Is mold in my villa making my family sick?« Back to Previous Page

Mold in your Jumeirah villa could certainly be contributing to your family's persistent coughing. The symptoms you describe—non-stop coughing, especially in children—are common reactions to mold exposure, which acts as a powerful irritant to the airways. The damp storage room you found is a significant red flag; this localized moisture problem often indicates a wider, hidden issue within the villa's structure.

You should arrange a professional inspection as soon as possible, ideally within the next few days. The combination of Dubai's high humidity and air-conditioned environments creates perfect conditions for mold to thrive in unseen spaces, like behind walls or under flooring where condensation accumulates. A proper inspection involves more than a visual check; it uses moisture meters and thermal imaging to find the source of the dampness.

To directly answer if it's the cause, a certified inspector can take air and surface samples for lab analysis. This will identify the specific type of mold present (like common allergenic Cladosporium or more problematic Aspergillus) and compare the spore count inside the storage room to the outdoor air and your living areas. This comparison is the only way to scientifically confirm if the mold colony in your home is elevated enough to be the culprit behind the health symptoms. Until then, avoid using that room and consider using a dehumidifier to help lower the overall humidity level.