34 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • APRIL 2021
THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF MOLD
Many molds can appear black in color,
but the fear-inducing black mold that
people usually refer to is called Stachybotrys,
a dense, greenish black mold
that often grows where there is constant
moisture in a certain area. Some black
mold species are toxic and can cause
lifelong damage to the lungs, heart, and
brain. Still other types of mold are just
as likely to appear in damp spots and
cause a wide variety of serious health
issues if they grow enough.
Melissa Steffens, a Syosset mother of
three, says mold is “the story of her
life.”
Five years ago, she and her husband,
Michael Steffens, as well as two of their
three children, all experienced illness
related to Stachybotrys, in their first
Syosset home, Melissa says.
“My symptoms to this day have not
completely gone away,” she says.
Melissa’s husband began having
headaches and skin rashes. One of
Melissa’s sons, who was 10 months old
at the time, developed rashes, random
fevers, and a kidney infection that put
him in the hospital. Melissa herself was
hospitalized after experiencing drops
in her heart rate and brain fog, and her
other son also had rashes.
Doctors could not explain any of their
illnesses. Eventually, a mold inspector
came to their home and found Stachybotrys
growing throughout the house.
“It was so widespread that we basically
abandoned the house and left behind
most of our belongings,” Melissa says.
The family experienced mold issues
in the next home they lived in, as well,
with family, also in Syosset. They are
now living in their third Syosset home,
also with family, and have found mold
in a garage that is manageable enough
for Michael to fix himself.
Melissa and Michael learned so much
from the experience that they started
a mold assessment business, Mosaic
Mold Inspections.
“We are so happy we started the business
to help people connect the dots,”
Melissa says, “because you feel like
you’re crazy sometimes. Everyone said,
‘No, you don’t have mold,’ because we
didn’t see it.”
That’s a key issue — mold is often not
readily visible, lurking in wall cracks
or under carpets. Any place that produces
moisture could be a breeding
ground for mold. Cluttered, excessively
dusty areas can also allow mold to
fester.
Dr. Rohan S. Mankikar, who specializes
in pulmonary medicine at NYU
Langone Huntington Medical Group,
says there are seven types of indoor
molds that he most commonly sees
causing health issues. One of them is
Aspergillus, which can pass through
the airways, cause inflammation in the
lungs, and even result in a fungal disease
that has required surgery to cure.
“If a patient has a cough for more than
eight weeks or sinuses that don’t get
better with Flonase or saline, we start
getting suspicious of mold,” he says.
“Some mold is actually clear. They
smell it and can’t locate it. Black mold
is most common in terms of visually
being able to inspect it.”
A musty odor is a telltale sign of mold,
experts say. They also urge people
to regularly check for leaks near
bathtubs, refrigerators, and other
appliances that could get wet or use
water. Basements are another place
that commonly attract mold due to rain
and flooding.
If there’s a mysterious sickness lingering
in the family, or a foul smell in your
basement, you can call a mold assessor
who knows exactly where to search
for potential mold. If the licensed inspector
finds mold, then a restoration
company can come in to remove it and
repair the area.
“All molds have the potential to affect
your health adversely,” Melissa says.
“It not so much matters the species,
it’s more the quantity and personal
sensitivity.”
“Health risks of mold can be very harmful,”
says Brad Slack.
PRESS HEALTH
continued from page 33
FOR A LOVED ONE WHO FALLS, HOUSE CALLS ARE BACK
With mom and dad staying
in more, falls at home are
skyrocketing. There are ways
to help.
The Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) estimates that every 11
seconds, a senior citizen like
your mom or dad falls and ends
up in an ER, often with great
distress and pain. Falls can cause
major life-changing injuries
requiring tons of resources to
help her or him get back to some
semblance of normal life.
And those were the CDC’s
estimates before Covid-19.
With older adults becoming less
active and staying in more often,
more falls have become another
impact of the pandemic on our
silver-haired population.
“Fall prevention comes down to
one word: confidence,” says Dr.
Daniel Davids, PT, owner of The
Traveling Physical Therapist, a
local group of balance experts
providing preventive care
in the homes of Long Island
seniors. “If you can introduce
a knowledgeable and warm
therapist into the home (where
most falls happen), you can get
seniors stronger, make them
more flexible, improve their
balance. And their confidence
will absolutely skyrocket!
Elderly falls are a completely
avoidable event and are NOT a
normal part of aging.”
Dr. Davids created The Traveling
Physical Therapist to provide inhome
fall-prevention services
shortly after his grandmother
passed away from complications
related to a fall.
“No family should have to
deal with the loss of someone
they love for something so
preventable,” he says. “Like
most falls, she was home when
it happened. I wish there had
been a service like this for her.”
In-home physical therapy is
not a new idea by any means,
but The Traveling Physical
Therapist stands out because
it accepts Medicare where most
others do not.
To help reduce the fall risk of
Long Islanders, Dr. Davids
published a book, “That
Really Helpful Book on Fall
Prevention”, with tips, tricks,
and exercises seniors can do to
reduce their risk of falling. If
you’re interested in receiving a
copy, visit TheTravelingPT.com/
Falls or call 646-733-4737 and
mention the Long Island Press.
Dr. Davids will mail you a copy
of his book, free of charge. It will
help your family members move
as confidently and safely as they
did 25 years ago.
www.TheTravelingPT.com
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