Ever thought of how mold and mildew effect you ?
What Are Mold And Mildew?
Mold and mildew are types of fungi, and they can be found everywhere, especially in moist areas with poor ventilation. Mold is typically black, blue, red, or green, and it grows on food; whilst mildew is black and white, and thrives on damp surfaces like bathroom walls or basements. If you smell a stale odor in an old house or office space, it most probably could be mold and mildew.
If left unchecked, these fungi will damage the surfaces they grow on by spreading seeds or spores, whether it’s a loaf of bread. fabric, or bathroom walls. These spores, when inhaled or directly coming into contact with skin, can cause often serious health problems for many people.
The Effects Of Ingesting Molds And Mildew
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in its June 2006 report, 'Mold Prevention Strategies and Possible Health Effects in the Aftermath of Hurricanes and Major Floods,' that
"excessive exposure to mold-contaminated materials can cause adverse health effects in susceptible persons regardless of the type of mold or the extent of contamination."
“When mold spores are present in abnormally high quantities, they can present especially hazardous health risks to humans after prolonged exposure, including allergic reactions or poisoning by mycotoxins, or causing fungal infection (mycosis).”
The study further reports that “Damp environments which allow mold to grow can also produce bacteria and help release volatile organic compounds.”
Create Relevant Content
You’ll be posting loads of engaging content, so be sure to keep your blog organized with Categories that also allow readers to explore more of what interests them. Each category of your blog has its own page that’s fully customizable. Add a catchy title, a brief description and a beautiful image to the category page header to truly make it your own. You can also add tags (#vacation #dream #summer) throughout your posts to reach more people, and help readers search for relevant content. Using hashtags can expand your post reach and help people find the content that matters to them. Go ahead, #hashtag away.
Here are some of the effects of ingesting molds and mildew:
Irritation:
Direct contact to molds will cause inflammation of the skin called allergic contact dermatitis, though the rash will only surface after a day or two. The rash will vary from person to person, but in some cases, it can develop into further complications like Athlete’s Foot or yeast infection.
Allergies and Asthma:
Just like any other allergy, mold allergy symptoms include sneezing, itching, watery eyes, runny nose, congestion, and in severe cases, asthma and pneumonitis. Continued exposure to mold can even cause asthma. Some of these symptoms are immediate, and some are delayed. And it will get worse if you stay in damp and moldy rooms, or continue to come into contact or ingest the substance.
Infections:
The body's immune system is designed to fight off foreign particles such as mold or mildew that enter the system. However, if high amounts of mold or mildew are breathed in, or ingested, the body may not be able to get rid of it all or the immune system can over-respond. Both can cause upper respiratory infections.
People with compromised immune systems are even more likely to have uncommon reactions such as fever, difficulty breathing, and skin and membrane infections. For people with chronic lung diseases, it may become worse because the mold can cause lung infection.
Depression:
Surprisingly, mold and mildew not only affect your physical health, but also your mental health. A study published in the October 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health suggests that people who live in moldy environments, or who are in continual contact with mold, may also have more depression. But according to Robert Gifford, a psychology professor at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, we should approach these findings cautiously.
“There is a small relationship between [depression and] mold and dampness, but it is impossible to say that there is a causal relationship,” Gifford says. He also emphasized that more details about income should be explored—wealthier people can afford to clean up extensive mold contamination, whereas low-income people may be forced to live with it. “Income could be an important missing variable,” he notes.
And even more alarming, “It is thought that all molds may produce mycotoxins and thus all molds may be potentially toxic if large enough quantities are ingested, or the human becomes exposed to extreme quantities of mold. Mycotoxins are not produced all the time, but only under specific growing conditions. Mycotoxins are harmful or lethal to humans and animals only when exposure is high enough.
Mycotoxins can be found on the mold spore and mold fragments, and therefore they can also be found on the substrate upon which the mold grows. Routes of entry for these insults can include ingestion, dermal exposure and inhalation.
Some mycotoxins cause immune system responses that vary considerably, depending on the individual. The duration of exposure, the frequency of exposure and the concentration of the insult (exposure) are elements in triggering immune system response.
So, to take a departure for a moment, if you think about drinking from a reusable straw that has not been adequately cleaned and dried, it is pretty scary!
How Can We Prevent Mold And Mildew?
The good news is that we can definitely prevent mold and mildew from developing, and eventually prevent the health hazards that come with them. Here are some ways we can do that:
Fix plumbing leaks as soon as possible. It will eliminate sources of moisture in bathrooms and basements.
Use dehumidifiers, fans, and open windows to help reduce the moisture in areas of your home that smells damp.
Use central air conditioning with a HEPA filter attachment. This can help trap mold spores from your entire home
Open windows when bathing. It will prevent moisture from building up in your bathroom. But if you don’t want to bathe with open doors and windows, you can install a ventilation fan.
Be sure to wipe down the walls and mirrors in your bathroom after bathing.
Don't put carpets in bathrooms and basements. It will catch all the moisture.
If the sun’s out and the weather is nice, sun dry your clothes.
Clean out rain gutters regularly.
Properly dispose and recycle old books and newspapers. If left in damp places, such as basements, they can quickly become moldy.
Clean spills and floods immediately.
Mold and Mildew and Reusable Straws
There is a big movement afoot promoting the use of reusable straws. Why? According to Plastic Pollution Coalition, more than 500 million plastic straws are used everyday in the U.S. This is terrible for our environment, particularly the oceans. Straws harm sea life, and even worse, studies indicate that there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the oceans by 2050.
So what does this have to do with reusable straws? The concept of a reusable straw is that you use it, and then clean it, and use it again. You drink milk, and clean it, and then drink juice or tea, and then clean it, and use it to drink water, or a milkshake or smoothie. Great concept - this is a simple way to do your part to help the earth.
Here’s the problem. It’s cleaning the straw between uses - getting all of the milk out and letting the straw dry out thoroughly, to avoid a dirty straw or one with continua moisture inside it that could promote the growth of mold and mildew.
Reusable straws on the market today, whether they are plastic, bamboo, glass, or steel, can be cleaned in one of two ways; a mini brush or a pipe cleaner. So you use one of these to clean inside the straw as best you can, and then hope it dries out inside.
Except for one unique reusable straw - The Last Straw™. These new straws come completely apart for thorough cleaning and drying. They can even be placed in the top rack of a dishwasher for thorough washing and drying. No more worry about mold and mildew!
