Approximately 70% of homes have some form of mold in them. Though this isn’t always concerning. Molds are a part of our world’s natural environment and oftentimes aren’t even visible to the naked-eye.
However, when moisture levels are not controlled, sometimes this mold can grow and lead to health problems. Allergic responses can stem anywhere between some itchy eyes and sneezing to fatigue and difficulty breathing.
So when does this all become too much to handle?
What happened when she discovered black mold
One holistic health coach recently found herself answering that exact question. Posted on Aug. 21, Autumn Clayman (@Autumnclaymann) turned to TikTok to share her recent endeavor with a not-so-healthy substance, black mold. Amassing over 3.7 million views and 71,000 likes, the video features Autumn sharing with viewers the tell-tell signs that point to black mold within a home.
“I’m currently healing from black mold after living in a moldy apartment,” Autumn begins. “So I’m gonna share some symptoms that I experienced.”
Autumn sits in what seems to be her new home and shows pictures of the mold. Here you can see black and green spots spreading across the corners and walls of the apartment, almost as if from a scene in “The Last of Us.”
“The first thing was burning. A burning sensation—I would feel this all over my skin, specifically my face and my neck,” Autumn says.
Allegedly, immediately as Autumn stepped foot into her previous apartment, her skin would begin to burn. Almost as if the airborne pathogens hit her skin right as she walked in.
What happens when black mold is disturbed?
While black mold isn’t necessarily an airborne type of mold, if the colony is disturbed, the mold’s spores can detach from surrounding walls and become airborne. Which once inhaled, can lead to a weakened immune system.
Then Autumn began to explain her second symptom, eczema.
“First it started off as like a little speck on my neck. And then it started spreading pretty quickly. It was spreading all over my arms, my legs, [and] my neck,” Autumn says.
And Autumn was exactly correct to link her eczema to the mold. Studies show that contact with mold spores, either via touch or inhalation can lead to both dermatitis and eczema.
“The third thing is allergies and just congestion. I was feeling congested more than ever,” Autumn says.
Having sinus issues already, Autumn explains just how difficult it was for her to breathe in her apartment. And that this amount of difficulty wasn’t quite in the norm for Autumn.
“The fourth thing is burning, itchy eyes. My eyes were always irritated and the fifth thing was extreme fatigue,” Autumn says.
According to Autumn, it felt as though no matter how much sleep she had gotten the night before, nothing could rid her of this severe tiredness.
“I constantly felt exhausted and tired,” Autumn says.
How she identified the problem
It took Autumn a while to identify what the problem was. Because, like mentioned before, mold isn’t exactly always visible, it’s hard to pinpoint it as the main reason a person may feel ill.
“I ran through all the scenarios. I spent a ton of money trying to figure out what was going on and my conclusion was ‘It has to be my apartment.’”
These symptoms were a first for Autumn and she explained that her stress levels were the same as they were prior to moving, so she knew it had to be something else.
Eventually Autumn decided to test for mold within the apartment, regardless of the cost.
“I ended up getting my place tested and ended up finding out that I have black mold,” Autumn says.
What happened when she vacated her apartment
Shortly after, Autumn explains in a follow-up video that she was able to break her lease and find a new place to live. Since then, Autumn has found her health immensely getting better.
“My symptoms have healed rapidly, my skin is clearing up; I’m starting to feel better,” Autumn concludes.
However, Autumn’s story wasn’t done here. After posting the minute and a half long video, viewers quickly ran to the comment section, wanting more information.
Viewers ask questions about the experience
In the comments section, viewers asked questions about the experience.
“How can you test?” wrote one user.
“How do you detox?” asked a second.
“Where do you find the mold?” asked a third user.
The list goes on. So, Autumn decided to post a series of different videos to answer her viewers’ lingering questions.
Autumn explains that she found the mold in her original apartment within its air conditioning units.
A resolution to this black mold nightmare
“I guarantee that there was mold in other areas. But because testing is expensive, and landlords only fix what is visible and what they can see, they’re not gonna test new areas,” Autumn states.
Luckily for Autumn, after the debacle, she was able to both get her deposit back and break her lease. Since then, Autumn has found another place to live and has been working on bringing her health back to what it was prior.
“It triggered an autoimmune that I didn’t know I had,” Autumn says.
So while the road ahead may be long, it is safe to say Autumn has been doing better since the transition due to her new diet, new routine, and even new vitamins.
“This whole experience has really changed my lifestyle and has been difficult. Going through this is not easy,” Autumn says. “Anybody going through this, I empathize with you.”
@autumnclaymann mold exposure symptoms #blackmold #healingfrommoldtoxicity #moldillness #eczema ♬ original sound – Autumn Clayman
The Daily Dot reached out to Autumn Clayman (@Autumnclaymann) via TikTok direct message for comment.
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