Even without the threat of toxic effects, exposure to black mold such as Stachybotrys chartarum carries many health risks. Individuals with low immunity or weakened respiratory systems can suffer serious complications from mold illness.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, report that these potential health effects apply to all strains of household mold. Research into the additional toxic properties of S. chartarum has proven inconclusive. The CDC recommends considering all types of indoor mold as dangerous and warranting removal.
Skin Irritation
Mild or severe reactions to black mold may include symptoms of contact dermatitis, as the CDC relates. These entail skin symptoms at the point of contact where mold touches people's skin.
Skin irritation can happen to sensitive individuals when they clean to remove mold, so the hands should be protected with gloves. Signs of this kind of mold illness include skin itching, redness and swelling in patches, which will fade sometime after contact ceases.
Eye Irritation
People who are sensitive to mold and also have eye conditions may suffer additional health risks from eye symptoms. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a reaction to inhaling mold reproductive spores sends histamine chemicals into the blood, resulting in conjunctivitis, an irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes.
Shortly after ingesting mold, patients may experience eye itching, redness and fluid accumulation. Those who wear contact lenses or who have existing eye problems may experience more severe or lengthy bouts of conjunctivitis.
Breathing Problems
Histamine blood levels also create irritation of the airways to produce the most well-known symptoms of mold illness, runny and stuffy noses. Individuals who have allergies or sensitivities to certain levels of airborne mold may begin to cough or sneeze soon after entering an environment tainted by black mold.
According to MayoClinic.com, this respiratory state holds health risks for asthma patients. Allergies to mold can trigger asthma attacks that involve more severe coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, which can be life-threatening if left untreated.
Infectious Disease
Vulnerable populations, such as asthmatics, cancer patients or adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, may bear a higher health risk for mold infections, as per the CDC. Indoor-growing strains such as black mold have opportunistic growth habits, which include invading any sustaining environment and reproducing.
Susceptible people can inhale spores into their sinuses or lungs, where infection complicates mold illness, as MayoClinic.com reports. Signs may include chest pain, shortness of breath and coughing up blood. Patients may require surgical removal of infectious mold growths.
Member Comments