Dealing with mold in the home can be a frustrating experience for any homeowner or tenant. Mold can be a particularly persistent substance to try to get rid of and the effects that it can have on a home can be quite destructive if it is left to its own devices.
Most people are aware of the structural damage that mold can do to a home. However, it is not as widely known that mold can also have severe health effects.
Mold can cause a variety of symptoms that affect the respiratory system. However, mold is also capable of causing headaches.
You may know the most common signs of mold growth in your home, but headaches that seem to come out of nowhere can also be a sign.
How Can Mold Cause Headaches?
Immune Response
When you are exposed to mold your body can have an immune response. This response is triggered by the mold spores that you have inhaled that were emitted into the air.
Part of this immune response is inflammation of the body along with headaches. Other symptoms that can follow mold exposure, fatigue, and especially coughing.
Common Symptoms of Mold Exposure
In addition to headaches, a person can experience symptoms from mold exposure such as coughing, wheezing, chest pain, congestion, sneezing, and sore throat.
It needs to be said that if you have a compromised or weakened immune system, these symptoms can be worsened and even last longer than would be typical of anyone else.
Preventing Mold-Related Illness in Your Home
Preventing the Mold From Growing
If you do not want to develop mold-related illnesses, then the best offense would be a good defense. In order to prevent mold-related illness, you must first prevent mold growth.
The best way to prevent mold growth is to rob mold of the two factors it needs to develop: moisture and nutrients.
Preventing Moisture for Mold Growth
In order to prevent the accumulated moisture needed for mold to thrive, you must first Ensure proper ventilation in your home. When there is good clean air circulating throughout your home it prevents mold from being able to grow.
This means that you should regularly, per the directions, replace your home's air filter to promote good air circulation.
If you are home it's particularly humid, then that means that there is a chance for moisture to accumulate, especially on your home's walls. In order to get the humidity out of your home you should pair good ventilation with the use of a dehumidifier.
A dehumidifier can help get your home's humidity levels between 30% and 50%.
It also must be said that any leaky plumbing in your home can cause mold growth. Make a point of inspecting your pipes every couple of months to ensure that there are no leaks.
Most Common Areas for Mold Growth
You need to understand that the most common areas for mold growth in your home are the ones in which there's a higher chance of moisture accumulation. This means that areas such as your laundry room, bathroom, or kitchen can be considered potential hot spots for mold growth. These are the areas that you need to pay particular attention to for mold growth.
How to Treat Mold-Related Headaches
Confirming the Mold Relation
If you have been experiencing persistent and frequent headaches while in your home, but for no apparent reason, that is a potential sign that you have been exposed to mold. One of the most important things you must do to treat mold-related headaches is to confirm that the headaches have been triggered by mold.
The best way to do that is to schedule an appointment with your doctor so that they may run a mold exposure test on you.
By confirming that you have been exposed to mold they can prescribe you the proper treatment to deal with the mold itself, rather than merely treating the symptoms.
Not only will a mold exposure test confirm that you have a mold-related illness, but it is also a surefire confirmation that there is mold in your home.
Treating the Headaches
After your doctor has confirmed that you have been exposed to mold and that that is the source of your headaches you must make sure to use the medications that your doctor prescribes to the letter.
Given that the illness was caused by mold exposure, there is a good chance that you will be prescribed antifungal medications which are designed specifically to treat the source of the illness rather than just the symptoms.
It needs to be said that you can still take over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen to deal with your headaches. Just make sure to consult with your doctor beforehand to ensure that this would not conflict with your prescribed medication.
When the Condition is Chronic
It is a sad fact that sometimes mold exposure can lead to long-term symptoms. Sometimes symptoms can turn chronic, in fact. If your symptoms have become chronic, you should speak with your doctor about long-term care plans that will enable you to deal with these symptoms in your day-to-day life.
Can Long-Term Mold Exposure Be Reversed?
The good news is that long-term mold exposure can be reversed. So long as the mold in your home has been removed and you have been taking the medication prescribed to you to treat your symptoms, the mold exposure symptoms will eventually go away.
Conclusion
If you are experiencing the symptoms of mold exposure, such as headaches, then that means there is a strong likelihood that mold is in your home and you should have it tested. If you already suffer from the effects of mold exposure, then you should not attempt a do-it-yourself approach to removing the mold.
Instead, you should speak with a mold remediation company that can do the hard part for you while you recover from the mold exposure.
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