Mold is everywhere in our environment, according to the State of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and we breathe it daily. When mold growth is high, it causes health problems. Black mold is a generic term for several types of mold, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that any mold, including Stachybotrys chartarum, can be a possible health hazard and should be removed.
Mold Allergy
The Mayo Clinic lists several symptoms of mold allergies. Similar to other types of upper respiratory allergy, they're triggered by inhaling mold spores. Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, eye irritation, sinusitis or inflamed sinuses and coughing. While stachybotrys chartarum is an allergen for many people, it's not the only one. Many people are only allergic to some species of black mold. Other types that can cause allergic reactions include aspergillus, fusarium, penicillium, alternaria and chaetomium. Your doctor can do either a blood or skin test to determine what you are allergic to. There is no cure for mold allergies, but there are a number of treatments to ease your symptoms. Keeping your home's humidity level below 50 percent and reducing your exposure to both indoor and outdoor mold will keep allergy flare-ups to a minimum.
Asthma
According to the Mayo Clinic, allergies can trigger asthma attacks in susceptible individuals. In 2009, the State of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 27 percent of North Carolina middle school children were either diagnosed with asthma, or had asthma symptoms not yet diagnosed. Asthma is a condition causing the lung's airways to partially close, and if the individual can't breath, it's potentially deadly. About half of all asthmatics also have allergies, often to mold, making mold exposure a serious concern to some asthmatics.
Fungal Infections
The Mayo Clinic lists two fungal infections caused by mold. In fungal sinusitis, fungus grows in the sinuses and sometimes needs to be surgically removed. People with asthma or cystic fibrosis can get allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, a fungal lung infection from mold.
Unfounded and Rare Complications
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a rare type of pneumonia caused by mold spores. Although several conditions, including acute idiopathic hemorrhage in babies, fatigue and memory loss, have been blamed on black mold, the CDC reports there is insufficient evidence to prove a link between mold exposure and these conditions.
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