With an estimated 7.2million people in the UK having asthma, it’s an incredibly common illness. Although easy to manage for many with inhalers, other environmental factors, including mould, can complicate your asthma and make it worse.
In this blog, we explore how mould affects asthma and what you can do to minimise the risks of you and your family suffering because of mould.
What is mould?
In simple terms, mould is a fungus that most frequently grows in dark, damp places and spreads by releasing spores into the air.. Whilst airborne mould is invisible, it can settle on surfaces to form a colony, which is usually represented by a fuzzy, blue, black or green coloured patch.
Due to the UK’s damp and humid climate , mould is a common problem, with around 6million homes in the UK being affected by it, especially in areas like kitchens and bathrooms.
Mould and asthma
Whilst mould can be harmful for all humans to breathe in, if you have asthma and have mould in your home, the complications can be even more serious, as your airways can become inflamed and potentially lead to you suffering from the following symptoms:
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Chest tightening
- Shortness of breath
In serious cases, especially for young children or the elderly who have asthma, breathing in mould spores can cause a full-blown asthma attack, which could, in some rare cases, potentially be fatal.
Whilst mould in general is an allergen, some strains of mould contain mycotoxins, and whilst the exact complications are currently being researched, we do know that they’re irritants that can cause respiratory problems.
How to tell if there’s mould in your home
You need to be vigilant about mould, especially if there are people in your household with respiratory issues like asthma.
Whilst some mould is visible and denoted by multicoloured patches on walls, floors and ceilings, mould is more often than not a hidden danger and you may not be able to see it.
When mould is present, you may be able to smell it, with the odour being damp, musty, sour or unpleasant .
The best way to detect hidden mould, however, is with the Untold Mould Home Mould Testing Kit. It’s available for you to test one, two or three rooms, with the ability to buy more cartridges to test more rooms.
Once you’ve tested for mould using our easy-to-use home mould testing kit, simply send the cartridges back to us, and you’ll receive an easy-to-understand, in-depth AI lab-supported mould report within 3 working days of receipt.
Your mould report will allow you to start to take steps and make key decisions on how to get rid of mould in your home.
How should I remove mould to make my home asthma-safe?
The first thing we’d recommend is that you get a home air purifier and mould remediation system like our Hepa+ Pro, which is capable of removing both visible and hidden mould from your home. It’s powerful, yet lightweight, so you can move it from room to room, tackling any rooms which are flagged in the report as having mould.
Whilst the Hepa+ Pro is reliable, if you have extremely heavy and toxic black mould, you may need to call in a professional mould remediation service to remove the mould manually.
