Is mold causing our month-long cough and congestion?« Back to Previous Page

Yes, that mold is very likely contributing to your family's persistent cough, congestion, and fatigue. The proximity and duration of exposure make it a primary suspect. The type commonly found in these scenarios—often Cladosporium or Aspergillus—produces allergens and irritants that cause exactly these respiratory symptoms, especially in children.

Your first step is to stop the moisture source. The AC leak must be repaired immediately; no cleaning is effective until the water intrusion is fixed. For a leak of this scale, a professional HVAC technician is necessary. Then, increase ventilation in the room by opening windows if the outside humidity is lower, typically during the morning or evening in Deira, and use fans to circulate air and dry the wall.

Do not attempt to clean a large patch yourself. Disturbing it will aerosolize the spores, potentially worsening your symptoms and contaminating other areas. For a growth of this size and given the health impacts, a professional mold inspection is strongly advised. They can assess the full extent, often finding hidden growth inside the wall cavity, and take samples for a lab culture to identify the species, which is critical for understanding the health risk and planning the correct remediation method.

Until professionals can address it, keep the family out of that room and, if possible, seal the area by closing the door. Wipe down hard surfaces in other living areas with a damp cloth to capture any settled spores. The combination of Dubai's high humidity and constant AC use creates perfect conditions for this problem, making professional assessment the most reliable path to restoring your indoor health.