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.
Generally the first symptoms of these mycotic diseases are those that are similar to the flu, such as chills, coughing, pain in the muscles and the joints, and fever. Medications that are antifungal can cause some of these symptoms, as well, even though the fungal infection that it is intended to treat cause these exact same symptoms. These drugs can also cause kidney damage and end up affecting the eyes, skin, or liver and a doctor will probably ask for labwork often in order to catch some of these serious side effects before they become out of control.
Some of the diseases that can be caught from a mold are histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis, candidiasis, blastomycosis, and aspergillosis. These are serious fungal diseases and should be treated as such.
Aspergillosis is caused by molds in the Aspergillus genus and tends to be found in many places including buildings, plants, food, water, and soil.
Blastomycosis is caused by Blastomyces and is found soils that are rich in nutrients and very moist. It has been known to affect both animals and humans.
Candidiasis is caused from the mold Candida and can cause mouth infections or genital yeast infections, but it is even more serious when it ends up invading the bloodstream. Candida is found in the intestines naturally, however.
Coccidioidomycosis is caused by the mold coccidioides and this is found most often in the dry soil in the southwestern United States, and central and South America. It starts as a flu-like disease, but can infect the lungs and infect the other organs in the body, including the brain.
Cryptococcosis is caused by Cryptococcus and associated the most with Eucalyptus trees and bird droppings. It typically begins in the lungs, but has no symptoms until it spreads to the rest of the body.
Histoplasmosis is caused by Histoplasma and tends to infect the lungs. Like other fungal infections, it includes flu-like symptoms and can spread to the rest of the body.
Showing posts with label sids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sids. Show all posts
Monday, January 21, 2008
Mold and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
While there are some medical conditions that occur in children and babies that you cannot do much of anything to prepare for, what you get told by health professionals might not be all there is to it. It happens to some of the best parents in the world, but they are continually told that there is nothing that they can do to stop it. They are told that the medical community has no answer. They are at the mercy of it.
SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) occurs in infants and toddlers and most often what happens is that a child is asleep in its crib and for some strange reason, he or she just dies. Just like that. North American doctors have had no explanation for this occurrence for years and continue to this day to tell parents that there is next to nothing that can be done to prevent it.
However, an answer to the cause of it might lie just on the other side of the world in New Zealand.
A study that has been going on for almost the past 10 years in New Zealand says that the reason SIDS occurs is because of the chemicals being put into our mattresses (including baby mattresses) to make them flame retardant. These chemicals include arsenic, antimony, and phosphorus and all three are poisonous to human beings. However, this by itself is not what causes SIDS. It is when mold, particularly Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, makes its way into one of these flame retardant mattresses (and you never know which mattresses contain which chemicals, there are no labeling laws), it eats the mattress material. When it begins to digest this material, it releases toxic gases back into the air and when you have your baby sleep on this mattress (especially on its stomach), it inhales these gases and dies.
This study advises that you have your baby sleep on its stomach, to wrap the mattress itself in a specially manufactured wrap to keep these gases from escaping the mattress, and to always purchase a new mattress each time you have a new baby. Used mattresses are much more likely to contain the mold that you do not want your baby to come into contact anyway, much less while it is eating these flame retardant materials. Try to keep bed materials cleaned as often as possible to keep mold from growing in the bedding, as well.
SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) occurs in infants and toddlers and most often what happens is that a child is asleep in its crib and for some strange reason, he or she just dies. Just like that. North American doctors have had no explanation for this occurrence for years and continue to this day to tell parents that there is next to nothing that can be done to prevent it.
However, an answer to the cause of it might lie just on the other side of the world in New Zealand.
A study that has been going on for almost the past 10 years in New Zealand says that the reason SIDS occurs is because of the chemicals being put into our mattresses (including baby mattresses) to make them flame retardant. These chemicals include arsenic, antimony, and phosphorus and all three are poisonous to human beings. However, this by itself is not what causes SIDS. It is when mold, particularly Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, makes its way into one of these flame retardant mattresses (and you never know which mattresses contain which chemicals, there are no labeling laws), it eats the mattress material. When it begins to digest this material, it releases toxic gases back into the air and when you have your baby sleep on this mattress (especially on its stomach), it inhales these gases and dies.
This study advises that you have your baby sleep on its stomach, to wrap the mattress itself in a specially manufactured wrap to keep these gases from escaping the mattress, and to always purchase a new mattress each time you have a new baby. Used mattresses are much more likely to contain the mold that you do not want your baby to come into contact anyway, much less while it is eating these flame retardant materials. Try to keep bed materials cleaned as often as possible to keep mold from growing in the bedding, as well.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Areas At Risk For Mold
If you own a home, then you have probably gone through your home looking for mold on at least one occasion and if you have not, then you really should think about doing this sometime soon. We have all heard about toxic mold on the news in one form or another and how harmful it can be to our health, but this is not the only issue with mold. Even if you manage to kill it, it can still cause allergic reactions in some people because the spores are still airborne and our bodies still recognize them as something they need to defend themselves against. Taking some antihistamine medication can help, but no one wants to take allergy medicine all the time if you really do not have to.
