Invaded by the Green Stuff?

That green stuff growing in your house isn’t decorative: A record amount of rain combined with 100-plus-degree days has spawned the highest mold count recorded for the year, just short of an air pollution warning. And that is just for the air outdoors.

Mold can cause asthma in adults and kids: Infants who live in “moldy” homes are three times more likely to develop asthma by age 7. Allergist Tiina Reponen says, "Early life exposure to mold seems to play a critical role in childhood asthma development. Genetic factors are also important to consider in asthma risk, since infants whose parents have an allergy or asthma are at the greatest risk of developing asthma."

It is estimated that about 9% of school-age children in the United States will develop asthma– however, studies have shown that rates are often higher in children from poor, urban families. The disease cannot be accurately diagnosed until age 7 and the causes are not completely known. Allergist David Bernstein says, "The symptoms of pediatric asthma range from a nagging cough that lingers for days or weeks to sudden episodes of shortness of breath and wheezing that require emergency treatment. If a young child’s symptoms persist and keep coming back, that’s a clue that it could be asthma."

Reponen says, "This should motivate expectant parents–especially if they have a family history of allergy or asthma–to correct water damage and reduce the mold burden in their homes to protect the respiratory health of their children."

You’ll notice that neither of the allergists quoted in this story seemed to be aware of the two asthma causes that we linked to: A weak immune system due to no chance to play in the dirt and an infestation of roaches (something common in cities, even if you personally keep a clean house)–but WE were, because we can draw on literally YEARS of edge science reporting! Nothing is quite as good as the real thing, and when it comes to dynamic radio shows and extraordinary edge news, unknowncountry is the real thing: We find the edge and report it objectively, without hysteria–and to prove that, we put the link of a legitimate news site at the end of every story. At last, the internet makes sense. If you agree, make sure we’ll still be here in the future, and the only way to do that is to subscribe today!