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Water Damage Awareness Video Series

What is the truth about toxic mold? What health issues can arise from exposure to a water-damaged home, office, or school? In this series of short videos, momsAWARE's Andrea Fabry and Kristina Townsend provide helpful insights into the potential aftereffects of water damage and the steps you can take to protect your family's health.

Mold Testing

What options are available when testing for mold? Andrea and Kristina discuss air testing and dust sampling, specifically considering ERMI Mold Testing, the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index dust sample test.

There are inherent limitations with any type of mold testing, and often a series of tests is required to identify contaminants in a water-damaged building. Your body's reaction should also be considered when evaluating the health of an indoor environment.

  Does Bleach Remediate Mold?

One of the most common misconceptions surrounding toxic mold concerns the issue of bleach. In this video, Andrea and Kristina discuss the implications of using bleach to solve a mold problem. Why won't bleach work? What other options exist? Don't miss this important information!

What Is a Mold Exposure?

What is toxic mold? What's the difference between an allergic reaction to mold and an immune response? Andrea and Kristina explain a few of the distinctions.

  Symptoms from Mold Exposure

What are the physical effects of mold exposure? Symptoms vary from person to person and can range from migraines and rashes to cognitive issues, food intolerances, chronic sinusitis, and more. Join Andrea and Kristina for an informative discussion of the signs and symptoms of mold exposure.

Genetic Susceptibility

What makes some people more susceptible than others to toxic mold? Andrea and Kristina talk about the genetic factors that play a role in the body's ability to handle a toxic exposure.

  I Feel Crazy!

Fungal toxins can affect the brain, altering your emotional state. Neurological symptoms are very real and often misdiagnosed. In this video, Andrea and Kristina discuss the hidden psychological implications of a toxic mold exposure.

Treatment for Mold Recovery

Treatment for toxic mold exposure varies by individual, but dietary and environmental changes can be key. Andrea and Kristina share recovery lessons learned from their own mold exposure experiences.

  Treatment, Part 2: Detoxing

What does detoxing look like after a toxic exposure? Andrea and Kristina describe the Herxheimer Reaction, detox pacing, and more.

For more information, see our article on Mold Exposure Treatment Options.

Quotes

"We had some water leaks in our home... we never thought we needed to clean out and remove the floor, the ceiling, or the drywall... my two small children and I have remained constantly sick for years in this home."

– Mia

"Both of my sons went downhill quickly and coughed for months... They both lost their ability to read, had profound vision disturbances, and had phenomenal gastric issues."

– Lee

"The ERMI mold test as well as your helpful articles and Toxic Talk Tuesday programs have helped us avoid a terrible mistake in purchasing a new home."

– Angela

"I had been struggling with headaches, head fog, breathing difficulties (unable to get a full breath), constant scalp tingling, migraines, nausea, feeling spacey/detached, and severe itchy skin."

– Anonymous

"My daughter started having digestive problems... heart palpitations... coughing episodes... muscle/joint pain... asthma/allergies... Her doctor finally advised me to check for mold in our home."

– Anonymous

"I'm new at this, but today I cleaned my bathroom with baking soda and vinegar. It's much better not having those strong chemical smells afterwards."

– Anonymous

"My symptoms persisted and eventually turned into lethargy and depression. At the age of 26, I required a nap every evening after work."

– Jennifer

"I started finding myself sitting on the floor in rooms of my house and not remembering how I got there, what I was doing before, or how long I had been there."

– Brenda

"I was skeptical at first that these (natural cleaning) products would work, but they work better than the stuff I buy at the store! We will soon be moving to the personal care products as well!"

– Jennifer

"My daughter has had many blood samples taken to test for everything imaginable and her doctor just seems puzzled. Everything comes back normal."

– Anonymous

"Our family has been out of our home for 9 months due to mold... I am so scared and weak from all of this. We have lost friends; family members don't understand."

– Anonymous

"...at age 35 or 36 I started to become allergic to everything, and I got asthma at age 36... I went to doctor after doctor after doctor and was desperate for help, but nobody could help me."

– Mia

"I knew it was mold, but doctors kept telling me I had anxiety. I was sitting in my office and could not remember who I was talking to, or what we were talking about."

– Brenda

"The entire time we lived in our (mold-infested) house the kitchen sponge would get musty smelling within 3-4 days. It was so strange. I had to buy a pack of sponges nearly every week."

– Anonymous

"We were having a lot of health problems and had been to the doctor countless times... we had large circles of slimy greenish-black mold on the bathroom ceiling, where it had caved in a few months before."

– C.

"We all suffered from headaches, hormonal body temperature fluctuations, brain fog, fatigue, difficulty breathing, thrush, rashes, and yeast infections... we vacated our home two weeks ago."

– Anonymous

"In my moldy home if I left the wet clothes in the washer they would get musty very quickly and I'd have to re-wash... Sometimes I'd run a load, go to work, and they'd be musty when I returned that evening."

– Anonymous

"I have been sick for almost 6 months now and doctors were not able to figure out why. I finally put it all together after going away for vacation for a week and suddenly my symptoms were going away."

– Anonymous

"I've been living in a mold-infested home for 13 months... I was going CRAZY! Finally figured it out... Just a few days of recovering in a mold-free home and I feel AMAZING!!!"

– Lauren

This site is dedicated to a true friend and mother — Barbara Dell Kessel (1929-2009)