There are a number of signs that will show you that you should look for mold in different areas of your house, but you may not exactly know what you are supposed to be looking for. Go around your house and any room that is inherently moist should be scrutinized closely. Unless you have done a remodeling job recently and you have completely waterproofed the bathroom, then you should consider it as a possible breeding ground for mold. Other rooms that are inherently moist are the kitchen, laundry room, and the basement.
You should look for signs of moisture in the laundry room since it is likely to stay humid due to the amount of wet clothing and evaporating of water that stays in there all the time. Your dryer needs to be properly vented to the outside if it is not already, unless it is a ventless model. Always wash wet clothes as soon as possible and do not put dry clothes on top of them. You will most likely forget about them and they will mold after about 48 hours.
Your kitchen is another area that you should be concerned with. Areas around the sink and floor that are not waterproofed and even the ceiling should be suspect. The steam that comes off the stove when you cook damages the ceiling and can discolor it over time, so you should have an exhaust fan installed over the stove to help prevent this. These fans should also be put in other moist rooms of the house, especially the bathroom. This will keep you from having to repaint the ceiling as often as you would normally have to and even keep you from having to replace drywall.
There are a number of signs that will show you that you should look for mold in different areas of your house, but you may not exactly know what you are supposed to be looking for. Go around your house and any room that is inherently moist should be scrutinized closely. Unless you have done a remodeling job recently and you have completely waterproofed the bathroom, then you should consider it as a possible breeding ground for mold. Other rooms that are inherently moist are the kitchen, laundry room, and the basement.
You should look for signs of moisture in the laundry room since it is likely to stay humid due to the amount of wet clothing and evaporating of water that stays in there all the time. Your dryer needs to be properly vented to the outside if it is not already, unless it is a ventless model. Always wash wet clothes as soon as possible and do not put dry clothes on top of them. You will most likely forget about them and they will mold after about 48 hours.
Your kitchen is another area that you should be concerned with. Areas around the sink and floor that are not waterproofed and even the ceiling should be suspect. The steam that comes off the stove when you cook damages the ceiling and can discolor it over time, so you should have an exhaust fan installed over the stove to help prevent this. These fans should also be put in other moist rooms of the house, especially the bathroom. This will keep you from having to repaint the ceiling as often as you would normally have to and even keep you from having to replace drywall.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Step Two of Drying Out Water Damaged Properties
The second half of the drying process of water damaged homes or buildings should begin by removing any water damaged items from the home like furniture, paintings, photographs, and etcetera and allowing them to dry out outside the home. Squeeze as much water as possible out of couch cushions and try to leave them outside in the sun for as little time as possible, because sun damage can also occur if they’re left exposed for too long.
If the floors of your home are covered in mud or silt, washing them with clean water is usually the only solution. Don’t rush the drying of the floors or what is called warping or buckling and if you can, remove any insulation from under the floor to allow air to circulate. Rapid drying of hardwood floors by using heating, air conditioning, or other forced air to help dry the floors can cause cupping. Completely drying them naturally can take weeks or months.
Any electrical components in the house, like AC outlets, should be replaced if the water level was high enough to damage them. Again, make sure there is no electricity running to that area of your building or even to the entire building itself. When dealing with flooded properties, the possibility of electrocution is great.
Don’t be so quick to remove all the water in your basement. The walls of the basement could collapse due to the ground outside that is still saturated with water and the water still standing in your basement could be the only thing stopping this. After the water around the house has drained away, pump out two or three feet, mark the water level, and wait until the next day. If the water level in the basement rises, don’t continue pumping out the water.
In most cases, washing wet mud away from objects with clean water before drying them is a good idea. Unless it’s an antique item of special significance, this is generally the way to go. If it does fall into the category of antique or historic, consult a specialist as quickly as possible.
Air circulation through the building is essential to drying it out entirely. Heaters should not be used and air conditioners should be used sparingly, if at all. Forcing the building to dry unnaturally can possibly cause even more damage.
Connecticut Mold Remediation services
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If the floors of your home are covered in mud or silt, washing them with clean water is usually the only solution. Don’t rush the drying of the floors or what is called warping or buckling and if you can, remove any insulation from under the floor to allow air to circulate. Rapid drying of hardwood floors by using heating, air conditioning, or other forced air to help dry the floors can cause cupping. Completely drying them naturally can take weeks or months.
