’t disappear that quickly.
As mentioned, mold can go deep into the walls. That’s why the smell can be persistent.
The above discussion gives only a few signs that you may have mold contamination in your home. It’s vital to take mold seriously before the contamination hits you hard with significant cleanup expenses. Mold contamination can affect your health, from rampant sore throats and coughs to sudden depression or anxiety. That’s why don’t wait for adverse effects on your well-being to believe that mold contamination is a serious matter. Take action as soon as visual evidence is present on any surface of your house.
Also, when your foods get spoilt quickly, mold can be everywhere already. Moreover, mold contamination is surely around you if you smell something musty that doesn’t go away after using a perfume or room freshener.