Mold allergies represent the most common adverse health effects from black mold exposure, but greater dangers exist for some groups of people. Young children and adults with compromised immune systems can contract chronic diseases from sufficient contact with mold.
Toxigenic fungus strains such as Stachybotrys may produce more persistent growths and greater health problems, but usually only in extremely wet conditions. According to the Institute of Medicine, exposure to these and other household molds has not been causally linked with extreme symptoms such as lung hemorrhage.
Perennial Allergic Rhinitis
Anyone can have mold sensitivity, reacting to certain levels of airborne mold spores. People with true mold allergies, or perennial allergic rhinitis, will develop health symptoms from even minute amounts of allergens in the air.
Indoor molds that appear black can only be seen when colonies grow to large enough size, so allergic reactions can take place even when patients can't detect mold by sight. As MayoClinic.com reports, health symptoms of mold allergies include itchy, teary eyes, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing and wheezing.
Asthma
Many people with mold allergies also have asthma. The Institute of Medicine reported in 2004 that black mold does cause asthma health symptoms in people who have already developed the condition. When asthmatics ingest fungal allergens, they may suffer from chest tightness and shortness of breath in addition to rhinitis symptoms.
Without successful rescue inhaler treatment, this serious breathing obstruction can result in respiratory failure, requiring emergency medical care to avert death. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that children with asthma are particularly susceptible to mold triggers.
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
Black mold growths in occupational or hobby settings expose people on a continual basis, increasing their potential for advanced respiratory inflammation, or hypersensitivity pneumonitis. MayoClinic.com lists tasks such as carpentry, baking, wine making, horticulture and handling hay or wood as possible risk factors for this condition.
Ever present moisture and mold in air conditioners and humidifiers can also contaminate indoor air and cause this illness. Health symptoms of hypersensitivity pneumonitis include coughing, shortness of breath, and fever or chills. The University of Maryland Medical Center points out that long-term inflammation can give rise to chronic lung disease.
Aspergillosis
People with chronic respiratory and immune system disorders have a higher incidence of fungal infection of the lungs, sometimes called aspergillosis. In these cases, patients inhale tiny black mold spores deeply into the lungs, where they settle and begin to grow.
The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library describes symptoms of chest pain, breathing trouble and coughing blood, which can swiftly escalate if infection spreads to the kidneys or liver. Jaundice and shock may then precede organ failure and death.
Member Comments