Mold Dangers Not Always Visible To The Eye

Sometimes, it’s obvious to see that an area of your home is infected with mold. But many times, mold can be invisible to the naked eye.

“You can take 80,000 mold spores and put them on the head of a pen. The largest mold spore we ever saw at CDC under a microscope was only 6 microns. So by the time you can physically see the growth of it there, imagine how many are there,” explained Jim Phillips, a certified mold inspector.

Smell is often times a good indicator you have mold. Another sign is sickness.

“There are some groups of patients that who may be immune compromised that may be more likely to have dangerous problems with molds and may get an infection in the lungs from mold or an infection in their sinuses. There’s some conditions that can be quite dangerous. But for the majority of patients it’s a respiratory irritant for them,” said Tracy Bridges, M.D., a physician at Allergy & Asthma Clinics of Georgia.

Common areas for mold are crawl spaces under homes, in roofs and ceilings. And since we can’t do much to control the weather, mold experts recommend constantly checking your home.

“Humidity above 59% to 60%, if you have that condition or if you have a leak or any sustained type of water there you’re going to see these molds set up and grow. One of the biggest mistakes people can make living in their home is to ignore it,” said Phillips.

Phillips says if you detect mold in your home, have it tested right away.

Symptoms of a sick house: (according to Critterad)

• Unusual lingering odors, stale or stuffy air
• Excessive humidity or dampness on walls, carpets,
• Presence of molds and/or mildew
• Watery eyes, itching, nasal congestion, headaches, coughing, wheezing, dizziness and fatigue
• Feeling better away from home than at home

AmericaNowNews.com
http://www.americanownews.com/story/19892526/amNOW

Copyright 2012 America Now. All rights reserved.

******************************************************************************

FOUR STAR CAN HELP!

IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE MOLD OR GROWTH IN YOUR HOME:

• We can come out and inspect your unit & duct work
• We offer dehumidifiers to reduce the moisture in the air
• We can install a UV light in your duct work. It also kills viruses
• We can clean your duct work

Call us today and we’ll help you breathe easier! 843-236-7142

******************************************************************************