Mold in the home can increase an adult's risk of developing asthma.
As homeowners are aware, mold is not something that you ever want to find living inside your walls. The fungus can ruin the essential foundation of your home and – if undetected – can end up costing thousands of dollars in repairs. It can also cause a whole host of negative health effects, including rashes, itchy eyes and sore throats. According to a new Australian study, prolonged exposure to mold can also lead to something more serious – an increased risk of adult asthma.
According to the researchers, the more mold that participants reported seeing in their home, the greater their asthma symptoms were. Men were also found to be four times more likely to develop non-allergic asthma when exposed to mold than women. While asthma typically beings in childhood, frequently occurring in kids who have allergies, those leading the study wanted to focus their efforts on how mold damages the health of adults.
“The mold exposure that we were talking about is the typical mold that we all see in our homes from time to time, that is, mold that you see in the wet areas of the house, e.g., bathroom, kitchen and laundry,” John Burgess, who co-led the study, told Reuters Health.
The researchers found that not all asthma is the same, and different kinds can have adverse affects on various parts of the population. Non-allergic asthma – related to indoor air pollutants such as mold – is more likely to occur in an older population. The study concluded by urging all homeowners to make sure their homes remain clean and dry so mold does not have a chance to form.
To help keep the air in your home free from harmful pollutants, be sure to invest in a home air purifier from US Air Purifiers Direct 2U!