If you ask restoration experts about the most dangerous aspects of a flooding event, they’ll often tell you that it’s mold. Mold is present in your house or office pretty much all of the time; it’s present as microscopic spores. In that state, it’s not particularly dangerous unless you have a susceptibility. Mold replicates very quickly, though. It simply needs darkness, warmth, and moisture. That’s why flooding creates such great opportunities for mold to proliferate. When your house is flooded or a storm allows rain into your house, water can pool up in crevices and corners. Those will then become ripe ground for mold to grow. Basements, cabinets, and attics are prime suspects. Here’s what to look for.

Moisture Events

If you have had a burst pipe or a bad storm that flooded your basement, you’re at risk for mold. Also, you should look for signs that a pipe is leaking or you might have a leak in your roof. Look for signs of moisture on the walls or in the ceiling. If you find any of those, you could have mold in your house. The mold grows in out of the way places.

Respiratory Irritation

Mold can irritate you in many different ways, but they all begin with you breathing in the mold spores. That means that mold will irritate your nose, your throat, your lungs, and possibly your eyes. If you are feeling unexplained irritation that is somewhat similar to allergies, it could be related to mold. Inspect your house for signs of moisture damage or even for mold. Look in dark corners, basements, attics, and in cabinets.

Persistent Headaches

Once you breathe in mold, it begins affecting everyone differently. Many people experience persistent headaches, light sensitivity, or double vision. If you don’t have a history of this happening, it could be mold. If you’ve also had flooding or a heavy storm recently, that could be a sign of mold.

Muscle Pain

Another sign of mold illness is muscle pain not due to injury or exercise. The pain can feel somewhat like soreness after a hard workout; however, if you haven’t worked out or if it lasts longer than about 48 hours, it could be mold sickness.

Rashes

You have to breathe in mold to experience many of the symptoms; however, rashes can occur simply by coming into contact with mold spores. That’s especially true for those who are particularly susceptible to mold illness.