How long does it take to get sick from mould exposure?
How long does it take to get sick from mould exposure? Inhaling airborne mould spores or mycotoxins released from damp fungal growth poses proven health risks. But how quickly after exposure do symptoms like coughs, breathing issues or rashes appear? Can serious illness manifest in days or do problems develop over months? We detail timescales.
Acute Symptoms – Minutes to Hours In rare cases of large spore infections from disturbances like flood demolitions, acute mold-related symptoms can arise rapidly. These include:
- Wheezing and difficulty breathing from inflammation/allergic reactions
- Stinging throat and eyes
- Runny noses and sinus congestion
- Headaches and dizziness
- Fatigue from immune response
Such symptoms may emerge suddenly hours after a major exposure spike from containment breaches. Seek medical assistance promptly in severe responses.
Delayed Impacts – Days to Weeks
More commonly, it takes days to weeks after moving into a damp, mouldy property or such conditions developing before cumulative health complaints emerge. Repeated lower-level spore intake allows gradual respiratory, skin or general immune irritation. Effects also worsen over time without mitigation.
Chronic Long-Term Illnesses Finally, months or years living immersed in mould environments leads to serious chronic conditions like:
- Respiratory dysfunction including asthma and lung scarring
- Autoimmune disorders
- Potential neurological conditions from mycotoxin buildup
- Vision issues from prolonged toxicity and inflammation
- Cancer risks
The key takeaway remains that the longer anyone inhabits mould-affected buildings, the higher their disease exposure. Act rapidly on damp issues for safety.
Do not wait any longer than you need to, to seek help and advice. Our team are on hand to talk you through what options are available to you and how a housing conditions claim could be made against your council or housing association. You could be issue free and compensated in a matter of months.
Housing Disrepair Advice: https://housingdisrepairadvice.org/contact
Housing Ombudsman: https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/