Any electrical components in the house, like AC outlets, should be replaced if the water level was high enough to damage them. Again, make sure there is no electricity running to that area of your building or even to the entire building itself. When dealing with flooded properties, the possibility of electrocution is great.
Don’t be so quick to remove all the water in your basement. The walls of the basement could collapse due to the ground outside that is still saturated with water and the water still standing in your basement could be the only thing stopping this. After the water around the house has drained away, pump out two or three feet, mark the water level, and wait until the next day. If the water level in the basement rises, don’t continue pumping out the water.
In most cases, washing wet mud away from objects with clean water before drying them is a good idea. Unless it’s an antique item of special significance, this is generally the way to go. If it does fall into the category of antique or historic, consult a specialist as quickly as possible.
Air circulation through the building is essential to drying it out entirely. Heaters should not be used and air conditioners should be used sparingly, if at all. Forcing the building to dry unnaturally can possibly cause even more damage.
Connecticut Mold Remediation services
north carolina mold remediation
Drying Out Water Damaged Properties
As you can imagine, drying out a home or other building that’s been submerged in water, whether it’s flood water or rain water, can be quite a daunting task. Here we’ll discuss a few different ways to begin the process.
A flood can happen in almost an instant, but drying out a home or other property can take a long time. Depending on the property you’re trying to dry out, using hot air drying techniques may damage the building, especially if it’s a historical one.
Before beginning the drying process, be sure to address the electrical hazard. Make sure all power to your home is completely off. Just because the power is off for all your neighbors, don’t assume that yours is off, too. This could be a very fatal mistake. Not only should you be careful of electrical hazards, but biological ones, as well. Flood waters such as those caused by Hurricane Katrina can be contaminated with human and animal waste, all manner of chemicals, and even cadavers. Protect your eyes, mouth, hands, and wear a respirator. Wash your hands in disinfectant soap after a session of cleaning and again before you eat.
Take pictures of the damage with a camera or if possible, videotape them. This documentation will make it easier when you begin negotiating with your insurance adjuster on what compensation you will be eligible for.
Make any repairs necessary to keep water from re-entering the home. These repairs should only be temporary while you get the majority of the building dried.
Any effort to begin drying out a home is the attic. Any wet insulation should be removed as quickly as possible; it is no longer useful, but it is heavy and holds moisture for quite a long time and will continue to cause damage to wood, metal, and drywall. If anything in the attic is soaked with water, remove it. These waterlogged items are heavy and can cause the ceilings to crack. Fresh air circulating through your home is a good way to begin and if you have any fans, turn them on once you’re confident that you can’t become electrocuted simply by walking around.
Opening the windows throughout the house (as long as it isn’t raining) will help and at this time you should begin to wash down any wooden items in the home in order to remove mud, silt, and other debris.
New Jersey mold damage restoration
Connecticut mold remediation
A flood can happen in almost an instant, but drying out a home or other property can take a long time. Depending on the property you’re trying to dry out, using hot air drying techniques may damage the building, especially if it’s a historical one.
Before beginning the drying process, be sure to address the electrical hazard. Make sure all power to your home is completely off. Just because the power is off for all your neighbors, don’t assume that yours is off, too. This could be a very fatal mistake. Not only should you be careful of electrical hazards, but biological ones, as well. Flood waters such as those caused by Hurricane Katrina can be contaminated with human and animal waste, all manner of chemicals, and even cadavers. Protect your eyes, mouth, hands, and wear a respirator. Wash your hands in disinfectant soap after a session of cleaning and again before you eat.
Take pictures of the damage with a camera or if possible, videotape them. This documentation will make it easier when you begin negotiating with your insurance adjuster on what compensation you will be eligible for.
Make any repairs necessary to keep water from re-entering the home. These repairs should only be temporary while you get the majority of the building dried.
Any effort to begin drying out a home is the attic. Any wet insulation should be removed as quickly as possible; it is no longer useful, but it is heavy and holds moisture for quite a long time and will continue to cause damage to wood, metal, and drywall. If anything in the attic is soaked with water, remove it. These waterlogged items are heavy and can cause the ceilings to crack. Fresh air circulating through your home is a good way to begin and if you have any fans, turn them on once you’re confident that you can’t become electrocuted simply by walking around.
Opening the windows throughout the house (as long as it isn’t raining) will help and at this time you should begin to wash down any wooden items in the home in order to remove mud, silt, and other debris.
New Jersey mold damage restoration
Connecticut mold remediation
Home Moldy Home
If I was building a new home, the last thing that I would want to find out at the last minute is that it has been being built with moldy building materials. This happens a lot more often and is a lot more serious than you might think that it is. Mold is a big problem in homes these days, either due to not paying attention to the condition of your home while you are living in it, due to a natural disaster such as a hurricane, or perhaps the most avoidable reason, it was built into the home that you currently live in.
