Is the long-lasting cough caused by black mold in the home? The 4 places in the home where mold is most likely to grow, unexpected!

According to Metropolis Express, recently a netizen found that he had been coughing for 2 or 3 months. He also went for various examinations and CT scans, but nothing abnormal was found. He tried both Chinese and Western medicine, but the cough could not be cured.

Later, I found a dense circle of black mold under the toilet at home. I cleaned it and re-sealed it with glue, and my cough miraculously healed!

Image from Metropolis Express

Under normal circumstances, mold cannot be seen by the naked eye. If you can see it in the environment, it means there is a lot of mold here!

Don't underestimate the impact of mold on the body. Although it only grows in the environment, it can produce tens of thousands of spores, which float in the air, spread with the air flow, and enter the human body through the respiratory tract.

But don't panic. For ordinary people, mold spores will be controlled and cleared by the immune system, so they will not cause any symptoms. However, if there are potential immune problems, such as people who have not recovered from the flu for a long time or have a weak immune system, they are likely to be "poisoned" by mold.

Don’t ignore the harm of mold to your body

According to Peking Union Medical College Journal, a multicenter retrospective study on the epidemiology of fungal infections in my country showed that infections caused by Aspergillus accounted for the highest proportion of 84.8%, followed by infections caused by Fusarium, Mucorales and Scedosporium. Among the common infectious diseases caused by fungi, infections of the lower respiratory tract, ears, eyes and skin were more common.

1. Invasion of the lungs

Zhang Hua, chief physician and director of the first ward of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of Zhengzhou Central Hospital affiliated to Zhengzhou University, shared in the hospital's official account in 2023 that Aspergillus hyphae invading the lungs is the most common and most serious case of pulmonary aspergillosis. Especially if there is also chronic lung disease, the situation may be worse.

When the disease occurs, symptoms such as fever, dry cough, hemoptysis, chest pain, and difficulty breathing will appear.

A patient with pulmonary Aspergillus infection coughed up a "fungus ball", with fungal hyphae clumped together. Photo from Xixi Hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province

2. Causes Inflammation

Dr. Zhang Hua shared on the hospital's official account in 2023 that in addition to being able to directly infect the lungs, Aspergillus spores are also strong allergens, causing allergic bronchitis. In addition to common symptoms such as coughing, sputum, chest pain, and wheezing, pulmonary aspergillosis may also cause some common allergic reactions, such as rhinitis and allergic dermatitis.

3. Causes Cancer

The most famous Aspergillus flavus can also produce carcinogens, aflatoxin. The harmfulness of aflatoxin is that it can damage the liver tissue of humans and animals, and in severe cases can cause liver cancer or even death.

For example, foods with high starch content, such as peanuts and corn, can breed aflatoxin, which causes liver cancer, in a high temperature and humid environment.

4 unexpected places in your home where mold is likely to hide!

If you see mold, it means there is already a lot of it and you need to clean it in time. There are four places in the home where mold is often hidden, and some are easily overlooked.

Mold growing on the wall. Photo from Shaanxi Metropolitan Express

1. Bathroom

Wang Lianglu, chief physician of the Department of Allergy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, published an article in Health Times in 2019 stating that mold likes high temperature and high humidity environments. Bathrooms are prone to breeding such mold-producing substances, especially dark bathrooms, such as basins, soap boxes, toilets, shower curtains, sewers, and triangular seams in corners of walls. Moreover, it will appear in various colors and forms. The most common color is black, and it can also appear in yellow, green, brown, and white.

Cleaning tips: The corners, tile seams, and tile glue areas of the bathroom are particularly prone to mold growth. Use a 1:10 ratio of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, soak a napkin in the water, and stick it on the moldy area to let it sit for at least half an hour, then remove it and scrub it clean with a brush. Control the temperature and humidity of the bathroom. If you have a dark bathroom, you can install an exhaust fan. After taking a shower, keep the exhaust fan on for a long time. It is best to leave the door open and draw the shower curtain to dry.

2. Refrigerator door Dr. Wang Lianglu introduced that the plastic and latex parts of the sealing strips on the refrigerator door can breed mold, and the mold will spread and contaminate the food in the refrigerator, so it must be cleaned in time.

Cleaning tips: Mix alcohol and cola in a 1:1 ratio, wrap a highly absorbent gauze or paper around a fork, dip it in the solution, and then remove the mold along the gap of the refrigerator door. Do not wipe the mold and toxins on the sealing strip with bleaching powder, otherwise the sealing effect will be poor after the sealing strip ages, affecting food storage.

Health Times

3. Washing Machine

The Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a survey on washing machines used in households and found that the total bacteria count in the sample washing machines exceeded the standard by 81.3%, the total coliform detection rate was 100%, and the mold detection rate exceeded 60.2%.

Therefore, after washing clothes, it is recommended to wipe off water stains with a rag, open the lid for ventilation, and keep the inside fresh and dry; take out the filter bag in the machine and dry it frequently. Do not place the washing machine in a humid environment.

Cleaning tips: You can choose a special washing machine cleaning disinfectant, clean the inner drum of the washing machine regularly, and keep the washing machine clean. But be careful to follow the exchange ratio in the product manual and avoid buying disinfectants on your own to avoid corroding the washing machine.

If the washing machine has not been cleaned for a long time, the clothes may smell peculiar smell during operation or after washing. This means that the washing machine needs a thorough cleaning and disinfection. It is recommended that citizens choose professionals to disassemble the inner drum of the washing machine for thorough cleaning and disinfection.

4. Balcony

According to Dr. Wang Lianglu, balconies are also a place where mold grows most frequently. Many people grow flowers on the balcony, which requires fertile soil. The best soil is humus soil, which contains a lot of mold. Plant diseases are mainly caused by mold. If there are a lot of plants on the enclosed balcony, there will be a lot of mold.

Cleaning tips: If someone in your home is allergic to mold, it is best not to grow flowers indoors or on a closed balcony. At the same time, people who grow flowers and plants at home should pay attention to cleaning up fallen leaves in a timely manner.

In addition, living or working for a long time in areas with poor ventilation, humid environment, and high dust content, or frequently coming into contact with moldy food and daily necessities, are also prone to mold infection.

When cleaning mold that has already formed, an N95 dust mask should be worn to cover the nose and mouth.