People who have experienced wet conditions in their homes might have more serious problems than property damage to consider.Exposure to mold can cause respiratory-related problems, and symptoms mimic those of an allergic response.

“Mold typically causes respiratory problems or respiratory-related problems, similar to problems that people would have with hay fever or airborne allergies,” said Ken Wangler, manager of the Radiation and Indoor Air Quality Program for the North Dakota Department of Health.

Symptoms of a sensitivity to mold can include a sore or raspy throat, runny nose, watery eyes, watery or itchy nose, or headache, Wangler said.

“Typically the response to mold is from your immune system, and so, your body sees mold as a foreign invader, and your immune system kicks in and you get the kind of symptoms you get from pollen dust,” Wangler said.

Reactions to mold can vary between individuals, and even the types of molds causing symptoms varies depending on the individual.

“Some people are more sensitive to one type of mold than another. Any type of mold can trigger symptoms in the right people,” Wangler said.

Longer-term exposure to mold may cause worsened symptoms or increased sensitivities.

“People may develop sensitivities with long-term exposure to mold, and their symptoms may become more severe if they develop sensitivities,” Wangler said.

Individuals who have severe symptoms should contact a healthcare provider. For milder symptoms, the best treatment is to avoid being exposed.

“You can certainly see your healthcare provider to insure the symptoms you’re getting are from mold and not something more serious than that, but probably the best treatment for exposure to mold is to reduce the exposure,” Wangler said.

In preventing mold exposure, it’s most important to stop the source of water and then clean up the water.

“Mold requires three things to grow – the right temperature, a food source and moisture, and typically the food source and the temperature are common in everybody’s home. The only thing you can do to control mold is to control moisture,” Wangler said.

“The biggest thing is to fix your water problem, that’s where it all stems from,” said Jim Heckman, director of the Environmental Health Division for First District Health Unit.

“We have information here that has been put out by the health department and the CDC, that gives you some idea about the types of household cleaners you can use, and personal protective equipment that you should use,” he added.

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