Mold gets built into brand new homes all the time and it is not only the contractor’s fault, but also the owner’s for not paying attention to the building materials being used at the time. For someone paying to have the home built, what they need to do to help prevent this is to pay attention to what is going on at the building site and to visit it often. The building should be completely covered with a tarp until the walls and roof are totally finished and there is no possibility for rain, snow, or any other kind of precipitation to get into the house.
Before building begins you should inspect all the building materials such as the lumber, sheetrock, insulation, and etcetera that are being used. Inspect them and if you see any signs of mold at all, have them tested with a home test kit and set them aside until you are sure that they are not contaminated.
Something just as important as the other things mentioned here is to make sure your contractor and his or her workers are not storing the building materials directly on the ground. This is just asking for mold to start growing on these and this is completely avoidable by just raising the materials up off the ground. They should come into contact with the soil as little as possible, if at all.
Mold testing during different stages of the home’s development should also take place. The testing should be in the beginning, near the middle, and after the home is completed.
As long as you pay attention to what is going on around the new site of your home while your contractor is working on it, you should be able to almost completely avoid mold being built into your home.
North Carolina Sewage Damage Cleanup
North Carolina mold remediation
Mold gets built into brand new homes all the time and it is not only the contractor’s fault, but also the owner’s for not paying attention to the building materials being used at the time. For someone paying to have the home built, what they need to do to help prevent this is to pay attention to what is going on at the building site and to visit it often. The building should be completely covered with a tarp until the walls and roof are totally finished and there is no possibility for rain, snow, or any other kind of precipitation to get into the house.
Before building begins you should inspect all the building materials such as the lumber, sheetrock, insulation, and etcetera that are being used. Inspect them and if you see any signs of mold at all, have them tested with a home test kit and set them aside until you are sure that they are not contaminated.
Something just as important as the other things mentioned here is to make sure your contractor and his or her workers are not storing the building materials directly on the ground. This is just asking for mold to start growing on these and this is completely avoidable by just raising the materials up off the ground. They should come into contact with the soil as little as possible, if at all.
Mold testing during different stages of the home’s development should also take place. The testing should be in the beginning, near the middle, and after the home is completed.
As long as you pay attention to what is going on around the new site of your home while your contractor is working on it, you should be able to almost completely avoid mold being built into your home.
North Carolina Sewage Damage Cleanup
North Carolina mold remediation
The Effects Of Mold In Your Laundry Hampers, And Bathroom Vents
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. Sheetrock (or drywall) is a porous surface and mold cannot be effectively removed from it by surface cleaning. The mold will infect the entire depth of the board and most of the time there is not anything that you can do except throw it away and replace it.
Something that has been popular in the past and even in a few homes now is putting carpet in the bathroom. This is a very bad idea, because no matter how careful you might be, your toilet, sink, or bathtub is going to overflow eventually and leave you with a mess of soaked carpet and padding. Carpet needs to be dried as soon as possible when it comes into contact with water. Once the water dries naturally, the carpet will smell, especially if you are unlucky enough to have to live with only well water.
If you live in an older home and your bathroom does not have a vent to release the hot air and steam outside so that it does not attach itself to the sheetrock and become absorbed by it. This is a worthy investment to make and it should not cost more than $50 to $70 and maybe half a day of time to install if you do it yourself.
Whatever you do, do not leave damp towels, rags, or clothing in the bathroom closet or on the floor, especially if you have carpet in the bathroom. Your best bet is to use a plastic laundry hamper and put the dirty laundry in that and only in that so that even if the clothes do become moldy, it is not likely to infect the floor or the wall because of the plastic barrier.
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New Jersey mold remediation contractor
Something that has been popular in the past and even in a few homes now is putting carpet in the bathroom. This is a very bad idea, because no matter how careful you might be, your toilet, sink, or bathtub is going to overflow eventually and leave you with a mess of soaked carpet and padding. Carpet needs to be dried as soon as possible when it comes into contact with water. Once the water dries naturally, the carpet will smell, especially if you are unlucky enough to have to live with only well water.
If you live in an older home and your bathroom does not have a vent to release the hot air and steam outside so that it does not attach itself to the sheetrock and become absorbed by it. This is a worthy investment to make and it should not cost more than $50 to $70 and maybe half a day of time to install if you do it yourself.
Whatever you do, do not leave damp towels, rags, or clothing in the bathroom closet or on the floor, especially if you have carpet in the bathroom. Your best bet is to use a plastic laundry hamper and put the dirty laundry in that and only in that so that even if the clothes do become moldy, it is not likely to infect the floor or the wall because of the plastic barrier.
flood water damage restoration chicago
New Jersey mold remediation contractor
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