Asthma, allergies and mold, OH my!
Has anyone suffered from seasonal allergies only to get worse? Then find out you have been exposing yourself to mold?
For the past few months, I have had a multitude of seemingly non related issues. I found out on the weekend that the carpet in the basement hallway in my apartment building has a growing mold spot. Washer and dryer are on basement level. I also take care of neighbor's cat, lives on basement level, while he works out of town. I blamed my symptoms and painful lungs on this cat. Has anyone had to deal with such an issue? I am not able to move. I made a maintenance report. ( just have to wait for response on actions).
I have begun to wear N95 masks any time I need to leave apartment. But somehow, I still am exposed. I want to try and be able to not have a severe asthma flare up. Funny enough, the flare up I am experiencing is only mild right now. But every passing week, my lungs are protesting more and more. I have an appointment wirh my GP soon. Lord! I hate the waiting game!
How have you been able to cope without moving? I think it still gets into my home on the second floor. Everyone's experiences welcome!
(If it were up to me, I would rip out all common area carpets!)
Hi
- I was just having this conversation with my SIL yesterday about mold. She is certain that mold somewhere in passing or currently in the home is causing severe health issues. In the home building and renovation business, she is very aware of the dangers of mold and does her best to control the environment in which she works and lives. Unfortunately, there are many times when there are unseen and extended periods when water leaks happen and mold builds up. It's quite sneaky as it can be difficult to smell or see.
On some occasions, I've noticed a build-up of mold in the shower cracks and crevices And, I've just learned that I have been trying to kill it all the wrong way with bleach when in fact, it can provoke it to grow back worse after a few days of cleaning. I too fight it weekly only to see it return. We've ripped out the carpet from most of the house recently - for a few different reasons - new home, 3 dogs, severe allergies and asthma. We hope to finish the project soon. But know that even with area carpets mold can grow. We just noticed the dogs' water bowls were drenching the carpet near the dog door. After lifting it up, we found the area extremely saturated with water. The perfect condition for mold to grow. It was unexpected and quite a surprise for us.
I can understand the worry and trepidation you have while living in an aged apartment building. Many times the conditions are out of hand, and things fail to get resolved. My daughter currently lives in an apartment building. Knowing she was dealing with mold I would encourage her to move. I don't think that mold is easy to deal with or easily removed. It's great that you wear a mask while in the basement apartment and laundry room - taking precautions is the best for you right now. I imagine the spores do get up to your apartment on the second floor. They easily transport in the air and vents.
That said, I encouraged my SIL (in her home) to have someone come in to find the mold, and to have it dealt with sooner rather than later. It's good you are taking notice and making others aware. I'm sorry your lungs feel horrible and it's difficult to breathe while in your own home. And I hope the waiting game is not too difficult for you right now and you get in to see your GP. It could be affecting you in ways you've not imagined.
On a side note: Did you know you could hire someone with a trained dog to sniff out where the mold is in your home? I was amazed - this could be an option if there is a trained dog business near you. Sending fresh air your way. Rebecca (team member)Thanks for your reply and info it contained.
Update- less than 18 hrs after my maintenance request, someone came out to have a look. It was a plumber. There are no known leaks right now. I knew that. We could not find a cause. Just basement humidity I guess. However, I am guessing there is mold hiding in some of the walls. There have been disasters of leaks on opposite side of building. (From top floor to basement) I am relieved that management sent someone so quick. (It's unheard of lately.) Such waiting games. I had a hygrometer show me my home was too dry (under 30% humidity). There are still downfalls for too dry of a home when you have asthma. Mold inspections are sooo costly even if done on a tiny 1 bdrm apartment. Dog mold sniffers?? I will look into that.
At least I know I am not the only one in the building affected by it. 2 of my neighbors have either lung issues or body inflammation from it.
Sorry you are going through this, especially in a place you can't leave. As perhaps a separate issue, have you ever had allergy testing done? Considering your symptoms are getting worse, it might be worth it to get a clearer idea of exactly what is triggering you. You may not be able to avoid everything, but with medication and masking, you could start to see a reduction of symptoms. At least that's my hope! Also, it's still a good idea to ensure adequate humidity in your apartment -- do you have a humidifier?
