Chronic Cough and Mold

Dear George,

I have a chronic cough that only occurs at home, nowhere else. Can it be mold? How can I test the house?

Thank you,
Searching For The Solution

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Dear Searching,

Yes, mold could be a cause. Other possible causes could be pollen, dust mites, or other forms of pollution, for example, VOCs, (volatile organic compounds).

If the weather permits, you may want to try opening your windows to replace the indoor air to see if your symptoms improve. Also, see if your structure’s HVAC filter is clean. If you see any visible mold, you can try spraying it with hydrogen peroxide (3% solution), which is effective at killing surface mold. Also, to reduce exposure of VOCs, you can discontinue use of products that contain petroleum distillates.

To test for mold or VOCs, you can always hire a company, like Bye Bye Mold. Before we actually perform the tests, our inspector will talk with you and find out exactly how extensive you want testing to be.  Your investigation is unique, and you get to configure what testing you want our inspector to perform.

Our mold assessment can include indoor air sampling that is microscopically compared with an outdoor air sample. Our report includes the lab’s analysis. We can also test for VOCs and provide results in real-time (immediately).

For health purposes, after you have our report, you can always take the results to your allergist or doctor for an allergy test or for comparison with your doctor’s results.

You can contact us at 1 (800) 686-1992 or via our user-friendly e-mail form.