Yes, if you have damp and mould in your home you’re more likely to
have respiratory problems, respiratory infections allergies or asthma
Damp and mould can also affect the immune system
Who’s affected?
Some people are more sensitive than others, including:
• babies and children
• elderly people
• those with existing skin problems, such as eczema
• those with respiratory problems, such as allergies and asthma
• those with a weakened immune system, such as those having
chemotherapy.
These people should stay away from damp and mould.
How does it affect your health?
Moulds produce allergens (substances that can cause an allergic reaction), irritants and, sometimes, toxic substances. Inhaling or touching mould spores may cause an allergic reaction, such as sneezing, a runny nose, red eyes and skin rash. Moulds can also cause asthma attacks.
Black speckled mould are typically found your bedroom, shower/bathroom and kitchen.
Cause: Mould and damp are caused by excess water in your building. It is important to have an investigation to identify and rectify the defects. Atmospheric moisture is the main cause of mould growth in the home and large amounts of water can be introduced into a building as penetrating damp (rain) or water vapour which condenses into a liquid on a cold surface (Dew point).
Showering is like a tropical rainstorm and the moisture vapour produced moves very fast to a colder room due to temperature and air pressure variation. This is one of the common causes of mould in bedrooms. Drying your Laundry on radiators has a similar effect. Poor building maintenance will increase the relative humidity i.e. leaking pipes and penetrating damp.
After investigation, an action plan should be implemented to manage the excess water and the ideal relative humidity range is 40 to 60% RH range using balanced heating and ventilating will manage the excess water vapour and good building maintenance.
You may need ta professional to remove mould for you, but if it’s only a small amount i.e. less than 1m2 in total should be able to remove it yourself.