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Educate yourself on Aspergillus as I would venture a guess that you are living with it. The better question will be to quantify the levels that are present which will need more thorough testing to determine. As someone else pointed out, if the condition you describe was present in a workplace or school, the occupants would be evacuated.
Educate yourself on Aspergillus as I would venture a guess that you are living with it. The better question will be to quantify the levels that are present which will need more thorough testing to determine. As someone else pointed out, if the condition you describe was present in a workplace or school, the occupants would be evacuated.
Right! And my home is my workplace, but I suppose my boss can't order an evacuation
There are many different kinds of aspergillosis, causing different symptoms. As mentioned above, ABPA can cause respiratory symptoms like wheezing, coughing and even fever in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis, and occasionally in people who are otherwise healthy. Aspergillus can also cause allergic sinusitis, and it can cause aspergilloma, or a “fungus ball” in the lung or other organs. Lung aspergillomas usually occur in people with other forms of lung disease, like emphysema or a history of tuberculosis. People with an aspergilloma in the lung may have no symptoms at all. Sometimes they may cough up bloody mucus. People who have invasive aspergillosis in the lung may have symptoms such as fever, chest pain, cough, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms may develop if the infection spreads beyond the lungs. When invasive aspergillosis spreads outside of the lungs, it can affect almost any organ in the body, including the brain.
How soon do symptoms appear?
Incubation time varies depending on host factors and exposure characteristics.
If I have symptoms, should I see my doctor?
Yes. Invasive aspergillosis is a very serious infection, and early treatment is necessary.
This is what scares me. Landlords, please take this seriously, and don't assume we just want to move.
Have you mentioned the rotten wood to the LL's son? Surely he would be concerned about that.
And have you been to a doctor for a diganosis?
Finally have you considered wearing a particle mask? I realize this would be a huge inconvenience but if you are inhaling something that is causing health problems it might be worth getting a box (they are cheap and you can find them just about anywhere). Rotting wood can be replaced, your respiratory system can't.
Now he told me if I'm worried about my health, to open the window and let the air circulate. Really dude? This is coastal North carolina where it's in the upper 90s by day and humid to no end. See - this is why I don't even want him to bother. The air won't even circulate in this weather. I wish I could open the window - open windows are probably why I didn't realize this was a problem until July.
I agree with him, I wouldn't spend one minute in that house without a window open, and a big fan blowing air in. If it's too hot during the day to do that, then I would find a way to leave - go do your work at the library - or take some time off during the hottest time of the day and go someplace else, and then work at night.
You're talking about moving, but that can take weeks to find a new place and make arrangements for a truck, etc. And if you already have health issues from it? I'd definitely be opening windows and spending as much time away from home, as possible!
Probably a good idea if you put all the hypotheses on the back burner until you get the results from the samples you submitted.
That's fine, but in the meantime I'm having symptoms and this idiot tells me to open a window.
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Originally Posted by FrugalYankee
Have you mentioned the rotten wood to the LL's son? Surely he would be concerned about that.
And have you been to a doctor for a diganosis?
Finally have you considered wearing a particle mask? I realize this would be a huge inconvenience but if you are inhaling something that is causing health problems it might be worth getting a box (they are cheap and you can find them just about anywhere). Rotting wood can be replaced, your respiratory system can't.
I have a doc appointment on Friday. If I need to wear a respiratory mask in my home (and workplace) that means I shouldn't be living here, nor should anyone else...including my dog
I've pointed out the rotting wood to him and he says they should take care of it.
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Originally Posted by bouncethelight
I agree with him, I wouldn't spend one minute in that house without a window open, and a big fan blowing air in. If it's too hot during the day to do that, then I would find a way to leave - go do your work at the library - or take some time off during the hottest time of the day and go someplace else, and then work at night.
You're talking about moving, but that can take weeks to find a new place and make arrangements for a truck, etc. And if you already have health issues from it? I'd definitely be opening windows and spending as much time away from home, as possible!
Can't open the window, it's a humid 95 degrees. I may go work at the library. Can't work at night because I need to keep day hours. Worried about my dog.
Consider getting a picnic table, large fan for outdoors and doghouse. Normally I wouldn't say this but in your case the dog may be better off outside. The picnic table and fan are so you can spend as much time as possible outside.
You are having symptoms but so far you haven't linked it to the smell. Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt the possibility that the moldy smell is related to the cause of your symptoms, but until you have some kind of proof, there is a chance it is something else. Who knows, maybe something in the water, Chinese drywall, or maybe even not related to the building. Look at it from their POV, if the previous tenant was there for four years and never complained, they may be disinclined to see a problem.
I bought the home test kits and they showed that I do have black mold in my AC ducts as well as mold in the air in my living room
You have mold in the air in every room in your house. The house would have to be hosed down with napalm and hermetically sealed not to. And just because the mold is black does not mean it is "black mold."
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The landlords are an elderly couple and their son, a contractor, is very responsive about wanting to fix the problem. But, he insists on doing it himself
Sounds reasonable. How do you know he's not qualified?
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Now he wants to bring in a UV system, which he said will work and is not harmful. I got on the web and found 1) the UV system IS harmful if you look right at it and 2) it doesn't work, according to some sources
1) Don't look at it; and 2) it does work, according to some other sources.
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I'm worried I might have to replace my sofa when this is all over.
You have mold in the air in every room in your house. The house would have to be hosed down with napalm and hermetically sealed not to. And just because the mold is black does not mean it is "black mold."
Um. It IS "black mold." I don't know if it's "toxic mold."
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Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
Sounds reasonable. How do you know he's not qualified?
I don't. But he's not taking it all that seriously, either. And he's definitely not a "mold specialist" by trade.
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Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
1) Don't look at it; and 2) it does work, according to some other sources.
And, according to some sources, it doesn't.
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Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
You have mold in your sofa, too?
If there's mold in the house as evidenced by air sampling that was done directly next to my sofa, it stands to reason it's on my sofa, and if the mold IS the dangerous type, it's likely on my sofa. I did not purchase a sofa with a force field protecting it from mold that is settling right next to it.
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Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
Yep.
From your other answers, I couldn't care less what you think.
From your other answers, I couldn't care less what you think.
Well, everything on this thread so far is based on "think" and "maybe perhapses". Hope everything works out for you and, when you get the official results back about the mold and a doctor's confirming diagnosis about your symptoms it would certainly be helpful to others to know about all that. Good luck!
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You have mold in the air in every room in your house. The house would have to be hosed down with napalm and hermetically sealed not to. And just because the mold is black does not mean it is "black mold."
