STUDIES INDICATE BLACK MOLD CAN IMPACT YOUR HEALTH: HEALTH EFFECTS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO LESSEN THEM

Mold is a fungus growth, which begins with a minute spore. Toxic black molds can be found anywhere a dark and damp environment allows them to grow. Spores can be breathed in, absorbed through the skin or ingested on our food. Young children, senior citizens and anyone with immune deficiencies caused by disease, chemotherapy, etc are particularly vulnerable to grave illness following exposure to microbial contamination.

Laboratory studies in animals and at the cellular level offer supporting data for the direct toxicity of fungal spores and mycotoxins in mammalian lungs (University of Connecticut Health Center Report in 2004). A health study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health links adult-onset asthma to workplace mold exposure. And in 1997, the Centers for Disease Control announced an apparent link between mold contamination in homes and cases of infant pulmonary hemorrhage.

Other common effects from molds are pneumonitis, upper respiratory problems, sinusitis, dry cough, skin rashes, stomach upset, headaches, disorientation and bloody noses. Severe exposure can lead to internal bleeding, kidney and liver failure and pulmonary emphysema. There are numerous reasons for the rising occurrence of mold and mildew in our homes, one of which is the federal regulations pertaining to energy conservation call for new construction methods and materials, meaning that homes don't "breathe" as freely as before, trapping moisture vapors inside the building. As a result, mold remediation and prevention have become hot topics in both the health and building industries.

What are we supposed to believe and what should our next move be to defend our families, and ourselves with all the media exposure to toxic mold in the last year or so? First, we must take this threat seriously. If you see mold in your home, get it tested as soon as you can. Get your home tested if you have a family member with an unexplained illness, respiratory irritation, rash, etc that seems to get better when they are away from home.

Controlling Mold Growth and Exposure § The way to control indoor mold growth is to limit dampness, there is no realistic way to get rid of absolutely all mold and spores from the indoor environment § There are air purifiers and cleaners on the market that claim to help lessen quantities of mold spores in the air, do your homework, these might also be of help § Reduce indoor humidity to prevent mold growth by: using air-conditioners and de-humidifiers, and using exhaust fans whenever cooking, cleaning and dishwashing § Clean and dry any wet or damp building materials and furnishings within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth § Use water and detergent to clean mold off hard surfaces, and dry completely § Do not install carpeting where there is a continuous moisture problem § Remedy as soon as possible, any moisture or leakage problems in your home

Article By Adam O'Connor, Keep Your Home Free of Mold

Adam O'Connor is the owner of http://www.handheldguru.com which provides free information on handheld electronics. He is an expert in this industry and his website helps people find helps people find answers to questions like how can you compare PDA's or what is the best pocket PC for you.

New Website Sets Out To Break Mold

New Website Sets Out To Break Mold

There is a new website that has been launched that is set to be different. My Interests & Info.com (URL: http://www.myinterestsandinfo.com) is a site that is a collection of some of the most popular subjects people are interested today. There is an extensive list of "categories" to choose from (59 to be exact), so if you have a particular interest, you are sure to find it there. Some of the categories include advertising, "Dogs", "Cats", "Fishing", "Home Businesses", "Home Improvement", "Web Design", "Finance", "Credit Repair", "Kids and Teens", "Las Vegas" and "Dating" just to name a few. There is even a category based on one of my favorite topics, writing. The list, however, will not stop there. On the home page there is a link to contact the creators so that more categories can be added. The categories are covered in great depth as well. There are extensive details pertaining to each particular category.

So Just How Did MyInterestsAndInfo.com Come About?

My Interests & Info.com is the brainchild of the creator (Kendall Sands) searching for a website that had all of his interests in one place. "I just got tired of having so many cookies in my web browser's favorites menu," says Kendall, "I wanted a website where everything was accessible to me. And so I set out searching. I figured this would be a relatively easy process, but it was, in fact, not as easy as I had imagined. There was difficulty in finding such sites and the ones I did find, I discovered they were not as extensive as I would have liked. So then, the idea came to me. Why not just create the website yourself? So that's exactly what I did. However, instead of making it for me or about my own particular interests, I decided that this site would be for everyone. I then researched what people were most interested in and then created a list. From this list, I then searched for content for each category. It was a long process but I am very satisfied with the end result. I guess I should have called it "Our Interests........." but I am sure that I am sure that the user will get the feeling that this website is their very own and that is why I went with the name it is now. I am very sure everyone will enjoy it and be able to find information on their particular point of interest."