All the best to you as you navigate all of this. Keep us posted! -Melissa, team memberI just saw your other update where you mentioned you did have allergy testing a few years back. Allergies can appear at any time, and since you're having this whole-body response, it's reasonable to test again if you're open to that. Of course, it's your choice and we support whatever your plan is moving forward. 😀 -Melissa, team member
I take any and all kind of info. Lots of times, I may have to tweek it to work for me. Or, the info is not a good fit.
I do have allergies diagnosed at 14yrs, but they never showed in my prior testing a few years ago. Because of the amount of anti-allergy medications I take, it would take at least a month to detox from them to have thoses tests. I am not opposed to the idea though. I just can't imagine I could tolerate the mysery from the symptoms for 4-5 weeks. I was able to talk with my neighbor about cat sitting. He found someone to replace me for this last week of work. I will miss the fur baby. Sooo not fair!
I have tested the humidity in my apartment. Right now, it varies between 27 and 32%. I know the good range is 30 to 50%. I do have humidifiers, small ones, plus my AC unit can be used as a dehumidifier. I have been lucky to have those. Tks to all for the responses!thanks for the update. I understand how much of a hassle it would be to stop allergy meds and wait to be tested. Not to mention how uncomfortable a time it would be for you. I'm glad you've been replaced by a neighbor and getting a break from cat-sitting. It can be sad not to see your friendly cat again. Lord knows I love my dogs and would really miss them if I couldn't manage to be around them. Getting a break from the trigger will feel good. It's great you manage the humidity in your place. This is one thing I don't do. I should though as we are in a very dry state. I do hope you find a way to get it optimal for you. Sending healing and thoughts of wellness your way. Warmly - Rebecca (team member)
Don't think I am too valiant or oversmart on the humidity testing! Hahaha I just learned, with all the talk about mold and allergies, that humidity can be bad even if it is dry. I just happened to have an indoor thermometer that has a digital hygrometer (humidity thermometer) built in. After reading about the good and bad about humidity and asthma, etc I thought it would be awesome to test it. I live in the Atlantic provinces in Canada. We get both the damp humidity that make your bones aches and rainforest humidity like conditions depending on the season. We also are a medium dry province, but usually extremely dry environment once the heat is turned on late fall/early winter. I am not too sure on how to keep the humidity in the "perfect" zone range. I have been getting potted plants for a bit. The ones I have do clean the air and help humidity. Just can't remember if it helps with dry air. Lol I just lucked out with the plants since I chose "not so easy to kill" ones to start.
I also feel very fortunate about this forum. I always find something to educate me. No matter the topics. Thank you mods!It's great you have that digital hygrometer on your indoor thermometer. I don't have either. I am in a very dry state where heat in the summer is extreme and with dry cool air in the winter months. It can be hard to manage any humidity in the house and fear I would never find the "perfect" zone range either. But it sounds like where you are it would be difficult to get it right. There seems to be quite a bit of change there in Canada. Kudos for putting in the effort.
As for plants, I have a black thumb. I manage to kill every house plant I buy or am gifted. It's definitely not one of my talents. I am sure if I could keep them alive it would be such a benefit to the indoor environment, though. I should look into the "not so easy to kill" ones. Any suggestions?
So glad you are here and that you interact quite often. We look forward to hearing about the life and activities of the many members here at Asthma.net. Hoping your season goes well, and your breathing is optimal. Rebecca (team member)I have a few Snake plants. They are nothing fancy. They are good with indirect sunlight to almost no sunlight. You usually see them in bigger buildings in common areas. There are many in our malls. We have a few buildings housing either offices or different shopping stores. As long as they get some water, they won't die. Put them on a schedule, you can't go wrong. They are highly recommended for bedroom areas. I never use more than about a cup of water in them. I have also googled "hard to kill" plants. Spider plants is one kind suggested. Unfortunately it is not doing well in my care. I nevrr killed them, except for Aloe Vera plants. They are temperamental. Plus, the plants keep me company I like to think.
Day 5 without the cat. I have noticed a bit of change in my lungs. Plus, I haven't had hives or the itchies in a bit. Carpet cleaners came and washed the building carpets. Keeping my finger crossed that somehow the carpet mold in basement did not survive!
