Mold and Harmful Effects of Mold on Health
The Harmful Effects of Mold
Mold is something that most people are familiar with to some extent, even if it is just the knowledge that it is in some way bad.
By definition, mold is a fungus that can be found both indoors and outdoors, in residential areas and in commercial ones. It feeds on organic, decomposing matter and thrives in areas that are dark, damp, and humid.
Often, when there is indoor mold, there is also a musty and unpleasant odor that accompanies it and alerts people to its presence. Mold spreads courtesy of spores that, when disturbed, float in the air and can survive conditions that mold itself generally cannot. Indoors, mold is one of the allergens that affect indoor air quality (IAQ) as well as people who are sensitive to it.
When people purchase one of our indoor air filters, they have the tools that they need to combat mold. Here at Air Oasis, we produce air purifiers for mold that help cleanse and sanitize both the air and indoor surfaces. Our air purifiers are an effective and proven way to make any area healthier by ridding it of mold and mold spores.
Mild and Harmful Effects of Mold on Health
The best way to understand the importance of using one of our air purifiers is by understanding the potentially harmful effects of mold. How indoor mold affects a person depends on various factors, such as the amount of mold in the environment, how long a person has been exposed to it, and the individual and their health status.
People who are most susceptible to mold/mold spores and their harmful effects are the elderly, infants, children, immunocompromised individuals, and people who suffer from asthma, allergies, and other respiratory conditions. The toxins that are found in certain types of mold spores, such as black mold, can enter a person’s system through the airways, skin or via absorption through the lining of the intestines.
It is these types of molds that are the most harmful with prolonged long-term exposure. Some of the severe problems that people may experience due to this type of indoor mold exposure include fevers, pneumonia, severe asthma attacks, liver damage, and opportunistic infections of the lungs, skin, and other organs in people who are immunosuppressed or immunocompromised. In rare cases, mold exposure may even cause cancer. The more mild effects of mold include allergy symptoms such as itching throat, eyes, or nose, headache, diarrhea, fatigue, and dizziness.
Which Air Purifier is
Right For You?
Will An Air Purifier Help With Mold?
Naturally, our customers want to reduce the health risks associated with mold. One of the questions that visitors to Air Oasis may have is, “Will an air purifier help with mold?” The answer to that question is a resounding yes. Air purifiers are designed to clean the air by removing allergens such as mold. Utilizing its advanced technology, our purifiers safely kill and remove indoor mold and mold spores. We have two air purifier models, both of which will safely kill mold.
The IonicAir™ will produce ions with its bi-polar and AHPCO® technology to seek out and neutralize airborne mold. AHPCO® is an advanced and proprietary technology that improves upon the basic PCO technology found in air purifiers today. The iAdaptAir® layers silver ion technology with HEPA and carbon filtration to pull in and trap particles.
How to Test for Black Mold in My House
Before you buy an air purifier to combat mold and other allergens, you might want to know what the indoor air quality in your home is. You may be wondering, “Where can I learn how to test for black mold in my house?” Air quality Petri dish test kits are available across the web. These tests can be done before and after the use of an air purifier to illustrate any improvements and do not need to be sent out to a lab for results.
Another, albeit more expensive, way to check for mold is to have samples taken by professionals. Professionals will have specific sampling protocols and sampling methods, and they should follow specific methods of analysis from organizations such as the American Industrial Hygiene Association, for example.