So what started out with frustration turns into a very comprehensive website that compiles interesting topics with a great deal of information all in one place. Be sure and check it out. You'll not only learn a lot but have a lot of fun doing so. I sure did.

http://www.myinterestsandinfo.com

25 yrs/male Casual surfer and aspiring critic constantly on the lookout for fresh new things the internet has to offer

Best Tips to Make Plaster Molds for Tracks

When you come across animal tracks that are pressed into soft ground clearly and perfectly, you might like to preserve your find. Find out some tips on how to make plaster molds of tracks.

If the ground where you find the track is dry and reasonably solid, you can make a plaster mold of the print. This is how to do it.

1. Carefully clear any foreign matter away from the print in the ground. Then encircle the print with a strip of cardboard and clip or tape the ends of the cardboard wall together.

2. Pour freshly prepared plaster of Paris into the area surrounded by the cardboard walls. It may be difficult to judge the amount you will need, but you will learn with experience.

3. When the plaster has hardened, you can take out the whole piece and clean it off. What you then have is a negative of the print, raised or in relief.and be sure there are no bubbles remaining. When you have poured in enough plaster to cover the negative mold, let it harden a bit. Then make a loop from a piece of string and embed the ends of the string in the side of the plaster, so that the loop remains on the surface. A few knots at the ends of the string will make it more secure in the plaster. Pour a little more plaster into the mold

If you want your cast to be indented, as the track was in the ground, you have one more step; making a positive mold. Brush the surface of the negative mold with soapy water, oil or Vaseline.

4. Once again take a strip of cardboard and make a wall around the negative mold. Then pour liquid plaster into the greased mold. Smooth the surface of the mixture with a small piece of board.

5. When the mixture has hardened, remove the cardboard walls and separate the negative mold from the positive, prying the two casts apart with a table knife. This will be easy if the negative was well greased. Clean the positive well and give it a coat of shellac to help preserve it. If you wish to label the side of the cast, do this before shellacking. Then you can hang the mold by the loop of string.

The Indians and woodsmen of old didn't need watches, compasses and barometers. They could get all the information they wanted from the animals and plants, the wind, the stars and the moon. Who today can interpret these natural signs? A passage in a recent magazine read: Midnight. The tropical heaven arched above in a splendor of shimmering stars. The narrow, barely visible curve of the new moon stood near the zenith. Someone well versed in reading the heavens would have noticed immediately that this was impossible, for the new moon has to stand close to the rim and therefore could never be near the zenith.

Choose a good and sold ground where you find the track before putting the mold.

Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for http://www.best-scopes-n-binoculars.com/ , http://www.mycampingresource.info/,  http://www.goodbudgetholiday.info/

Working with Different Molds

One veteran staff member of 10 years is blind. She?d made arrangements for her employment interview via telephone so when she arrived on the appointed day with her guide dog she was greeted with quiet expressions of surprise and shock. As director, I secretly prayed that I would have the experience and sensitivity to conduct the interview properly. Let's be truthful, I was thinking how can I get through this interview and let this person down gently? If I couldn't it might be considered big time prejudice my part and I represented a very big company.

She was nervous, of course. I was more nervous. What if I did or said something wrong? So I adopted the attitude of first be a human being. We chatted and got to know a little bit about each other. She told me about her educational background and family. I did the same. I explained our program and what our goals were and asked her if she thought she might be interested in working in such an environment. Of course she did or she wouldn't have been at this interview.

I got bolder. Did she have any previous child care experience? As a matter of fact, yes she did. She'd volunteered at a daycare center while attending college and she'd taken care of her two young nieces. This opened up the entire discussion about exactly what did she do and how did she do it? And how was her guide dog handled in the presence of children? Just how did it work? I needed a crash course in working with the disabled.

