Tag Archives: Mold and Health

Manhattan in the Know: Treatments for Toxic Mold Exposure

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The Presence of Mold Can Seriously Impact Your Health

The Presence of Mold Can Seriously Impact Your Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black mold and other varieties can cause a wide range of serious allergic reactions. If your home or building is undergoing Manhattan mold treatment, how can you treat your own health problems?

Over-the-Counter Antihistamines

Antihistamines are a traditional and effective solution for allergic reactions. They provide quick, short-term relief from a runny nose and itchy eyes, and they’re available in both sedating and non-drowsy formulas.

Decongestants

While antihistamines can reduce sneezing, they have no effect on stuffy nasal passages. Decongestant sprays can be helpful in clearing the blockage, especially at night when stuffiness can interfere with sleep. However, they frequently include sedating antihistamines, making them unsafe to use for more than a week.

Prescription Medication

If you need something stronger for long-term use, your doctor can prescribe medication. The Mayo Clinic recommends corticosteroids, which are more effective than prescription antihistamines.

Treating the Cause

Allergic symptoms result from inhaling microscopic mold spores, so you may begin feeling ill before you even know that mold is present. Once you have treated your health problems, it’s time for Manhattan mold treatment of your home or building. The CDC states that indoor humidity levels should be maintained between 40 and 60 percent to prevent future occurrence of black mold.

Efficient and Cost-Effective Manhattan Mold Treatment for Home or Office

Traditional mold remediation is costly, invasive and inconvenient. Our two-step MoldExterm treatment is usually completed within one day and involves no destruction or replacement of building surfaces.

Our cheerful and professionally-trained technicians will perform a thorough mold inspection free of charge. Contact us today for more information.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Treatment

Why is Mycotoxin Toxicity Information Important to NYC Co-Op Owners?

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Inhaled Mold Spores Can Be Detrimental to Health

Inhaled Mold Spores Can Be Detrimental to Health

Everyone is familiar with the term “toxic mold,” but it doesn’t apply to every form of fungus found in a home or building. Here is some vital information about mold and toxicity that all NYC co-op owners should know.

What Makes Mold Toxic?

“Toxic mold” refers to species that excrete mycotoxins, which are metabolites produced in the presence of certain levels of temperature, water activity and pH balance. One of the more prevalent forms is aflatoxin, which is produced by Aspergillus, a commonly-occurring mold both indoors and outdoors.

Mycotoxins are found on mold spores as well as on the mold itself, causing them to spread to the surface where the infestation is growing. This prevalence can lead to mycotoxins entering a person’s system through inhaling, ingestion or skin exposure.

Mold also produces volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, that are responsible for the distinctive musty smell of fungi. While they are not technically mycotoxins, experiments have provided an increasing amount of evidence that VOCs can have toxic properties.

Mycotoxins and Your Health

Prolonged exposure to mycotoxins can result in physical and neurological problems. Studies suggest that these effects are the result of mycotoxins triggering the immune system and causing chronic inflammation. Up to 25 percent of the population is thought to have a genetic predisposition to the risks of mycotoxins.

Stern Mold: Your #1 Source for Effective NYC Mold Treatment

Any mold found in your co-op should be removed promptly, regardless of toxicity. Our two-part NYC mold treatment process safely eliminates mold and protects against recurrence.

Contact us today to make an appointment for a free mold inspection conducted by our friendly and professionally-trained technicians.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, NYC Mold Removal

Other Health Effects That You May Not Commonly Think Would Be Caused by Mold

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Spring Brings Along Allergies... and so Does Mold.

Spring Brings Along Allergies… and so Does Mold.

When left untreated, indoor mold can cause serious cosmetic and structural damage to your NJ home or building, but it poses an even bigger threat to your health. How much do you know about the physical effects of mold exposure?

Allergic Reactions

Mold spores commonly trigger upper-respiratory allergic reactions, even in people who are not normally sensitive, so you may already be aware of this health problem. Symptoms frequently include sneezing, wheezing and red, itchy eyes.

Due to its impact on the upper respiratory system, mold exposure can aggravate and intensify symptoms in people with asthma. Inhaling mold spores can also lead to hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a pneumonia-like disease characterized by fever, coughing and fatigue.

