The Effects of Breathing in Mold

Molds can cling to almost any item easily. With the support of warmth which can be a trigger of a high humidity level, the molds will start to grow and spread. The growth of the mold would be more rapid if they live on a material that is moist and consists of cellulose (they need it to grow).

It is easy to find molds outdoor because the area will contact with the rain and dirt directly, and nobody cares about cleaning it. However, the molds can also live and in your house, especially when the house has the right conditions for molds to grow.

Without the regular and thorough check, your house may have unnoticeable molds on the hidden spots such as behind a painting, wardrobe, or bathtub. If that is the case, you are living with the allergies and infection sources. The bad news is breathing in the mold will put your health in danger.

How bad is it to breathe in mold

If the question is ‘how bad?’ Then the answer would be ‘very bad’ because molds can cause allergy and infection, especially for the people who are sensitive to them. However, although your immune system is strong, your body may weaken after a certain period.

Although not all of the molds are harmful, some molds can trigger varieties of bad effects after you touched or breathed around them. And the symptoms are from light to the severe ones.

• Allergies: You can call it as a defense reaction against something bad that is trying to disturb your body. The allergies symptoms can be in the form of cold or flu, coughing, sneezing, itchy and runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, hay fever, skin rash, sinus headache, sinus congestion, and so on.
• Toxic symptoms: It is worse than allergies. For this case, Stachybotrys chartarum (black mold) is responsible for it. It can cause a bleeding, damage to the internal organs, mental impairment, cancer, or death (rare but happens in some cases).
• Infections: Your body has a limitation in accepting the toxic mold. For unhealthy individuals (the people who have a weak immune system), they will get the bad effects immediately. After they inhaled or made contact with the molds, one of the reactions is an infection. The mold spores they inhale will enter the body and begin to grow inside them. The infections can grow in the sinuses, skin, and digestive system.

The long-term effect of breathing in the mold

The fact that molds can also live in the human body is terrible news. The people who suffer from the mold toxic will show various symptoms, from the light to the serious ones (like the description above).

Does it trigger a long-term effect? The answer is yes. And the effects include insomnia, memory loss, anxiety, depression, and confusion. This kind of disease is hard to handle because, sometimes, the sufferers do not know the root of the problem. In many cases, they even misjudge the disease source with something else.

What to do after you breathe in mold

For the prevention, you can avoid the exposure to molds. However, this kind of prevention act cannot work all the time. Sometimes, the exposure happens accidentally. And you will finally notice when your body starts showing particular reactions.

Besides avoiding molds, medication can be the next option, especially after the molds reactions occur.

• Nasal corticosteroids: This medication option will prevent and treat the inflammation caused by upper respiratory mold allergies. However, it is known that this kind of treatment works temporarily. Therefore, if the symptoms continue, you need to look for a more suitable prescription.
• Antihistamines: This treatment can reduce the itching, sneezing, and runny nose.
• Montelukast: It can block the leukotrienes or immune system chemical that cause allergy.
• Decongestants: It is a type of drug used to relieve nasal congestion. However, this prescription is not suitable for people who have a high blood pressure, and you can only use this medication just for a couple of days because it has some side effects such as a headache, insomnia, and nervousness.

Besides those prescriptions, you can also look at the other treatments, such as

• Shots: It can be very effective. But, you will need to do it regularly for months or years. And just keep in mind, the shot will not cure your allergies; it just increases your tolerance to the allergies.
• Nasal lavage: You can do this treatment at home. Nasal lavage is rinsing your nose using salt water. This treatment can free your nose from the irritation.

From the options above, treatment using medication may offer you some solutions. However, do not forget to consult with the professional first because you also need to be aware of the side effects.

You can avoid breathing in the mold by staying away from any moldy matter or environment. But, since molds exposure can happen anytime, including when you are sleeping with an open window, you can suffer all the disease above. Therefore, it is better to find out about how to handle the problem.