Exposure to mold may not be at the top of your list of worries. Still, if you’re living or working in a damp environment, or if you’ve noticed new symptoms that you can’t trace back to a specific source, then it may be time to explore the effects of mold exposure and the appropriate treatments.
If mold has been discovered in your home or if you suspect you’re reacting to mold, your first instinct may be to visit your local urgent care center. Going to urgent care for mold exposure can be a step in diagnosis and treatment, but you’re unlikely to solve all of your mold issues there. The first step to diagnosing and treating mold is to understand what mold is and how it can be harmful to your health.
Overview
There are thousands of molds that exist in the world, but there are only a handful that are toxic to humans. For clarity, it’s not the mold itself that is toxic – it’s the mycotoxins that are produced by certain molds. Mycotoxins are what can cause neurological, immune and respiratory issues in humans when inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin.
Stachybotrys chartarum, commonly known as black mold, is frequently mentioned when discussing harmful molds found in an environment. This mold can be visible to the naked eye and, like other molds, thrives in damp areas. Penicillium and Chaetomium are two distinct types of mold that can impact the immune system and respiratory health. People with allergies to molds may notice problems or reactions to other molds that do not contain these mycotoxins.
This guide provides a helpful breakdown of what mold exposure and treatment may entail, as well as how urgent care centers respond to patients who believe they’ve been exposed to mold.
What urgent care usually provides
Urgent Care is often the first stop for people who don’t feel good and suspect that mold may be the cause. Unfortunately, urgent care settings cannot typically test for mold exposure, says Dr. Paul Savage, a toxin expert and founder of MDLifespan. When patients worried about mold exposure arrive at urgent care, they’re often assessed for breathing and skin irritation. They may also be asked about their home and working environments to determine if it’s possible that dangerous molds may exist there.
Inside the urgent care centers, blood work for allergies may be performed, or patients may receive a chest X-ray. However, this will not determine if there has been a recent or past exposure to mold or mycotoxins. Although mycotoxins can be measured in a patient’s urine, these tests are not typically available in urgent care settings.
Specific services
The specific ways to test for mold toxins, or mycotoxins, often involve both environmental and medical testing. Dr. Savage notes that environmental tests, such as air sampling or qPCR on dust samples, may be conducted within a home or workplace by a professional to determine whether harmful molds exist in that area.
Medical tests may include urine mycotoxin panels or blood tests for inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, TGF-beta1 or C4a. These markers may indicate recent exposure to mold or colonization of mold in the body and can help practitioners determine the best next steps for treating the issue.
Limitations (When to seek a different provider)
There is currently no FDA-approved blood or urine test that proves mold toxicity. Urgent care doctors can often rule out other reasons why a patient is feeling unwell and, depending on the symptoms presented, will likely refer those patients to a specialist. If allergies persist, patients may be referred to an allergist for further treatment. If a persistent cough or breathlessness continues to occur, a pulmonologist is likely the next step, said Dr. Elizabeth Lumpkin, clinical advisor at Atlanta’s Southeast Addiction.
Environmental health specialists may assist in conducting medical tests and recommending environmental tests for mold. It’s crucial to remove mold from your environment to recover from toxic exposure fully.
What are the ten warning signs of mold toxicity?
Doctors say that symptoms from mold toxicity can vary widely. Some of the most common symptoms stem from respiratory issues or immune dysfunction problems. Ten common warning signs of mold toxicity include:
- Stuffy nose that will not cease
- Persistent cough
- Wheezing or shortness of breath; asthma attacks
- Irritated skin or rashes
- Recurring sinus infections
- Brain fog or memory loss
- Persistent exhaustion
- Nausea and bloating
- Frequent infections
- Chest tightness
Dr. Emma Lin, a board-certified pulmonologist, sleep medicine specialist and co-founder of ReadyO2.com, noted that symptoms vary from person to person. While some patients have complained about feeling fatigued, others report difficulty sleeping or waking up breathless.
People with very reactive lungs may experience a more severe response called hypersensitivity pneumonitis, in which the lungs become inflamed and may restrict breathing. People with asthma are also more susceptible to experiencing worse symptoms.
How to prevent mold growth in your home
Mold thrives in warm, moist environments. Although mold can be beneficial outside, breaking down dead organic matter, the EPA notes that it can also be introduced inside and may reproduce if mold spores land on wet surfaces. Mold cannot grow in dry areas, so it’s crucial to maintain a dry and clean indoor environment with minimal humidity.
One easy way to prevent mold from growing indoors is to increase ventilation by running a fan or opening a window, especially in areas that are frequently damp, such as the bathroom. Another effective way to prevent mold from entering your home is to act quickly when spills or water leaks occur indoors. If an area where there was a leak is completely dry within 24-48 hours, it’s less likely that mold will grow there, according to the EPA.
