About Black Mold

• Stachybotrys chartarum, or black mold as it is commonly called, is a nasty fungus and can be a home's worst enemy. Even in the cleanest of homes, black mold can take up residence wherever there is excessive moisture or humidity, even for a short period of time. Worse yet, black mold spores can be brought into the home during renovations or construction. Black stachy mold can be especially dangerous when it dries, particularly when it is disturbed.
  
  

Symptoms of Black Mold Exposure

• The most common reported symptoms of black mold poisoning are headaches, watering and itchy eyes, sneezing and itching in general. More serious symptoms that are believed to be caused by exposure to black mold include nose bleeds, nausea, diarrhea, swollen glands, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, breathing disorders, open sores on the body, chronic sinus infections, chronic bronchitis and coughing up either blood or another black substance.
  
  

Additional Black Mold Illnesses

• The most serious of side effects from black mold exposure can affect those with the weakest immune systems. Some of those symptoms that have been reported have included bleeding lungs, memory loss, cancer and blindness. In some rare cases, black mold has been believed to be an underlying cause in certain deaths.
  
  

Symptoms Hit Some, Leave Others Alone

• Black mold does not always cause health problems and it can affect different people in different ways. While the presence of black mold may not bother you, your child may exhibit a number of unpleasant symptoms or vice versa. The symptoms you experience may not be chronic and may even come and go, particularly if you are away from the exposed area for a period of time. But prolonged exposure to black mold can severely weaken your immune system and as such can be deadly to infants and the elderly and anyone with a history of moderate to severe allergies.
  
  

What To Do?

• If you find black mold in your home, the best remedy is to thoroughly clean all hard surfaces that can be reached with a prepared water and bleach solution, using 1 cup of bleach per gallon of water. If black mold is found on any types of porous materials in your home, such as carpet, ceiling tiles and drywall, replace the affected area, as the black mold has likely penetrated too deeply to be effectively removed.