Your property could suffer serious damage following a storm. Water leaks are perhaps the most common. Even if your home or business has apparently escaped major damage, you or your family members might start experiencing health problems caused by mold.
As Healthline explains, mold does not automatically cause illnesses, but it can generate symptoms, possibly serious ones. The following health conditions may indicate that your property has a mold problem.
Common symptoms
Generally, mold creates symptoms consistent with an allergy. By breathing in mold spores, you could experience some of the following:
- Coughing
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Congestion
- Irritated eyes
Different aches and pains can also result. Mold sufferers may have a sore throat or irritation of the lungs. A headache is also possible.
Possible serious complications
Mold exposure can be particularly serious if the person inhaling it already has a health problem that mold can aggravate. If you have asthma, mold can cause you to suffer an attack. Other conditions include cystic fibrosis, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
In addition, some mold spores infect the lungs or other parts of the body. Sporotrichosis, aspergillosis and valley fever are a number of examples.
Seek an inspection after storm damage
Increased health disorders shortly after a storm may not be a coincidence. An inspection of your property might show if you have water leakages that have caused mold to grow.
Once you know the extent of damage done to your home or business, filing a claim with your property insurance could put you on the road to restoring your property and eliminating a serious health problem.