Health Information Center

Mold has been around for millions of years and while certain varieties of it can be quite harmful to our health, there are other varieties that have been used by human beings for years in order to improve our quality of life in one way or another. It has been used in foods, medicines, and to help decompose organic matter.

Many different kinds of foods have been made with mold over the years, one of the most famous of which is cheese. Blue cheese was invented quite by accident a long time ago when mold had started to grow in a block of cheese that had been left to age. It is salty, crumbly and is a somewhat acquired taste, if the blue mold veins of the cheese do not stop you from tasting it in the first place. Roquefort and gorgonzola are also made with molds. The culturing of just the right kind of mold to make these blue cheeses has become a science over the years and these moldy cheeses are often referred to as the kings of cheese.

Continue reading ‘The Miracles Of Mold’ »

Mold in the home can be a trigger for those with allergies and asthma. Find out why those with mold allergies should avoid spaces with the hot-air heat, central air conditioning and wall-to-wall carpeting that can be carriers for mold.

Question:

Ever since we moved into our new house, our son has been constantly coughing. Now his doctor tells me he’s asthmatic. He was fine before. Could the house be a problem?

Answer:

You don’t mention whether you have a family history of allergies and asthma, and we’re not physicians, so continue to discuss this situation with your doctor. Continue reading ‘Mold, Allergies and Asthma – Is Your House Making You Sick?’ »

If you hear of an illness that ends in mycosis, it was probably caused by a mold. Those who are particularly at risk to contract this class of diseases are those with compromised immune systems and this often occurs in people who have a cancer of the blood, chemotherapy patients, those with HIV or AIDs, anyone with serious blood disorders.

Even those these diseases are far more likely to affect those with compromised immune systems, they can develop after a person has surgery or any other invasive procedure. It can also be transmitted by contaminated surgical instruments.

Continue reading ‘A Surprising List Of Diseases Caused By Mold’ »

If you are planning on moving out of a house or apartment that is been infected with mold, decontaminating your clothes before you do is a must. No one should stay in a place where mold exists for very long and cross-contaminating your new living space with the mold that can exist on your personal belongings is likely.

Most items made from cotton and polyester can be freed of the mold, however the older the mold stains are on the clothing, the harder they will be to remove. These stains can be bleached out if it is white clothing you are dealing with.

Continue reading ‘Mold And Your Clothes’ »

There are a few things that the average person should know about mold and one of the most obvious ones is that mold growing in the house is dangerous to the health. But, what exactly is mold? Why is it dangerous? How do you get rid of it?

Mold is a fungus and it exists all around us. There are thousands of different species of it and they exist all around the world in more colors than you can think of. Some people seem to think that the words mold and fungus can be used as replacements for each other, but this is not always the case.

Continue reading ‘Some Interesting Facts You Need to Know About Mold’ »

If you hear of an illness that ends in mycosis, it was probably caused by a mold. Those who are particularly at risk to contract this class of diseases are those with compromised immune systems and this often occurs in people who have a cancer of the blood, chemotherapy patients, those with HIV or AIDs, anyone with serious blood disorders.

Even though these diseases are far more likely to affect those with compromised immune systems, they can develop after a person has surgery or any other invasive procedure. It can also be transmitted by contaminated surgical instruments.

Continue reading ‘Most Are Unaware Of The Dreaded Diseases Caused By Mold’ »

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy a good bath or shower a lot and one of the worst things that you can notice while you’re in the bathroom is mold starting to grow on the ceiling or on the wall.

It appears as a splotchy growth that’s slowly creeping its way from one end of the room to the other and if you leave it untreated, it will cover your entire bathroom. You can scrub it off the walls with mold and mildew cleaner all you want to, but in the end if the infection has spread so far, you will probably have to replace the sheetrock in the bathroom.

Continue reading ‘The Effects Of Mold In Your Laundry Hampers, And Bathroom Vents’ »

Molds, mildews and fungi can be found everywhere, indoors or outdoors. They can be found in just about any household object and even in the air we breath. Molds love humid and dark places that lack circulating air, they can grow rapidly in such environments.

Many types of molds, mildews and fungi are not very harmful. In the case of Penicillium they have even been life saving. There is a dark side though. A number of molds can be dangerous to your health. The EPA estimates that there are about 50-100 types of household mold that can potentially create health problems.

These problems include; allergic reactions, asthma attacks, flu-like symptoms, migraines and much more. Some studies have shown that mold can even be linked to nervous and immune system complications that have resulted in death. Continue reading ‘How To Prevent Household Mold’ »

We all know mold causes health damage, but one mold in particular called Stachybotrys chartarum can be extremely dangerous. Stachybotrys is the mold that most people think about when they think of black mold and for good reason.

Stachybotrys (sometimes called simply stachy) grows on water damaged wood and paper, but where it does not grow is plastic, the tiles in our kitchens and bathrooms, and concrete. Wood and water that has gotten wet and allowed to dry that way will become infected with the mold and it will spread to other areas in your house.

Continue reading ‘Stachybotrys Mold And You’ »

It might not be that obvious, but even in desert climates such as parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, and etcetera mold can be a real problem. One of the most deadly (and most difficult to pronounce) molds lives in the desert areas of the southwestern United States called Coccidioidomycosis immitis. It is also known by the common name of Valley Fever. This causes a skin disease that can be fatal if left untreated. While this mold is present in the Southwestern United States and Mexico, this mold is not present in the deserts of Asia and Africa.

Another reason that mold can be a big problem in desert areas is that people also tend to use what are called swamp coolers to cool their homes and businesses off during the hottest parts of the year. This drives indoor humidity sky high and along with it comes the mold growth that you really do not want inside your building. Leaks are also common occurrences in the water pipes that flow up to the rooftop coolers, which causes water to leak in the ceilings, attics, and walls.

Continue reading ‘Desert Mold Causes Valley Fever’ »