I’ve always loved hot, humid summer weather. “Bring on 40 degrees C … even 50 degrees C!” I’d proclaim in the middle of each Melbourne winter.
Travelling north, to Queensland or even across international borders to places like Thailand, Bali and Hawaii has always been glorious.
As someone who battles allergies and eczema hot, humid conditions have always provided some much-needed relief – it’s one of the reasons why I moved to Brisbane, Queensland back in 2018.
And while I now love living in even hotter and more humid climate conditions – especially in winter when the weather cools to near-perfect outdoor temps – the humidity can be the perfect breeding ground for mould.
J and I have had a battle with mould the last few months, following some issues with our aircon.
Sure, we’ve had some wins in this battle, largely following the building maintenance team fixing our aircon issues and cleaning out the aircon vents.
Sadly though, mould seems to have gained significant battle ground, growing on some of our shoes, wooden bowels, bags, and even sweaty bike handles – not ideal with baby on the way.
It’s almost like something out of ‘The Last of Us’.
On the upside – and don’t get me wrong, we love our apartment and the views from the 34th floor – the battle with mould now means we get to spend a mini “staycation” in one of the building complex’s swanky townhouses.
A not-too-shabby compensation while maintenance digs a little deeper in our apartment to resolve our mouldy issue.
So, all of this got me thinking: How does mould exposure effect your health? And how can you prevent/manage a mouldy issue?
Let’s grow mould together
A quick Google search reveals some interesting facts about mould.
For the most part, mould gets a pretty bad rap, but the pesky, infiltrating little fungi also has some uses.
Think cheese and modern medicine.
Cheese lovers will know that mould is what makes cheese, cheese. According to an article on Bon Appetit “most cheese own their distinct deliciousness and texture to the microbiological alchemy that occurs when mould, bacteria, and other microorganisms feast on the proteins and sugars present in mild, transforming them into a wide range of flavourful compounds.”
An accidental mouldy discovery by Dr Alexander Fleming in 1928 led to the development of penicillin (aka antibiotics!) used to treat a wide range of bacterial infections.
According to Science Museum: “In 1946 penicillin became available for the first time in the UK for public use, it transformed medicine worldwide and ushered in the age of antibiotics.”
So, while there are some cool facts about mould and while it can be fun to excuse that mouldy bread lodged in the back of your fridge as “Oh, I’m just growing antibiotics”, overall exposure to most moulds isn’t great for your health.
Science is cool … until it affects your health!
A NSW Health factsheet explains that mould – an organism called fungi – typically grows “indoors or moist areas that lack adequate ventilation, including walls or wallpaper, ceilings, bathroom tiles, carpets, insulation material and wood”.
NSW Health continues: “If moisture accumulates, mould growth will often occur on indoor surfaces” – this explains mould beginning to grow on some of our belongings – “many different types of mould exist, and they all have the potential to cause health problems”.
The issues with mould in terms of health effects seem to arise due to inhaling mould spores, tiny particulars produced by mould.
“Spores are carried in the air and may cause health problems if inhaled by people who are sensitive or allergic to them” (NSW Health).
“Moulds produce allergens […] irritants, and sometimes, toxic substances. Inhaling or touching mould spores may cause an allergic reaction” (NHS).
Exposure to mould may result in the following reactions:
- Sneezing
- Runny or blocked nose
- Red, itchy eyes
- Skin rash and irritation
- Coughing
- Wheezing and shortness of breath
- For those with asthma, mould exposure can trigger an asthma attack.
This explains why J and I – well, mainly I – can’t stop sneezing in our apartment! Funny how sneezing is much less since moving into the townhouse temporarily.
NSW Health adds: “Very rarely, people may develop a severe mould infection, usually in the lungs. One such infection is the rare immune disorder known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, in which the lungs become inflamed from breathing in large amounts of specific substances (allergens) frequently over a period of time.
“Symptoms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis are similar to the flu (fever, cough, chills, shortness of breath) and may become more severe the longer exposure continues.”
Battling mould
So, how do you get rid of mould once it starts to become a problem?
Most health websites suggest the following steps:
- Maintain proper ventilation,
- Reduce humidity,
- Control moisture and dampness,
- Repair any water leaks,
- Throw out carpets, rugs, upholstery etc., that have been soaked and cannot be dried properly,
- Use exhaust fans in bathroom and kitchen,
- Consider a high-quality air filter,
- Clean the bathroom with mould-killing products,
- Wipe down tiles to clean off soap scum – mould feeds on soap scum,
- Open blinds and curtains during the day to let sunlight in,
- Air out wardrobes and cupboards regularly.
And in our case, because the mould issue escalated and with baby on the way, we have building maintenance going through walls and ceilings to get on top of the issue, while we enjoy a little “staycation” in one of the townhouses.
x G.
editor, journalist, digital content creator with a background in nutrition & dietetics.
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