Rashes

Inhaling spores is not the only way to be physically affected. If you come into contact with mold, the irritants it contains can cause an inflammatory response resulting in a skin rash.

Infections

Individuals with compromised immune systems are vulnerable to mold-related infections such as aspergillosis, which occurs when fungus is present in the lungs.

What’s That Smell?

Microbial volatile organic compounds, or mVOCs, are the compounds that give mold its distinctive musty odor, but they have also been linked to symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, dizziness and headaches.

The Stern Difference in NJ Mold Remediation

Killing mold is not enough to remove the threat. The infestation must be totally removed from the affected area. Our two-step MoldExterm treatment removes mold from all surfaces and includes a polymer sealer to prevent future reoccurrences.

Contact us today to schedule a free mold inspection and learn why Stern is the leading name in NJ mold remediation.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Treatment

Mold 101: Mold’s Impact on Our Kids

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Kids are the Future. Keep Them Safe From Dangerous Molds.

Kids are the Future. Keep Them Safe From Dangerous Molds.

Manhattan mold removal companies all agree that breathing in mold spores, or being exposed to them on any level, is bad enough for adults, but when it comes to kids, it’s worse. Young people are more susceptible to mold exposure in ways that are different from adults. Consequently, they need more protection than adults do, and here’s why.

  • Breathing — Did you know that kids breathe in more air, per pound of body weight, than adults do? Essentially, that ratio means they are taking in more mold spores with each breath during exposure. If it’s toxic black mold, kids are getting many more toxins through regular breathing than an average adult would.
  • Hand to Mouth — Yes, kids are told time and again to wash their hands, especially in bathroom areas where mold is most common. But everyone knows that kids forget, and that means they have a much greater chance of hand-to-mouth contact after touching mold infested areas.
  • Under Development — Both a youngster’s body organs and immune system are under development during these formative years, making them more susceptible to allergic reactions from mold infestation.

Kids are often thought of as young adults, but the reality is that they are still growing and have special requirements and needs, especially when it comes to mold exposure. Keep that in mind if you ever notice signs of mold in your home, school or other public place where kids congregate.

If you have any questions about mold infestation and the health of your kids, please contact one of the foremost Manhattan mold removal companies, Stern Mold. We offer a free mold inspection and are the experts at mold remediation.

 

Posted in Mold & Your Health

Mold and Your Health Connection: Chronic Lyme Disease

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Does Your Sickness Keep Coming Back? Consider Mold as a Cause.

Does Your Sickness Keep Coming Back? Consider Mold as a Cause.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that exhibits symptoms including fever, headaches and rash. The disease is transmitted via bites from infected ticks, but doctors have found a connection between indoor mold and chronic Lyme disease.

Mold: More than Just an Allergen

Dr. Ritchie C. Shoemaker’s pioneering 2005 book Mold Warriors was instrumental in shedding light on the effect mold can have on health and wellness. Mold produces chemicals called mycotoxins that, when ingested by humans, can cause a wide range of symptoms, many of which overlap with symptoms of Lyme disease.

Before Dr. Shoemaker’s book was released, the medical community considered mold to be primarily a trigger for allergic reactions. According to Dr. Shoemaker, the toxic elements in mold promote excessive production of inflammatory cytokines, which can lead to a number of diseases and illnesses from fibromyalgia to cancer.

The Link Between Mold-Related Illness and Lyme Disease

The immune system also reacts to the bacterial agent in Lyme disease with overproduction of inflammatory cytokines. Dr. Wayne Anderson, whose practice focuses on chronic conditions such as Lyme disease, found that this similarity can make patients with Lyme more susceptible to mold-related illnesses and vice-versa.

Lyme disease can become chronic when treatment methods are ineffective. Based on the work of Dr. Shoemaker and Dr. Anderson, many physicians are now shifting their focus of Lyme disease treatment to encompass exposure to mold as an aggravating factor.

Eliminate Toxin Exposure with NYC Mold Treatment

Traditional mold remediation can actually intensify the problem by redistributing spores to other areas. Contact Stern Mold for information about our unique two-step NYC mold treatment program that removes infestations and prevents future reoccurrences.

Posted in Mold & Your Health
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