Eye nose and throat issues. Is it caused by mould

A number of our clients have complained about such things as headaches at night or eye, nose and throat issues. They convinced themselves that they had a mould problem in the home; even more so if they did some web searches on the symptoms of mould exposure.

The Mayo Clinic describes symptoms such as “Sneezing. Runny or stuffy nose. Cough and postnasal drip. Itchy eyes, nose and throat” as being mould related.

Those are symptoms of mould exposure, however they can also be symptoms of something else that we in Canada have still to get our heads around, and that is Formaldehyde exposure. The National Cancer Institute describes Formaldehyde exposure symptoms as “Watery eyes; burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat; coughing; wheezing; nausea; and skin irritation”

As you can see, the symptoms are very similar between the two exposures, so making the wrong diagnosis is likely.

What does Cancer have to do with it?

If you have read to here you are probably wondering why the National Cancer Institute is writing about Formaldehyde exposure and then the “aha” moment hits.

In 1987, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified formaldehyde as a probable human carcinogen under conditions of unusually high or prolonged exposure. They know it has caused cancer in rats under laboratory conditions, so it is safe to say that Formaldehyde may cause cancer in humans.

One study, conducted by National Cancer Institute, looked at 25,619 workers in industries with the potential for occupational formaldehyde exposure and estimated each worker’s exposure to the chemical while at work. The results showed an increased risk of death due to leukemia.

How many of us have friends or relatives who are suffering from or have succumbed to cancer? I’m sure we all know someone. Have your home tested for excessively high levels of formaldehyde and reduce the risk of getting cancer?

Are you exposed to it?

Now you may be saying “but I don’t have any “UFFI” in my home. Yes Urea Formaldehyde was banned as a home insulation material many years ago, but do you know that there are many other sources of Formaldehyde gas?

We find Formaldehyde in wood products used as building materials. Products such as OSB (Oriented Strand Board or Chip Board), plywood, MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard, and particle board. Furniture like desks, bookshelves, beds, kitchen cabinets, and more are also built of manufactured wood products containing Formaldehyde.

Although formaldehyde emissions from wood products reduce over time, there are many other invisible sources in the home. Formaldehyde is also added to paints, coatings, plastic products, pesticides, cosmetics, mattress ticking, leather goods, adhesives, glues, resins, synthetic fabrics, permanent press bedding, clothing, and drapes.

So yes, if you are suffering from ongoing eye nose and throat issues you may very well be exposing yourself to high levels of Formaldehyde gases.

Do I have a problem?

If you have eye, nose or throat issues you may have a problem. The construction/renovation industry has taken a turn and many contractors now use MDF baseboards and trim. Furniture is no longer solid wood, but a combination of wood veneers and OSB or Chip Board. Most interior doors, especially in new or renovated homes are made of moulded MDF facings built around an MDF frame. All of these items have the potential for off-gassing Formaldehyde.

Martha’s story:

One of our clients, a lady in her 60’s (we’ll call her Martha) was experiencing headaches at night as well as eye, nose and throat issues. She swore up and down that she had a mould problem. She hired someone to come in with a thermal imaging camera to look for mould. They highlighted a cold spot in the outer bedroom wall and advised that there might be mould there.

After the expert tore the wall out, all they found was a cold spot missing some insulation. Martha then had MouldMedic® come out and perform an air quality test, which resulted in absolutely clean results.

Her son insisted that she was just imagining things and that she must be crazy. Martha’s headaches continued. We asked her if there was anything else that had changed in the home recently. She replied that she had all the windows replaced, so “it must be the caulking that they used”.

What we found

We asked Marth to do one thing for us: sleep in another room for a couple of nights. Lo and behold, the headaches went away, so the window caulking was not an issue. We asked Martha again  if there was anything that had changed in the bedroom. Martha thought for a bit, and after some hessitation she said, “well I did buy this new furniture”.

Martha bought her furniture from a vendor she found in a flea market. The vendor advertised custom-built furniture. The material that he used was MDF and he covered it with a plastic laminate. Unfortunately he did not seal the MDF drawers and framework of the furniture.

The furniture was off-gassing formaldehyde gasses, which were building up at night and giving her headaches. Once the MDF was sealed, her headaches went away, and the exposure to potential Cancer causing components of her house were reduced.

Is it Regulated?

California’s CWP Regulation is one of the most stringent regulations in effect to limit formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products.This regulation will governs the formaldehyde emissions from particleboard panels, MDF panels and hardwood plywood panels and applies to both the raw panels themselves and the finished consumer products. The finished products are things such as furniture, kitchen cabinets and interior mouldings (those famous MDF mouldings and baseboards that most contractors like to install).

In 2006, Health Canada completed residential indoor air quality guidelines for formaldehyde. These guidelines serve as a scientific basis for activities to reduce the health risk of indoor contaminants, are recommendations only and not under legislation.

The U.S. regulates the emissions of formaldehyde from home building products, but Canada only provides “guidelines”, meaning that the emissions inside your home could be putting you at risk of respiratory issues and potentially carcinogenic compounds.

What you can do.

If you are experiencing eye nose and throat issues and would like your home tested to ensure that you are not breathing in excessive amounts of Formaldehyde, contact us for Formaldehyde concentration testing and a consultation for how you can make your home a healthier and safer place to live for you and your family.

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