Soon after identical twins Diana and Dawn Meier moved into the same
apartment building, they developed breathing problems.
"She had been complaining of a lot of sinus problems when she had
moved to the apartment. She had been there about a year before I did.
And so I started getting -- like, my nose was running," said Diana.
Their symptoms got worse, and the antibiotics doctors prescribed
didn't help. Then the sisters found out they were sensitive to
household mould.
When airborne, microscopic mould spores can wreak havoc in sensitive
people. Researchers in one study found fungus in over 90 percent of
chronic sinusitis patients.
"They end up inhaling it into their sinus cavities, and then it just
breeds," said sinus expert Jordan S. Josephson.
Dr. Josephson says most sinus infections are bacterial and fungal.
Antibiotics treat only bacterial infections, so patients may also need
anti-fungal drugs.
"Each person really needs to be evaluated by their ear, nose and
throat physician or their sinus specialist so that they can figure out
which is the proper combination of agents to use," said Dr. Josephson.
While doctors treat your sinuses, you need to attack your mould
problem. You can start by washing off the fungus with bleach and
water.
"If a person's home has uncontrolled moisture, water leaks, etc, that
needs to be fixed," said Occupation Medicine Specialist Philip Harber.
Dr. Harber specializes in occupational medicine and is a mould expert.
"Where there's very extensive growth, it's sometimes useful to look
for advice at the EPA website or to call a professional," said Dr.
Harber.
You can hire a trained dog to sniff out hidden mould for about $500.
The cleanup and repairs are left to you. Or look in the phone book for
a "mould remediator" who will do the entire job for you. It can cost a
pretty penny. And your homeowner's insurance may not pay up.
But as Diana and Dawn found out, it's your health that could be at
stake.
"I really didn't think I would ever become disabled from something I
couldn't see that was in my apartment," said Diana.
Keep in mind that homeowner's insurance may pay mould damage due to
something like a busted pipe. However, it is not likely you'll get
financial help if the mould has been allowed to grow and cause major
problems.
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