The Health Consequences of Mould
As we tore off the September page of the calendar and said hello to October, we also prepare to say goodbye to British Summer Time (not that it was a particularly great summer but that's another story!). The nights are already getting darker and the days shorter as we move into autumn, with winter inevitably set to follow.
With this comes colder temperatures, which naturally means that we start to keep the indoor environment warmer to compensate. Sadly, this often correlates with an increase in the potential for and severity of condensation. The problem is so common that, as anyone in the trade will well know, the period of time from October to March is often referred to as 'condensation season'.
Condensation is the most common cause of damp indoors and occurs when air laden with water vapour comes into contact with a surface that is lower in temperature, such as walls and windows. The fact that warmer air can carry more moisture teams with the fact that such surfaces are colder than usual during autumn and winter, resulting in more condensation.
Quite aside from the many structural issues that condensation can cause, damp walls and woodwork also provide the perfect environment for unsightly mould to grow. In addition to being ugly, such outbreaks can also have a pernicious effect on human health.
Part of the life cycle of mould is the production of spores, which are well documented as causing allergic reactions when they are inhaled or touched. These reactions, which can sometimes be severe enough to warrant hospital treatment, include rashes, skin irritation, red eyes, coughing, sneezing and a runny nose. The spores can also cause respiratory infections and damage the sensitive immune system.
Though anyone can suffer adverse health effects after exposure to mould, some groups of people are more vulnerable than others. These groups include:
- People with weak immune systems
- People with respiratory conditions like asthma and bronchitis
- People with skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema
- Babies and young children
- Senior Citizens
As part of the extensive collection of condensation control products available to purchase from Twistfix at the most competitive price, we supply an extremely effective array of mould removal solutions. This includes our comprehensive, bestselling Mould Remover Kit. For more details about the products that comprise these ranges, please browse our website or get in touch with our team.
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