Toxic Mold Symptoms

If you’ve been feeling sick and are wondering if toxic mold symptoms are responsible, that’s certainly possible. Mold is everywhere in the world around us, but when some types of mold begin to grow indoors, they produce toxins called mycotoxins that can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of them quite serious.

Symptoms of Toxic Mold Exposure

Mold exposure symptoms are wide-ranging and may include:

Coughing
Sneezing
Shortness of breath
Tightness in the chest
Difficulty breathing
Headaches
Migraines
Sore throats
Chronic sinus infections
Itchy, watery eyes
Blurred vision
Bronchitis
Pneumonia
Scarring of the lungs
Pulmonary hemorrhage
Low grade fever
Depression
Fatigue
Muscle aches
Joint pain
Skin rash or hives
Digestive problems
Bleeding gums

Diagnosing Symptoms of Toxic Mold

Diagnosing toxic mold symptoms can be challenging, because the symptoms can be caused by many other things besides mold and because the symptoms may appear unrelated at first glance. In addition, not all medical doctors are aware of the wide range of symptoms that patients may experience due to mold exposure.

If you know you’ve been exposed to mold, especially if you have mold in your home (where you spend lots of time, so exposure will likely be significant), let your doctor know. If you have some of the symptoms from the above list and your doctor isn’t sure of the cause, it would be wise to inspect your home for mold. Mold in the home is fairly common, but homeowners aren’t always aware of the problem until they start getting sick, since mold often grows in hard-to-see places like under wallpaper, under carpets, inside walls, and inside heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ducts.

Treating Toxic Mold Symptoms

There are generally two steps to treating the symptoms of toxic mold. Your doctor will prescribe treatment to relieve symptoms and resolve any infections, such a bronchitis or pneumonia, but you’ll also need to have all traces of mold removed from your home so that you don’t suffer further exposure.

As part of your treatment, you may be prescribed medications, such as:

Antibiotics to treat infections like sinusitis, bronchitis, or pneumonia
Corticosteriods to help with asthma or other breathing problems
Broncodilators to help with asthma or other breathing problems
Antihistamines to help with allergy-like symptoms, skin rashes or hives
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to help with inflammation, joint pain, and headaches
Pain medication to help with muscle or joint pain, headaches, and migraines
Medication to prevent migraines
A cough suppressant or expectorant

If order to fully recover, though, you’ll need to have your home thoroughly cleansed of mold. If any trace of mold remains in your home, the mold will just grow and spread, and while symptoms may abate temporarily with medical treatment, they will almost certainly return and begin to worsen in time.

Mold Removal

Some homeowners prefer to handle mold removal on their own, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends against doing so if you have mold covering an area greater than about ten square feet or if you have mold-related health problems or any type of respiratory disorder. The reason they recommend calling in a professional to handle the task if you have mold-related health problems or respiratory problems is so that you don’t suffer further exposure to mold during the cleanup process, making yourself sicker.

Professionals have all the necessary safety equipment and are trained to do the job safely, without exposing you to further risk. Follow this link for a list of qualified mold removal professionals near you. They will come to your home and give you a free consultation and home inspection, search for any hidden mold that you may not have been aware of, and discuss strategies for removing the mold. Even if you end up choosing to handle the cleanup yourself, you’ll get valuable information and advice from an experienced professional that will aid you in your task.

Return From Toxic Mold Symptoms To Our Main Symptoms Page