People with mold allergies suffer ill health effects when indoor molds and mildew grow on hard surfaces and fabric in homes and other buildings. Damp conditions and moderate temperature ranges sustain these fungi, which feed on decaying substances on or in materials such as wood, cellulose wall board and upholstery. Short-term symptoms resemble those of hay fever. Reactions to heavy or persistent mold and mildew problems can cause lung disease over the long term. Opportunistic fungal infections may target allergy patients with respiratory conditions or low immunity.
Mold Exposure Symptoms
Many patients develop adverse health effects from removing carpeting that has a mildew problem or from entering moldy, water-damaged areas. As the CDC explains, most people react to inhaling allergenic mold spores, although touching mold can cause skin irritation as well. Coughing, sneezing and runny noses indicate inflammation of the airways brought on by allergic reactions. As these symptoms progress, nasal congestion and sore throat may accompany itchy and watery eyes. Recovery will entail cleaning away mold or avoiding infested environments, notes the CDC. The symptoms of mold allergies may come and go as long as patients continue to ingest a certain level of airborne mold allergens.
Sinus and Pulmonary Infection
Individuals who have mold and mildew problems, as well as additional health conditions that affect their respiratory or immune systems, have a greater than normal chance of getting fungal infections when they inhale mold spores into the sinuses or lungs, where the fungi start to grow. The health effects of infection may or may not be noticeable without medical testing. Sometimes chest pain, trouble breathing or coughing up blood occur. The CDC notes that asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, HIV, cancer and recent transplant surgery patients are at a high risk for mold infections.
Lung Disease
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, irritation from mold allergies can exacerbate existing lung diseases such as asthma. Added to the common respiratory health effects of mold allergies, asthma symptoms may arise suddenly, including wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
Workers in many industries encounter mold and mildew problems in buildings they inhabit or materials they handle. Prolonged or intense exposure to mold and bacteria that grow on mold may cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a severe inflammation of the lungs. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library reports that avoidance of molds can reverse this condition, but continued exposure can progress to incurable lung damage and disability.
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