World Asthma Day

Did you know that today is  World Asthma Day?

And that World Asthma Day kicks off World Asthma Month?

And, did you know that:
• The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2013 over 235 million people have asthma.
• Worldwide, 255 000 people die from asthma every year
• Each day, 9 Americans die from asthma
• Every year there are more than 3,300 deaths in the US due to asthma
• Asthma is the most regular chronic disease among children.

The aim of World Asthma Day and Month is to raise awareness, care and support for those affected by asthma, including asthma patients, families, friends and caregivers for people with asthma. World Asthma Day is supported by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLB), and the World Asthma Foundation. Every year they have a theme, and the theme for this year’s World asthma day is “You Can Control Your Asthma”

You see, if all asthmatic patients had good control of their symptoms we would see a dramatic decrease in hospital admissions and deaths.

However, many people with asthma have difficulty controlling their symptoms because of triggers that are outside of their control.

But why in the world is a post about World Asthma Day showing up on a property damage restoration blog?

The Center for Disease Control recognizes mold as one of the triggers for asthma attacks

Because one of the triggers for an asthma attack is mold infestation in water damaged buildings!

And because
• According to Web MD, Philadelphia is ranked among the top 5 worst cities for asthma.
•  Emergency room visits in Philadelphia for treatment of asthma are the highest in the state!

So if you have asthma, what can you do to take control and reduce your exposure to the asthma trigger mold?

First, get your home, school, and workplace tested for mold. Not everything that looks like mold is indeed mold! Protect yourself from scam artists trying to scare you into unnecessary and costly mold remediation by arming yourself with competently gathered mold testing results first.

If the tests come back positive, you can attack mold on two fronts: Prevention and Removal

• Fixing leaky plumbing or other sources of water. If you have mold in your crawl space or basement, locate the source and stop the water from coming in.
• Cleaning garbage cans often.
• Scrubbing sinks at least once a month
• Cleaning refrigerator door gaskets and drip pans regularly
• Putting in an exhaust fan or opening a window in the bathroom to get rid of moisture.
• Using a dehumidifier to keep your house dry. (Tip: The humidity needs to be below 60% to keep mold from growing; humidity between 35% and 50% is even better!)
• Making sure the ground slopes away from the building foundation. This helps prevent water from leaking into the house.
• NOT installing carpeting in areas like basements and bathrooms where moisture can be a problem.
• Keeping items stored in your basement in air-tight, water-proof containers – not cardboard boxes – so mold can’t sneak in
• Drying water-damaged areas and items (like carpeting) within 24 to 48 hours of flooding.

A moisture meter shows where the water is trapped behind the walls in this bathroom causing an elevated mold spore count

Hire a competent IICRC certified mold remediation professional!

If you know you have mold in your home, school or workplace, and you know that your asthma triggered by mold, you don’t want to trigger an asthma attack by removing the mold yourself.
Professional remediation and removal of mold begins by determining the scope of work:

Setting up containment so no mold will contaminate the rest of the home

• Checking inside drywall for mold inside the wall with a moisture meter.
• Installing containment and negative air flow to prevent the mold from cross-contaminating unaffected areas in the building.
• Removing wet and moldy carpets, flooring, and ceiling tiles – anything made with cellulose that can grow mold
• Clearing the mold and replacing the vapor barrier in crawl spaces

So if you have asthma:

               and you know that one of your triggers for asthma attacks is exposure to mold

                        and you have questions 

                    or you need help removing mold safely in Philadelphia or Southern New Jersey

                                       Give us a call at 877-750-7876