Mold is a living organism which grows and feeds on dead and decaying elements of the environment. It is classified within the fungi kingdom and should not be mistaken for a plant or any animal. The growth of molds is prohibited by sunlight and hence they usually do not grow in sunny places at all. One important characteristic for mold to grow anywhere is the presence of moisture. Molds require an environment with moisture for 24 to 48 hours before their growth can be initiated.
Apart from making your home look horribly bad and making your walls weak along and giving out unpleasant odors in some cases, molds usually lead to many health problems some of which can be very dangerous caused by the toxic black mold. Other usual symptoms of molds are:
- Symptoms caused due to allergy and irritation. These symptoms are caused due the body’s reflex to foreign particles which are molds in this case when they enter the body through nostrils or mouth. The closer a person stays to the molds, the more sensitive the body becomes to those particles and it might become difficult for the person to even tolerate small amounts of exposure of molds if the body recognizes them as harmful foreign elements.
- Around 16 species of molds have been identified which are toxic to humans. These specific molds release certain chemicals known as mycotoxins into the environment which are toxic to the human body and can cause severe problems.
- Molds can also cause infections in the human body. Some molds which are in the form of spores when breathed into the body begin to develop and grow inside human lungs, nose and other places and can cause severe infections which might even lead to the death of the patient in some of the cases. Although this is more likely to occur in people who are old and/or have a weak immune system.
After knowing all these bad facts about molds a person will surely need no more persuading regarding why to get their house tested for mold in case of suspicion of molds being present inside the house. The Boston Mold Test Agency is one of the best agencies which has expert professionals who can determine the species along with the position of molds in case it is hidden and can figure out a way to eradicate the problem of molds in your house.
