IT’S no secret that living in a space with mould can be damaging for your health, but one woman discovered just how bad it could get after she discovered the extent of black mould in her home.
Autumn Clayman, who is an holistic health coach, recently revealed some of the symptoms she experienced, including burning skin and extreme fatigue, much to some people’s shock.
Autumn explained that she first knew something was wrong when she experienced a burning sensation all over her skin, but especially around her face and neck.
In the viral video she then showed a photo of her neck covered in red splotches.
“I would walk into my apartment and my neck and face would burn,” she noted, as she explained that the burning continued to get worse with the more time she spent in the space.
Not only that, but Autumn said she had an eczema flare-up, which started out as small bumps but soon developed into larger clusters as it spread over her arms, legs and neck.
The presence of black mould in her home also led to heightened allergies and congestion, Autumn claimed.
She explained that she was “feeling congested more than ever” and she “couldn’t breathe most of the time.”
Not only that, but she also experienced extreme fatigue and “burning, itchy eyes” because of the black mould.
Autumn explained in the video that she always felt tired, no matter how much she actually slept.
But the main issue with the mould in her home was that it wasn’t always visible, which made banishing it a chore.
She even ended up spending “a ton of money” in a bid to get rid of it.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”The secret place you should be putting a mini dehumidifier to reduce damp & mould – it gets rid of nasty smells too” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6364857776112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]“I have never experienced health issues like this before,” she said, before explaining that her symptoms “healed rapidly” after leaving her flat.
After sharing her experience online others were shocked by the extent of her symptoms.
One said: “I had no idea it could be this bad, glad you’re doing better.”
And a second wrote: “I had the same problem, landlord knew and didn’t care.”
Someone else had a similar issue: “I felt so ill because of black mould, kept telling my landlord and he did nothing about it.”
WHAT TO DO IF THERE’S BLACK MOULD IN YOUR HOME
INCREASE AIR: Kitchens and bathrooms are often where mould crops up due to the high levels of moisture in these rooms.
Even in colder temperatures, try to open windows a little when cooking or showering to allow water vapour to escape.
Wipe condensation from windows or walls to help stop the fungus from forming.
MAKE SPACE: Mould builds up where air flow is restricted, such as behind big pieces of furniture.
Clear out spaces where possible and try to avoid pushing sofas or wardrobes up against walls in cold and damp areas of your home.
If you have a fan heater, try directing warm air towards nooks or crannies for a few minutes daily to help dry them out.
DRY OUT: Salt can help remove moisture from damp areas. You could pop some in a small bowl or pot on a shelf in problematic areas and change it over when the salt starts to clump.
Some plants, such as a peace lily, can reduce moisture and help fight mould. Try one in your bathroom or kitchen.
CLEAN UP: Tackle black mould as soon as you spot it to stop it spreading.
You can mix a natural solution of two teaspoons of tea tree oil to two cups of water and use on walls to kill the spores.
Vinegar spray is another affordable treatment. Make up a solution with equal amounts of white vinegar to water, then spray and wipe. Use it on walls when cleaning condensation to prevent outbreaks.
Bleach can be diluted with water to use on walls. If the fungus has got into the silicon in bathrooms, dip cotton wool in bleach and leave it overnight on the affected area.