Food sensitivities, which may present with allergy-like symptoms, may be connected to intestinal inflammation or leaky gut [ 30, 31, 32]. If you have symptoms due to mold exposure, treatments will differ depending on the underlying cause. Your doctor may suggest prescription options, over-the-counter (OTC) treatments, or home remedies. Medical treatments Mould can develop in places with insufficient insulation. This is most noticeable on external walls with inadequate insulation, as the temperature on the inside of the external wall can cool down extremely fast in autumn and winter, causing condensation. Mold is a problem that can crop up seemingly out of nowhere, though there are common areas where mold tends to recur, such as bathrooms, kitchens, attics, basements, and cellars. These areas are all prone to high levels of moisture and humidity, which promotes the growth of mold spores. While some people may be able to detect the presence of mold by scent or by sight, using a mold test kit is a much more accurate method and can provide users with detailed results so that they know what type of mold they are dealing with and how to treat the issue. Rea WJ. A Large Case-series of Successful Treatment of Patients Exposed to Mold and Mycotoxin. Clin Ther. 2018 Jun;40(6):889-893. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2018.05.003. Epub 2018 May 31. PMID: 29861191.

We do not recommend at-home mold testing in place of professional assessments. However, if you're seeking at-home results to support an expert consultation, the test you choose will depend on the surface you are testing. You will likely use a mold test kit with tape strips to lift a sample for surface testing. Or, you might use a swab to send a sample into a lab or spread a sample on a petri dish for evaluation. If you want to test materials like drywall or carpet fibers for mold, then a test kit with a pouch for including samples to send to a lab is your best choice.Some proponents of mold detoxes claim activated charcoal will bind to mycotoxins, allowing you to detox after exposure. The best mold test kit for a home depends on whether users want to test the air quality or if a surface test is more appropriate. Take a look at the top products below to see examples of the various mold test kits available, then read on for more information about how to select the best mold test kit to test for the presence of mold in a home. Having your indoor environment tested by the expert technicians at WTS can help to establish what types of fungal spores, moulds and bacteria are causing a problem, and how best to deal with it. Another reason to start with your diet and lifestyle is that these factors might actually influence your mycotoxin test results. Many mycotoxin tests work by measuring the toxins that your body is eliminating. However, if diet and lifestyle components are not in place, your body may be less capable of excreting toxins.

Ideally, humidity levels should be between 30% and 60% indoors; any higher than that and further steps may need to be taken to increase ventilation, introduce further dehumidification or remove moisture from the atmosphere in some other way to stop issues with mould returning. Expert indoor air quality assessment and mould testing solutions Keep the home safe from lingering and spreading mold spores by testing and treating mold problems. For more information on mold test kits, such as how they work and whether these kits expire, read below to get answers to these questions and several additional commonly asked questions about the best mold test kits. Q. How does a mold test kit work? There are many different kinds of tests available, and they each have their own benefits and challenges. A newly built home may be damp if the water used when building it is still drying out – for example, in the plaster on the walls. Excess moisture indoors can also be caused by condensation. First Alert is a well-known brand that has been providing safety products for your home for around 60 years. So it’s a brand you can trust. And it’s MT1 Mold Detection Kit is no different.

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Mould comes in a range of colours and it can grow on a wide range of materials. Although the colour can provide a clue as to which type of mould you are dealing with, it is nevertheless advisable to conduct a lab mould test to find out the precise type of mould present. John Balmes, M.D., a professor of medicine at UC San Franciscoand of environmental health sciences at the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley, shared insights on the most common types of residential mold, as well as the conditions that are most favorable for its growth.Mold growth can be removed from hard surfaces with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solutionof no more than 1 cup (8 ounces) of bleach in 1 gallon of water to kill mold on surfaces. Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners.

They can suffer from a number of conditions including irritation of the eyes, nose and skin; increased respiratory infections, nausea and general malaise. Mould inside buildings can often be easily treated to remove it and prevent it returning, but with so many different types of moulds, fungi and bacteria it is often worthwhile considering expert help. Wasik AA, et al. (2021). Salt therapy as a complementary method for the treatment of respiratory tract diseases, with a focus on mold-related illness.

Mold Signs

No scientific studies have found a direct link between mold exposure and behavioral symptoms, like memory loss or fatigue. Avoid damp basements, compost piles, fallen leaves, cut grass, barns and wooded areas – or wear a face mask if these places or things are unavoidable. The refrigerator is a key mould environment if not adequately cleaned and dried, particularly around the seal. Other types of mould can be found on window frames, especially when there is a lot of condensation on the windows, under wallpaper and on the soil of houseplants. Likewise, the damp environment caused by tumble dryers and baths and showers make the kitchen and bathroom danger zones. Common Moulds Mycotoxins are certain toxins that are naturally produced by mold and other kinds of fungi. Humans may be exposed to mycotoxins through the air in mold-affected buildings or homes and through certain kinds of foods. Cons: Research is limited when it comes to the accuracy or relevance of serum mycotoxin testing. Serum testing also can’t show you how much you’re excreting or eliminating.