In the back of my mind I was thinking that if I hired her and it didn't work out, I might be stuck with an unsuitable employee. Or perhaps worse yet, if I terminated her it might create a public relations problem or even legal problem. I was feeling very uncomfortable. Nevertheless we forged ahead.

So we agreed that she, like every other candidate we interviewed, would be allowed to work one day. At the end of that day we would talk again and see if she wanted to continue. If so, she would work one week. If she still felt she wanted to work at our center at the end of the week she would have the job.

The lead teacher she would be working with was affectionately dubbed Saint Barbara. Barbara was the only teacher I'd ever known who had found an abandoned python on the streets of New York and called the ASPCA to get help for it. I asked Barbara what thoughts she might have about turning this blind candidate into a productive staff member. She had plenty of ideas and most importantly she had an excellent attitude.

She began by taking Gladys on a tour of the room. She started from the left of the entry way and followed the walls all the way around until they had returned to the entry way. She answered all questions and asked Gladys to return the next day dressed to work.

We agreed the best place for the guide dog to stay during the course of the work day was in my office. There it would not take up space in the classroom and it would not be a distraction for the children. On the other hand, when the children were to go outside to play, the guide dog would go with them.

We embarked on an educational program so the children would understand that the guide dog was not an ordinary dog. The guide dog was a special working dog who helped Gladys come to school and go home safely.

School life at the center took on a new dimension as children, staff members, and parents learned to be more thoughtful because of Gladys. She amazed everyone with her abilities and we were totally delighted that we had been brave enough to try.

Then one day, about 9 years later, we received a new department of health inspector. She noticed the guide dog in the office and immediately said it was against the health department rules for this animal to be in a school. It, the highly trained guide dog, had to go.

The inspector and I, along with Gladys discussed the Federal Regulations regarding the Americans' Disability Act which allowed guide dogs to have access to buildings. She wasn't buying it. The guide dog was to be exiled to a building across the street. I had a big problem.

I knew the department of health inspector needed more information. I offered her a copy of the ADA Regulations. She wasn?t interested, but to placate me she said she would ask her supervisor about the dog. In the meantime, she'd upset Gladys considerably and she'd upset the rest of the staff who were very protective of Gladys, the guide dog and their legal rights.

Eventually the inspector came to understand, through her supervisor, that the Federal Law superceded our local law and the guide dog could stay. And I came to understand, once again, that building a daycare program that includes all types of people is very important.

It's easy to have a model program if everyone fits your mold. But life doesn't have one mold. And sometimes there's a lot to be learned from others.

The author is the Executive Director of The Presbyterian Hospital Infant & Child Care Center in New York City.

Ten Mold Facts for Homeowners, Landlords, Tenants, and Employers

Homeowners, landlords, tenants, and employers should use these ten mold facts to cope with mold in homes, apartments, and workplaces, advises Phillip Fry, Certified Mold Inspector and author of the book Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, Testing, and Remediation.

1. Airborne mold spores are everywhere both indoors and outdoors. Resident and employee health is at serious risk if there are elevated levels of mold spores indoors, as compared to an outdoor mold control test.

2. The most dangerous indoor molds are Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys. Laboratory analysis is required to identify specific mold species.

3. Molds spores can cause serious health problems even if the spores are dead or dormant (inactive while waiting for more moisture to resume growth). Even the smell of dead or dormant mold can make some mold-sensitive persons ill.

4. It is impossible to get rid of all mold spores indoors. Some mold spores will always be present in house dust and floating in the air.

5. The mold spores will not grow into mold colonies if there is insufficient moisture. Indoor mold growth can and should be prevented or controlled by controlling moisture indoors. If organic materials are wet for more than 24 hours, mold growth can begin.

6. Mold grows by eating and destroying organic building materials and other cellulose-based materials such as carpeting, upholstery, and clothing. The longer that mold grows, the more mold damage to the building.

