Rain brings mold dangers - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Rain brings mold dangers

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By Tara Herrschaft - bio | email

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Jim Phillips is a certified mold inspector.  He knows all this recent rain and humidity mean more business.

"Our telephone has been ringing consistently," said Phillips, who owns Critterad.

And he's urging homeowners to take notice.  These are pictures of mold infected areas. 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 that 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 Phillips. 

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 own 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-
(Source:  Critterad)

    - Unusual lingering odors, stale or stuffy air

    - Excessive humidity or dampness on walls, carpets, ceilings, or floors

    - 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

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