Hidden threat that made homeowner sick

Forget ghosts — what lurked in this house was far scarier.

A US woman was hit with a barrage of mysterious symptoms soon after moving into her new home.

Florida resident Grace Cronkright’s illness started with a simple headache and escalated into brain fog so severe she couldn’t remember entire conversations within hours, the New York Post reports.

“I felt like I couldn’t think straight at all, like I was dying,” the Tampa Bay real estate agent said in a recent TikTok video.

“There was nothing ever that extreme or obvious or crazy that I felt the need to go to a doctor and pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to get to the bottom of,” she said in another TikTok.

“But they definitely added up over time and now being out of it I can see how serious it was getting.”

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Ms Cronkright and her husband could no longer ignore the health issues by June, when plumbers were working inside a wall amid a renovation.

Suddenly, Ms Cronkright was struck by an “immediate, extreme migraine”.

Even her husband began feeling off, his eyes suddenly itchy and irritated.

Concerned the construction disturbed asbestos or lead-based paint, Ms Cronkright called in environmental specialists to inspect the area.

The culprit was quickly uncovered: mould. A type of fungus that thrives in warm, damp and humid environments, mould releases airborne spores that can spread throughout your home and be inhaled.

Not all moulds are harmful — and not everyone reacts to the ones that are — but for some people, exposure can trigger a range of health issues.

What can mould exposure do to your health?

“Mould exposure can cause inflammation anywhere along the respiratory tract,” explained Dr Nicholas Nassikas, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

People with mould allergies or asthma are especially vulnerable and may experience more severe reactions.

For those with asthma, mould can act as a trigger for attacks. Certain moulds can even mimic flu symptoms — causing fever, fatigue and general malaise.

In more serious cases, exposure can lead to lung infections or anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.

Some types, such as black mould, produce toxic compounds known as mycotoxins.

These can be absorbed through the airways, skin or digestive system and pose serious health risks.

Severe mycotoxin exposure has been linked to cancer, pregnancy complications, lung scarring or bleeding, liver and kidney problems, blood disorders and damage to nearly every major system in the body.

Mould can even affect your mental health. A review of 19 studies found that prolonged mould exposure was associated with increased rates of stress, anxiety and depression in both children and adults.

The worst symptoms yet

“Once we disturbed the mould and opened the walls and it was all in the air, the symptoms got much more extreme,” Ms Cronkright said.

She suffered from shortness of breath and debilitating migraines that lasted up to 10 days.

Her face and arms went numb, the brain fog intensified and her mental health took a hit. She had dark circles under her eyes.

“You can just see it sucking the life out of you,” she said.

Mould remediation specialists quarantined the affected areas around the bathrooms.

They ran air scrubbers, fogged the home, ripped out contaminated materials and spot-treated anything that couldn’t be removed.

The process had to be repeated three times before air tests finally came back clear.

Ms Cronkright felt a “huge difference” even after the first round.

How can I prevent mould from growing in my home?

Although mould can be found almost anywhere, it needs moisture and nutrients to grow.

The following actions can help prevent mould growth by reducing dampness in the home.

– Maintain proper ventilation: Turn on exhaust fans, particularly when bathing, showering, cooking, doing laundry and drying clothes. Open windows when weather permits, to improve cross ventilation.

– Reduce humidity

– Limit the use of humidifiers.

– Limit the number of fish tanks and indoor plants.

– Limit use of unflued gas heaters

– Control moisture and dampness: Repair all water leaks and plumbing problems, for example, burst water pipes, leaking roof or blocked rain gutter. If water enters your home, completely clean and dry water-damaged carpets and building materials. Discard material that cannot be cleaned and dried completely.

— Additional reporting by Lydia Kellner

Parts of this story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.

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