|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

Health Reactions to Mold

Molds are fungi that grow inside and outside year-round. Inside, the most common location for mold growth is in warm, humid areas such as bathrooms and basements. Outside molds grow on a variety of grasses, trees and other vegetation. Different people have different reactions to mold based on sensitivity, overall health condition and the degree of exposure. There are more than 10,000 varieties of molds, with the four most common being Cladosporium, Penicillium, Alternaria and Aspergillus.

  1. Basic Allergy

    • People who are allergic to mold typically exhibit classic symptoms similar to most allergies, such as runny noses, sneezing, itching and dry skin. Standard allergy treatments including over-the-counter medications or prescribed allergy medicines are helpful in alleviating the symptoms. You can limit your exposure to mold spores by staying indoors when the mold count is high, cleaning areas in your home where mold may accumulate and installing a HEPA filter in your furnace.

    Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis

    • A form of asthma called allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis occurs in a small number of people who are allergic to and exposed to mold spores. The standard symptoms are wheezing, low-grade fever and coughing up of brown-flecked masses or mucus plugs. To diagnose this condition, a doctor may test your skin and blood tests, X-ray your lungs and exam your mucus for fungi. Corticosteroid drugs are typically prescribed to treat the symptoms.

    Blastomycosis

    • Blastomycosis is caused by the inhalation of conidia mold spores. These spores are typically found in soils contaminated with decomposing organic debris. Hunters, campers, farmers and others who spend a great deal of time in wooded areas are most likely to be exposed to these spores. Typically found in south and mid-western parts of the United States, this type of mold may cause symptoms such as fever, cough and chest pains. Blastomycosis is treated with Itraconazole.

    Farmer's Lung

    • Farmer's lung is an allergy caused by mold spores traveling in the dust from hay, straw and grain. The initial symptoms are similar to a standard cold. As the disease progresses, the symptoms include a fever, muscle pain, difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest and depression. If ignored, the allergic reaction can cause permanent lung damage. The only risk of exposure to farmer's lung is in working in close quarters with moldy hay, straw and grain. There is no cure for farmer's lung, but treatment with oxygen and bed rest can ease the symptoms.

    Myotoxins

    • The effects of myotoxins on the human body are still being tested, but there have been cases worldwide of heart failure and other cardiovascular problems that may be caused by eating mushrooms contaminated with this type of mold.

Environmental Health - Related Articles