Mold
Mold Summary
Mold, the Buzz word of the 21st century. It is
so common, and mold related, sick building related issues seem to
be more and more a common occurance these days, yet it seems to
be the realtively new kid on the block. That being the case, it
also seems to be the most under studied, under researched, and under
estimated of health issues out there today.
The medical profession as a whole does not look at mold as being
a hazardous or life threatening issue, but for the most part mold
related illnesses they see either go entirely undetected and are
seen as bacterial infection or viral issues, as of yet, mold has
not been, and is not seen as a major issue. However in todays indoor
environment, older buildings developing leaks, careless construction
corner cutting, and lack of general public knowledge has left mold
out of the equation. As a result, multiple people are being diagnosed
with MS or cystic fibrosis when in many cases these are the result
of exposure to massive doses of Mold spores.
If you feel you have been exposed to an abnormal level of mold,
you should get a second opinion preferably from an occupational
health or environmental health physician. Let them know where &
how you think you may have been over exposed. There is a whole array
of testing that is entirely different from standard type testing,
which is absolutely required in order to diagnose mold exposure
and mycotoxins.
Gourd crafters do not need to be afraid of mold on your gourds,
what you do need to do is handle your gourds with common sense and
care. Always wear a mask, gloves, and goggles when cleaning the
mold off your gourds, and always wrap the gourd with at least a
wet towel and gently saturate the mold on the surface before handling
the gourd and cleaning it. With common sense you should be able
to enjoy gourding for a long time without adverse effects from mold.
When cutting and sanding your gourds, always wear your NIOSH N95
mask, and always have ventilation or an exhaust hood or fan nearby,
(and running of course). When wood burning your gourds, make sure
you have adequate ventilation also, burning gourds put off fumes
that can also be dangerous, although I don't believe there have
been any studies done on the hazards of gourd pyrography, don't
take the chance. When you can't breathe, it is too late. (what would
that illness bee called? Gourdopyrocosis?).
Those who have mold in your homes or work place cannot as easily
take precautions. You can't just take a wall outside and soak it
down with an antifungal agent. You can't wash it clean in a bucket,
sick building syndrome is not a fun thing, and remediation can be
very costly, and in some cases total destruction of the building
may be necessary.
Lack of awareness of this issue has caused insurance companies
billions of dollars because mold got out of hand and by the time
it was discovered massive damage has been done, and all too often
numerous people have suffered serious illness. Many people have
been tested with problems, and no apparent cause is ever found,
many times they are told it is physcosematic, or all in their heads,
when in reality they are suffering.
Our economy and our insurance and business health would be much
better if those who are trying to hold on to their money would expend
it in public awareness and change in construction proceedures and
early detection programs. In my honest opinion, the mold issue has
some people acting like the monkey with his hand caught in the cookie
jar because he won't let go of a cookie now.
For those who think molds are just another allergan, remember the
Anthrax attacks. People died, yet anthrax is not the most deadly
or mycotoxic mold out there. We have all probably breathed in Anthrax
spores, but molds are not meant to be inhaled in massive quantities.
Massive doses of mold spores can be debilitating, they can effect
your central nervous system leaving you uncoordinated, they can
cause brain damage, organ destruction, cancer, and a whole host
of issues far beyond what doctors expect them to cause like typical
hay fever symptoms.
I know this is a gourd site, and my purpose here was not to scare
the gourd art out of you, on the contrary I wanted to educate gourd
crafters to the dangers so they can do their craft safely. In order
to expose to the gourd crafters the real dangers and need for precautions,
it was necessary to tap the well of information which is the strongest
in the sick building arena. Now as gourd crafters, we can know more
about what is out there, and what you will be up against when dealing
with your physician.
We hope you have found this site resourceful and educational, and
please watch the two part video at: Policy
Holders of America on the school teacher Teresa
Westmoreland.