Mold, Fungus & Candida Disease

Fungi (plural for fungus) include mold and yeast. Fungi are multicellular microorganisms capable of both fighting disease and causing it. Mold is a multicellular form of fungi that has yielded life-saving medications but also can inflict serious health damage to infants and adults. Candida, a yeast organism, is a unicellular form of fungi. It wreaks havoc upon large portions of the population with its numerous forms of infection and disease.

Beneficial Molds

• According to DiscoveriesinMedicine.com, Sir Alexander Fleming discovered that mold---a microscopic, multicellular form of fungi---contaminated a portion of a culture of bacteria growing in a lab dish. The mold killed the bacteria with which it came into contact but did not have any affect upon the remaining bacteria. Upon testing the mold on lab mice, Fleming discovered it could kill harmful bacteria without damaging healthy cells. Unfortunately, he was unable to turn his discovery into a drug. Howard Walter Florey and Ernst Boris Chain discovered a method for purifying penicillin, which Fleming was unable to do, and developed it as a drug in 1940 at Oxford University in England. Because of penicillin's remarkable ability to fight infection, it saved the lives of countless soldiers during World War II. Molds have also proved beneficial in the development of antibiotics such as streptomycin, tetracycline, erythromycin and bacitracin.

Harmful Molds

• Some molds cause serious illnesses such as bronchitis, cardiac problems, cancer, lupus, fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, according to Mold-Help.org. On its website, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing and skin irritation as problems connected to mold exposure. The CDC also states that mold requires constant moisture to grow and advises routine inspections of homes and buildings to check for signs of its presence. Fixing any observed problem areas as quickly as possible helps to prevent further mold contamination and to avoid the possibility of illness.

Beneficial Fungus

• Scientists have described more than 100,000 species of fungi with many more awaiting discovery, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Fungi play an important role in environmental safety. On its website, the Foundation for Biotechnology Awareness and Education (FBAE) discusses "the ability of fungi to transform a wide variety of hazardous chemicals ..." and, through the process of bioremediation, return the environment to its natural state.

  In "Thriving Through Fungus," The Globe and Mail reports on a research project conducted at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, by biology professor Susan Kaminskyj. Kaminskyj and graduate student Xiaohui Bao removed fungus found thriving in an area contaminated with the toxic byproducts of oil sands production and used it to treat tomato and wheat seedlings. They transplanted the treated seedlings, along with untreated seedlings, into the contaminated area. The untreated seedlings failed to survive, but the treated seedlings thrived in the hostile environment.

Fungal Infections

• According to the New York Times Health Guide article, "Cutaneous Candidiasis," fungi living on hair, nails and skin surfaces cause infections such as tinea (ringworm) and candida. The Mayo Clinic reports fungal infection as the culprit responsible for athlete's foot.

Candida Disease

• Candida disease develops from a yeast (unicellular form of fungus) infection. In "Cutaneous Candidiasis," the New York Times states that candida fungi generally infect areas of the skin that are warm and moist, like the armpits, the groin and the area of skin inside infant's diapers (diaper rash). Obese people who develop candida infections in skin folds find losing weight eliminates this problem. Thrush is a common candida infection appearing in the mouths of patients taking antibiotics. Antibiotics can also cause vaginal yeast infections, another candida-related problem. Fastidious personal hygiene, keeping your skin dry and taking prescribed anti-fungal medications helps to alleviate most candida-related infections.

  A painful disease known as Candida esophagitis occurs in the presence of a weakened immune system, according to MedlinePlus, the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Medications are available to treat this painful disease. Good oral hygiene and taking measures to avoid illnesses that weaken the immune system, like HIV/AIDS, serve as possible preventive measures.