Mold Sickness
Facts on Mold Sickness
Symptoms of mold sickness are numerous, and mimic many different disorders and diseases. How can you tell if the symptoms you are experiencing are due to mold or something else?
In recent years, there have been an increasing number of reports of people becoming ill, sometimes desperately, because of mold sickness. Initially, claims of mold creating dangerous environments were disregarded; thought by many to be impossible. As more and more cases came out of the woodwork, however, it became difficult to ignore or deny.
It is estimated that over 90% of people suffering from mold sickness do not get the proper attention and treatment. Sometimes this is due to the fact that the victims themselves do not recognize the symptoms for what they truly are. In other cases, it is because the medical community does not accurately investigate and diagnose the symptoms.
There are stories of people who have happily moved into their new home, only to almost immediately begin experiencing severe headaches, dizziness, nose bleeds and other symptoms. At first, they pay no attention; thinking perhaps it is hay fever or allergies. Then, slowly, the realization sets in that everyone in the family is getting sick; the symptoms are continuous and seem to decrease in severity when they are away from the home. It is usually at this point that mold sickness is suspected. Inspecting the home generally proves the theory; in some cases, mold has thickly blanketed the insides of walls and gone unnoticed for years.
Individuals such as the ones described above find it necessary to physically leave their home in order to save their lives. Mold of such magnitude can often not be eliminated, and long struggles with insurance companies and legal proceedings ensue. Not to mention that the family members are all fighting against mold sickness; in certain circumstances suffering irreversible damage to the lungs and brain.
Mold sickness has often been misdiagnosed as allergies, flu, respiratory tract infections, sinus infections, even diseases such as fibromyalgia. Without proper and accurate diagnosis, treatment will be ineffective although it may relieve certain symptoms. When the source of the symptoms is not detected, spores will continually create irritation and the individual will become more and more ill. The most commonly reported symptoms do mimic allergies; sneezing, wheezing, itchy eyes and skin, headache and runny eyes. The clue should be the duration of the symptoms, and whether they ease when the individual is away from the source.
Not all cases of mold sickness are as drastic as the instances detailed above. With mild symptoms, it is understandable how they can be mistaken for allergies. Keeping in mind that mold could be the culprit, insist upon being tested if your symptoms do not alleviate and you believe you are being incorrectly diagnosed.