Had to clean a very clean hygenic house to find a killer!

by Babel-Fish | August 19, 2009 at 01:42 am

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Both my partner and I have been very ill at first we thought it was H1N1 or H1N5 flu, but after both having a differing pattern of symptoms that lasted more than a week. We where worried that it was something much worst, may be Dengy fever,Typhoid, Malaria or some other tropical illness. We thought it maybe time to consult a doctor, but my partner Ann said people here in the Philippines get ill like we are each year when it’s the rainy season and says it’s in the dust.

A few years ago I had farmers lung and the symptoms where very similar other than I had a pain when I coughed in one of my lungs. This time, my symptoms though similar seemingly where milder than Ann’s. I realized that I had been out of the house more. It suddenly dawn on me, it spores in the house. I researched on the internet and found out about a hidden danger even if your house looks spotlessly clean.

Molds (also spelled "moulds") are ubiquitous in the biosphere, and mold spores are a common component of household and workplace dust. However, when mold spores are present in unspecified quantities, they can present a health hazard to humans, potentially causing allergic reactions and when present in large quantities, other types of respiratory problems. Mold allergies have always been a serious problem for many people. Research in the field of environmental health has yielded tests such as the MELISA assay, which is capable of identifying whether or not a person is allergic to specific epitopes associated with any particular mold. If a person is found to be allergic, the remedies listed below are often helpful in reducing allergic reaction.

Due to the fact we live in the tropics, our house is a harbor for hidden molds and some are killers if not traced and eradicated and the illness caused treated effectively. I rushed out and bought anti mold detergents, bleach and aerosol. We then spent a day cleaning, bleaching and spraying everywhere, wearing face masks. Not feeling very well made it a horrid task, but when I found the hidden mold under a hidden under glass shelf high above our toilet system I felt like doing a cartwheel. It was a horrid black blotch, which was affecting our whole house with its deadly, silent spores that had the power to kill us.

Both my partner and I are recovering nicely, it’s day one after eradicating the evil killer and both of us can breath properly our coughs, fevers, aches and pains have subsided. Our house will be kept mold free in future and I certainly do not wish to be ever caught out by this silent killer again. I have to paint the awnings and small ceilings around the outside of the house and in the garage with a anti-mold paint. This is never going to happen again it nearly made us very, very ill. I do not use aircon as I know it can cause such problems. However never realized how dangerous mold can be even without having air-conditioning units.

Our symptoms where:

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

High fever

Headache

Aching Muscles and bones

Lack of energy and drive

Diarrhea

Blocked Sinuses and runny nose

Cough

Ann only - Mild Rash

At a time when people are going down with the flu and a pandemic scam scare, with pigs and chickens close by one can see how confusing it could be and now doctors just prescribe Tamiflu etc. Well after this illness flu would be much more preferable.

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Babel-Fish

at 02:18 on August 19th, 2009

Its nice not to feel miserable any more, still tired and still have not cleared our systems of the toxins that had knocked both of us for six. Its nice to see Ann smile again and hear her practicing on her piano. It's nice not to be running for the toilet hoping not to mess ones pants. lol. However I have tried to keep my humor over the past week or so, being the less effected of the two of us I have been the one shopping and looking after my very bad patient, lol Ann gets really grumpy when ill and hates to take medication. Thankfully we have our helper of whom has not been effected as she has her own attached accommodation and mainly looks after our dog when we are a way, does the washing and kept the outside area clean. She seems little effected by the spores that have attacked us within our Comfort Room and shower. That have sleathly drifted throughout our house and been at war with our immune system. Being old and a relative of Ann's we look after her normally than she looks after us. I am glad she was here as she helped keep the house clean and played apart on our mass clean up day.

Barbara McPherson

at 08:41 on August 19th, 2009

Good report on the power that those tiny spores have. On the west coast of Canada we have had an ongoing problem with many of the apartment buildings. The building envelope has failed and allowed water to percolate into the walls. Perfect for growing mold. They are referred to as "leaky condos".

Babel-Fish

at 17:43 on August 19th, 2009

This is a problem that many people are not aware about, even when you do not use a aircon system hidden mold spores can get into the house hold dust. I do not have a problem with damp walls nor plumbing its to do with the tropical heat and the dampness in my Comfort Rooms and no extractor fans, of which I am now going to install. The dampness from the toilet bowl and the underneath surface of a large glass shelf had allowed one of the nastiest molds Stachybotrys. We do not have a hot water system, so this is the cause of natural distilation.

The mold was about a 2 foot splodge on the undersurface of the glass, only the top surface had been cleaned regularly.

sara star

at 09:08 on August 19th, 2009

A dehumidifier is a must.

Babel-Fish

at 17:56 on August 19th, 2009

It would be a case of dehumidfier's as my house is to big for just one but my toilet and shower rooms really need extractor fans, they are built on Filipino's standardard's that allow natural ventilation. I also need to repaint the ceilings with anti-mold paint just to be sure. I can not rely on the owners as it will taker months for them to sort it out.

Spydermonkey

at 10:00 on August 19th, 2009

several schools here in the US were shut down for molds in the crawl spaces & above drop ceilings. The problem is magnified when the spores get onto the evaporation coils of AC units (they tend to be wet all summer)

Beaulieu

at 10:26 on August 19th, 2009

I have heard about this, and it is very nasty. I think a woman had this and she had to complain to the council to do something about it.

Thanks for putting the symptoms online. I will have to check my bathroom now.

Babel-Fish

at 18:03 on August 19th, 2009

I thought they maybe useful indicators as I expect there will be a few people reading the article may have the same problem or a milder one it could be just a few of the symptoms that have been nagging ones health for a long while. I expect some people that blame their health problems on a syndrome that makes them tired etc, have a hidden mold problem in their house or apartment. Such as war vet's?

Your welcome