Yeast and mold are the two different forms of fungi that people find hard to distinguish. Fungi can be normal and natural, however, a higher concentration, especially in residential structures, can cause an adverse effect on health and safety.

The ability to distinguish yeast from mold or vice versa has significance when it comes to dealing with the concerns caused by each.

Importance of identifying mold and yeast

The need for identifying yeast is not considered to be critical as it does not pose a real threat to indoor air quality.

Mold on the other hand can be dangerous with respect to the type that you are dealing with. For instance, the most toxic mold found in homes; Stachybotrys chartarum or black mold, can cause severe cough, skin rashes, and chronic fatigue.

This makes looking for signs of mold infestation within your house on a regular basis critical, especially if you live in coastal areas or areas with high atmospheric humidity.

Appearance

Appearance can be one of the major means to distinguish between yeast and mold.

Yeast	Mold
Can only appear as white or monochromatic	Can appear in a variety of colors from green, pink purple or black.
Smooth to touch	Furry to touch
Hard to detect due to the lack of color	Individual spores are invisible to the naked eye, colonies are pigmented.

Where do they grow?

Yeast: Growth can be naturally triggered and it can thrive on fruits, plants, animals and soil. You can even notice yeast growth on your or your pet’s skin. They have an affinity towards sucrose-rich products, hence found on fruits and vegetables for the purpose of fermentation.

Mold: Molds are naturally triggered, provided the conditions favor its growth.
Mold growth is supported by a mixture of the following factors:

• Moisture
• Warmth
• Food source (wood, drywall etc)

The fact that mold spores can easily travel between substances and areas within your house contributes to its capability to infect the inhabitants easily.

A pipe burst, flooding in your house, or any other form of water damage can create favorable conditions for mold growth.

Health risks

Yeast: The yeast type: Candida albicans are considered to be good for health, however, a higher concentration of this yeast type in the body can weaken the immune system.

Similarly, people occasionally can even develop an allergy to nutritional yeast, which is usually indicated via hives breakout.

Mold: Health risks associated with mold can be several and it can even vary with respect to the mold type you are exposed to. Some common symptoms of mold infestation are:

• Itchiness
• Water eyes
• Dry throat
• Persistent coughing
• Runny nose
• Diarrhea
• Skin infections

If mold spores and inhaled in excess amounts and if it enters your kidney or lungs, it can lead trigger other life-threatening conditions.

Perform a house inspection today to identify mold from yeast and act quickly to get the concern under control. If it seems too much to handle, contact a professional mold restoration company to get the condition handled effectively.