Mold can go undetected in our homes and end up costing thousands of dollars as well as costing us our health. The Douglas County Health Department says mold is a growing concern.

It's a problem Meghan Moore and her fiance Bo have been dealing with since March when they found mold underneath the drywall in their new home. It isn't the only mess they've had to deal with.

"We've all been sick,” says Meghan. “They just said take allergy medicine right now and see if that helps, if it doesn't we're all going to have to do mold tests on everybody."

The Douglas County Health Department says Meghan's situation isn't unusual. If there is mold, the health effects can be widespread. "Aggravating allergies, respiratory problems, it's even been identified as an asthma trigger,” says Doug Clark with the Environmental Health Division.

The Health Department is getting more calls from homeowners. Inspectors say start by checking pipes, look for leaking water, but remember mold can grow anywhere. "It favors areas that are porous, such as wood, carpet, drywall, furniture, draperies, things like that," says Clark.

What can you do if you find mold? Should you treat it yourself or hire someone to have it taken care of? The health department says use this general rule. If the area is greater than 10 square feet, hire someone.

In Meghan's case, her entire basement is covered in mold so she'll have to hire professionals, but for smaller problems the health department says use bleach, but mix no more than one cup of bleach to one gallon of water.

Wear protective gear to keep the mold from causing you even more health effects and dry out wet areas as quickly as possible. As a general rule, if your carpet or other wet areas don’t dry out in 72 hours, it's a loss.

Meghan says since she discovered the damage, they've managed to waterproof their home and keep the basement dry.

If you think you have found mold in your home, call the health department at 444-7471. Inspectors can use moisture meters to check any trouble spots you are concerned about.