
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, many businesses are stilling strapped from the damages inflicted by the storm. If your business was impacted by the hurricane, it was important to make sure you quickly got your business dried out and repaired of water damage as to avoid mold growth. Mold is nothing to fool around with as you need to assure your employees and customers that your business is a safe environment to be in.
Water Damage
Water damage can affect any area of your business after Hurricane Ian or any storm for that matter. Restoration from water damage requires walls or floors to be replaced, among other repairs. If this is not done timely or correctly, moisture in conjunction with the Florida humidity will be the perfect environment for mold growth. Overtime, the mold can cause health problems for people working in this environment.
What Are the Symptoms of Mold Exposure?
The symptoms of mold exposure are often difficult to identify. Mold exposure symptoms can mimic the same reactions in people as do common colds and upper respiratory allergies. This makes mold symptoms harder to properly diagnose. An obvious way of determining if the symptoms are mold exposure related is whether the person feels better when they leave this environment where they spend a lot of time. If the symptoms go away when they leave this area, chances are that the symptoms are being caused by exposure to mold.
MBC Capital understands that people sometimes don’t realize that the adverse health effects that they are experiencing are a result of mold exposure. It’s easy to blame mold exposure if you can see the mold, but not when mold is hidden inside or your walls or ductwork. Symptoms will start out to be mild and worsen over time as the exposure increases.
Mold Allergy Symptoms
Mold allergies will vary from person to-person. Some mold allergy symptoms include:
Asthma Related to Mold Symptoms
Asthma attacks can be set off by exposure to mold. Asthma is a chronic health condition affecting the airways in your lungs. When you have asthma, the airways can become inflamed and constricted making it harder for air to flow out when you breathe. During an asthma attack, the air passages leading to the lungs become inflamed or swollen. Inhaling mold spores can be responsible for this inflammation. Some asthma-like symptoms that are related to mold exposure are:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Postnasal drip
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Dry itchy skin
- Watery eyes
- Coughing that worsens and occurs when asleep, exercise-induced, or in a cold environment.
- Wheezing sounds when exhaling.
- Shortness of breath.
- Tightness in the chest when breathing
- Fatigue
Mold Symptom Risk Factors
There are many factors that can result in allergies or illnesses due to mold allergy symptoms. A family history of allergies is one of these factors.
Working in buildings with humidity levels above 50 percent is a risk. Mold can grow anywhere but higher than normal humidity is very conducive to mold growth. Buildings that have been exposed to excess moisture such as with hurricane and storm damage can allow mold to flourish and exposure to it increase.
Working in a building with poor ventilation can also increase your risk of developing mold-related symptoms. This type of condition will allow mold to respond with a lack of sufficient air movement.
Mold Prevention
The best way to avoid mold symptoms is to avoid mold wherever possible. Eliminate sources of uncontained moisture in your home by making sure all storm and water damage have been properly addressed. Use a dehumidifier if your home tends to have higher humidity levels. Get rid of clutter to allow for better airflow. Change HVAC filters often and consider using HEPA-rated filters.
If you feel you may have mold exposure due to Hurricane Ian, MBC Capital at 813-477-2725.
Our experienced restoration team will make an appointment to come to your business and test for hidden mold. If a problem is found, we can ensure a treatment plan that your environment is safe from mold and fully restored for you and your employees.