Is my kids' cough from black mold in Dubai?« Back to Previous Page

It's very possible the cough is related. Mold exposure, especially the type that grows in humid, stagnant air like behind furniture, commonly causes respiratory irritation, persistent coughing, and worsened allergy symptoms in children. The confined space of a bedroom means they've been breathing in spores all night.

For a situation like this, with visible growth and health symptoms, a professional inspection is strongly advised. Do not attempt to clean it yourself, as disturbing the patch will release a large number of spores into the air. The fastest way to get tested is to contact a company with in-house microbiology capabilities; they can often dispatch an inspector for sampling within 24-48 hours. They will take air and surface samples to be cultured in a lab, which will identify the species—this is critical, as some types are more problematic than others.

In parallel, you should begin remediation. Reputable companies follow standards like the IICRC S520. The process involves isolating the area with containment barriers, using HEPA filtration to clean the air, removing the contaminated materials, and treating the underlying cause—which is likely condensation from the AC unit or a past humidity event. Once the mold is removed and the moisture source is fixed, the air should be retested to confirm spore counts have returned to normal indoor levels. This verification step is what separates a proper remediation from a simple cleaning.