When the Inhaler Stopped Working

One Family's Wake-Up Call

Seven-year-old Sofia had been using her inhaler more and more. What started as occasional wheezing during soccer practice turned into nightly breathing treatments. Her parents, Carlos and Andrea, made multiple trips to the emergency room during the rainy season. Each time, the doctors adjusted her medication, but nothing seemed to help for long.

"We were terrified," Andrea remembers. "Watching your child struggle to breathe in the middle of the night—there's no worse feeling. We did everything the doctors told us, but she kept getting worse."

The family moved to their home in the mountains outside Cartago two years earlier, drawn by the cooler climate and natural beauty. They thought the fresh air would be good for Sofia. Instead, her asthma spiraled out of control.

The Discovery That Changed Everything

During a particularly bad episode, Andrea was cleaning Sofia's room and moved the bed away from the wall. The entire back wall was covered in black mold. She felt sick looking at it. Her daughter had been sleeping inches away from that growth for who knows how long.

They called in mold removal specialists immediately. The inspection revealed mold behind the walls, in the closet, and even in the ventilation system. The mountain humidity combined with poor air circulation had created the perfect storm.

The remediation took a week. The family stayed with relatives while professionals removed the contaminated materials, treated affected areas, and installed proper ventilation to prevent future growth.

The Transformation

Within two weeks of returning to their mold-free home, Sofia's symptoms started improving. Within a month, she rarely needed her rescue inhaler. Three months later, her doctor was able to reduce her daily medications.

"It was like having our daughter back," Carlos says. "She could run and play without stopping to catch her breath. She slept through the night. We all did."

The connection between mold and respiratory problems is well-documented, but many families don't realize their home environment is triggering their child's symptoms. In Costa Rica's humid climate, mold can grow hidden from view while continuously releasing spores into the air your family breathes.

Could Your Home Be Making Your Family Sick?

If someone in your family has asthma, allergies, or respiratory problems that seem difficult to control, mold exposure could be a contributing factor. Don't wait until symptoms become severe.

Take our quick 2-minute mold risk quiz to assess whether your home might have hidden mold issues affecting your family's health. A few simple questions could point you toward answers you've been searching for.

Your family deserves to breathe easy. Find out if mold is putting their health at risk.