Oye! I am so deep in the thick of figuring out if the mold is making us sick, or if it will make us sick. Sometimes it's so hard to find good information out there - and then what source to trust. And when I find research by a "Doctor" that makes a particular point how can I be certain he's not just a quack. Or is the doctor a "quack"?
Like I mentioned, I try to get my information from a variety of sources. I feel like a solid source that presents good facts based on evidence and research is the World Health Organization. So today I started reading about what they have to say about mold (or rather "mould") and dampness and water damaged buildings. It's a long article full of lots of technical stuff and really I shouldn't be spending too much time on it --I have bigger problems on hand (like finding a doctor and getting a legit professional to test my air and finding somewhere clean to live).
Anyway I needed a little more evidence that the things I was reading on my much trusted "mom-blogs" and other online sources wasn't just hog-wash. So I went to my source of sources. I hope this link to the article stays good, WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould
If this isn't so true!:
Indoor damp is likely to remain an important issue in less affluent countries and neighbourhoods, particularly since an increasing shortage of affordable housing provides little incentive for landlords to improve rental accommodation.
I live in a very affluent neighborhood but I can't even tell you how many people rent in Northern Virginia! Government jobs, international stationing, and the extreme cost of living keeps so many people from buying. If we lived in so many other states we would be able to live in a mansion compared to the tiny-rentals we're in here. And these rentals are wet and water damaged! Oh it's just terrible. I'm starting to wonder how many people around here are affected by this mold!
Let's see what else we've gleaned from our little reading:
Mycotoxins, or fungal toxins, are low-relative-molecular-mass biomolecules produced by fungi, some of which are toxic to animals and human beings. Mycotoxins are known to interfere with RNA synthesis and may cause DNA damage. Some fungal species may produce various mycotoxins, depending on the substrate. . . .The mycotoxins that have perhaps received most attention are the trichothecenes, produced by Stachybotrys chartarum.And as for some adverse health affects:
Such health effects as fatigue, headache and difficulties in concentration (Johanning et al., 1996; Koskinen et al., 1999b) indicate that microbes or other agents present in damp buildings have neurological effects.Oh no! Just read this about grains:
Heavy occupational exposure by inhalation to mycotoxins in mouldy grain may be linked to an increased risk of cancer.Not what a gal with hundreds of pounds of grains wants to hear! It just makes me sick to think about my money wasted, but it has to go.
And the baby wakes. Time to put the research on hold. And seriously time to take action and get out of here. This isn't good and we have got to get out and find help!
May God bless us and help us in our efforts to be somewhere that is safe for our health!
*****
Add this as a legit resource about mold I just found. It was published post-Hurricane Sandy. I know it's addressing mold in flooded buildings, but I think the principles about mold and the potential health risks are still true.
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