Toxic Molds: How Much Do You Know?

I've written many articles on toxic molds and the dangers involved with them, but it seems no matter how much I write, or how much I talk, people just do not get it. My family literally ran from Indiana and the mold that was everywhere there, as well as the heat and humidity. We moved into a little house in Southern Colorado, and just days after moving in, we had a water leak in the basement. I could smell the mold starting to grow after only 12 or so hours from the start of the leak, (yes it can grow that fast, and yes I can smell mold a mile away in the smallest amount!). I called the Realtor in charge of the property and told her about the leak and that I could already smell mold forming in the basement, and she said, "we don't have a problem with black mold here".

First of all, once you are sensitized to molds, you can become allergic to just about everything, molds, (all types, and there are thousands out there), chemicals, pollens, dust, animals, foods, just about anything.

Secondly, there are a number of deadly toxic molds that are black, and black is not the only color that toxic molds come in. All of these toxic molds can grow in your home, and can make you very sick, some of these molds can even kill you. So please do not think that the only dangerous mold is black mold, because that thinking could cost you everything you own, including your health and the health of your family.

Mold is a cancer, that if not stopped before it gets out of hand, will devour your house, belongings, your entire life. Mold comes in many varieties and a rainbow of pretty colors, all of which can be deadly. Aspergillus, Fusarium,(one of the black molds), Stachybotris, (the most common black mold). Histoplasma Capsulatum is another type of mold that can grow in your attic and basement. It comes from bird and bat droppings mixing in with dirt or dust and gives you flu like symptoms. Histo is found in the Midwest, as are many molds, and statistics say that 85% of everyone who grew up in the Midwest has had Histo at some time in their lives. Now here is the scary part. Those who had Histo have another worry when they get older, loosing their eye sight. Yep, there is an illness called Ocular Histo, and those who had Histo while growing up, are beginning to be diagnosed with this condition 20+ years later and are going blind!

So, the next time someone mentions to you they are allergic to mold, please don't say something hurtful to them, instead, try to understand what they have been through, what they have lost, and most of all, that there are thousands of different molds out there, and a good number of them can and do destroy lives and sometimes kill. If you really want to do something, give them a hug, believe me, they need it and it will make them feel that they are not alone in a world were no one cares about what they have been through and what they have lost.