7. Cellulose is the main substance in the cell walls of plants (and thus of wood), and it is used in the manufacture of many organic building materials such as drywall, plasterboard, plywood substitutes, and ceiling tiles.

8. Mold can grow hidden and undetected inside wall and ceiling cavities; beneath wallpaper, paneling, and carpeting; and inside heating and cooling equipment and ducts, attics, crawl spaces, and basements.

9. Mold growth is often the result of a structural or construction defect, or of maintenance neglect, that allows moisture to enter the building.

10. The owner or employer must first fix the water problem (roof leak, plumbing leak, high indoor humidity) that enables the mold to grow. Effective mold remediation requires killing the mold with an EPA-registered fungicide, removing it, and treating the cleaned area with an EPA-registered preventive fungicidal coating.

For more information about mold, visit---

http://www.moldinspector.com
http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com
http://www.mold.ph
http://www.moldmart.net
http://www.envirosurf.com
Phillip Fry, Certified Mold Inspector and Certified Mold Remediator, and author of 3 mold books including Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, Testing, and Remediation
Erasing the Stigma of "Mental Illness"Debra S. GorinAs a physician specializing in psychiatry, I know that many emotional conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders are true medical illnesses with a biologic (physical) origin. Psychiatry has become more and more "biological" in its diagnosis and treatment approaches during recent years, but a very significant stigma still exists against those who are seeing a therapist. This has become increasingly difficult to understand, but it is a social stigma that is so very important to eliminate.

Why does an embarrassment or stigma still exist associated with those who are seeking psychiatric treatment? Why do people wait so long before come for help - to the point of becoming nearly non-functional with their families, children and work environment?

First, many people have a picture in their mind of movies in which psychiatrists are ineffective listeners of problems of patients who are lying on psychoanalytic couches. It is important to remember that psychoanalysis preceded our modern treatment approaches which now have a much higher success rate. We currently have many safe and effective medications, which when used with or without psychotherapy, help many people fully recover.

Another reason for the stigma is in the use of the term "mental illness". The field of psychiatry has undergone many changes in the past twenty years. Research into the functioning of the brain and nervous system has led to the concept of a "chemical imbalance" as the cause of illnesses such as Major Depression and Panic Attacks. In addition, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a condition portrayed so well by Jack Nicholson in the 1997 movie As Good As It Gets, is also caused by a chemical imbalance. Medications were used to help treat the "Obsessive Compulsive" character being played by Nicholson. Many psychiatric illnesses are not "mental" or "emotional, but are now understood to be "neurochemical illnesses".

Many people are told, "You can do this on your own, be strong, as if a person can easily will themselves out of depression or anxiety. Can someone "Be Strong" and make their diabetes or bronchitis just go away? These types of suggestions only result in a delay in seeking treatment or feelings of failure in the individual who finally does seek help. The stigma of psychiatric treatment also leads many people to seek help at the health food store, or other types of self-diagnosis and self-medications.

Men in particular have to overcome an additional obstacle. It may seem "Un-Macho Like" to seek professional psychiatric help when one fails to understand or see their condition as an illness, and instead view it as a weakness in their character. Thus, injury to a man's ego often contributes to their long delays in seeking treatment.

My hope is that the shame and secrecy associated with obtaining professional psychiatric help will gradually diminish and eventually cease to exist. If we understand how the social stigma was established in the first place - the media lack of medical knowledge, societies' understanding or ignorance, etc., then we should realize there is no need to "stay in the closet." Let's wipe out the term "mental illness" and view many of these conditions as "neurochemical illness, with the same non-prejudicial attitude as we do toward diseases such as diabetes or hypertension.

Debra S. Gorin, M.D. received her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She has been in private practice as a Psychiatrist for the past sixteen years in the Fort Lauderdale area. Dr. Gorin treats all types of stress-related, emotional and psychiatric problems of children, adolescents, and adults. She is also a trained hypnotherapist. Visit her website (http://www.doctorgorin.com) to view her growing library of psychiatric and health-related articles. Dr. Gorin's weblog can be viewed at http://debragorinmd.blogspot.comShe can be contacted at couchdoctor415@yahoo.com