What Happens When Young Children Are Exposed To Mold?
Our children will always be our top priority especially when safety is concerned. No parent who would not go to great lengths to ensure their children live in the most conducive and safest environment. Nevertheless, how do we become aware of how safe our home truly is for our young ones and whether they are indeed exposed to mold on a daily basis or otherwise?
Favorite Spots of Mold
Being aware of the ill-effects of mold is truly essential. This will create a sense of wanting to keep mold prevention at bay in order to safeguard the well-being of your children. Mold can easily grow and thrive in hidden areas where we least expect like air ducts, wood, carpeting, drywall, paper, or any surface that is constantly exposed to moisture. Thus, make it a point to check under the kitchen sinks or bathroom regularly to get rid of any mold spores.
Terrible Effects of Mold in Children
Children are at a stage whereby their body is still developing and so is their immunity. Hence, children are more prone to suffer from the ill-effects of mold as compared to adults. The main point that you need to be aware of is that the diseases related to mold are pretty common in children. This makes it easy for parents to simply dismiss any mold symptoms present in children as nothing critical. Parents may see their children sneezing, wheezing, or coughing, but they are thought to be caused by the flu instead of mold. For more severe cases, children may even suffer from more harmful effects of toxic mold.
Allergies
Apart from sneezing, wheezing, and coughing, there are plenty more symptoms that mold causes. One of them shows when your children experience rashes when they are in close contact with mold. However, do not be alarmed if you are certain that your home does not have any signs of mold for you to suspect that your children are indeed suffering from mold allergies. If unsure, always seek the advice of mold experts who can perform a test.
Respiratory Problems
It is highly common in children to develop pneumonia, croup, or bronchitis whenever there is mold growth that is caused by water damage. Pneumonia is an inflammation of the tissues inside the lungs, croup is a blockage of the trachea that causes shortness of breath, and bronchitis is when the bronchial tubes are inflamed that causes dry coughing and wheezing. There is a direct link between moisture levels in a home to higher risks of respiratory symptoms in children. This is when a damp environment causes high levels of mold which in turn leads to respiratory symptoms.
Immediate Action
If you suspect your children are reacting to mold, seek the advice of medical experts immediately. A pediatrician can arrange for a mold test to be done at your home to confirm if the symptoms experienced by your children are indeed related to mold growth.