Maintaining low indoor humidity is also an effective way to prevent mold. Humidity levels inside should hover between 30% and 50%. Humidity can be measured using a moisture or humidity meter, which can usually be found for under $20 at your local hardware store.
If you notice any mold growing in your house, it’s essential to remove it immediately and address any moisture issues in the area. It is also crucial to ensure that appliances that produce moisture, such as clothes dryers and stoves, are vented to the outside.
According to the CDC, mold can be removed from hard surfaces using soap and water, household products or a bleach solution. It’s essential to use only one cleaner to eliminate mold, as mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaners can produce a poisonous gas. It’s also a good idea to wear an N95 respirator, long gloves and goggles when cleaning up mold to avoid inhaling the mold or mold spores while cleaning.
If it smells moldy somewhere but you can’t trace the source, the mold may be hidden in places like the back side of drywall, the top side of ceiling tiles, the underside of carpets or it has been covered by wallpaper. The walls where pipes are located may also be a source of mold if those pipes are leaking or causing condensation.
It’s best to call a professional if you suspect there is mold in your home that is not visible to the naked eye. You may also want to consider contacting a professional if you feel that the mold is too extensive to clean on your own. Remember, you not only need to clean the mold but also remove the dead mold from the area so more mold spores do not sprout and prolong the issue.
How to test yourself for mold exposure
The best way to determine if you have been exposed to mold is by monitoring your symptoms and noting how they change in different environments. Some people may only exhibit symptoms from harmful mold when they are in an environment where it exists. Monitoring your environment for higher-than-normal humidity levels and damp conditions may also help determine whether you have been exposed to a harmful mold.
Mold test kits are available online for around $35 to swab and test your environment. Mycotowin panel tests are also available online for patients who wish to avoid a trip to the doctor or an urgent care center. However, tests that show positive results for mycotoxins detected can not guarantee treatment with the removal of mold alone. It’s essential to reach out to a healthcare provider if symptoms of mold exposure persist after the mold has been removed from the environment.
How do you detox your body from mold?
Research indicates that the first step in detoxifying the body from mold is to remove the source of the mold immediately. This is a non-negotiable step in the process of healing from mold exposure. Often, removing the mold will result in an immediate improvement in symptoms, although additional treatments may be needed to heal completely.
ReadyO2 representatives say they often recommend pulmonary rehab, lung therapy and breathing exercises for patients experiencing asthma or extreme symptoms caused by exposure to mycotoxins. Detox binder supplements like activated charcoal, bentonite clay or milk thistle are also non-medicated resources available on the market for trapping and removing the harmful mycotoxins causing illness.
According to the Portland Clinic of Natural Health, consuming milk thistle tinctures can help boost glutathione levels in the liver, which aids in breaking down toxins and mold byproducts. Similarly, Healthline notes that activated charcoal has been anecdotally recommended for treating mold poisoning; however, there is currently no research to support this claim.
Bottom line
Being exposed to mold in your home or workplace can be frightening and cause concerning symptoms, especially for individuals with mold allergies or compromised immune systems. Monitoring your areas to ensure there are no moist or damp environments is a crucial part of avoiding mold exposure.
If you believe you have been exposed to mold, you can visit your local urgent care center for a diagnosis and initial treatment steps. Still, you’ll likely need to see a primary doctor or specialist as well as an environmental expert to detox from the mold fully.
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly can mold make you sick?
Symptoms of mold toxicity can develop within hours of exposure or may take weeks to appear with consistent exposure.
How to ask a doctor for a mold test?
Explain your symptoms and concerns to your doctor if you believe you have been exposed to harmful mold. If you have noticed black mold in your environment, tell your healthcare professional immediately so they can conduct proper tests to provide treatment for the exposure.
Can air purifiers remove mold spores?
Air purifiers equipped with HEPA filters can trap mold spores present in the air, which can lead to reduced exposure in the environment. However, air purifiers alone cannot eliminate the root cause of mold growth.
Citations
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home. EPA. Last updated March 27, 2025. https://www.epa.gov/mold/brief-guide-mold-moisture-and-your-home Environmental Protection Agency
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mold. CDC. Published September 26, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/mold-health/about/index.html CDC
Portland Clinic of Natural Health. Milk Thistle: The Mold Detox Hero You Didn’t Know You Needed. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://portlandclinicofnaturalhealth.com/milk-thistle-the-mold-detox-hero-you-didnt-know-you-needed/
Telloian C. To ‘Detox’ or Not to ‘Detox’? What to Do About Mold Exposure. Healthline. Updated September 5, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-detox-your-body-from-mold