The health symptoms of short-term exposure to black mold usually begin as soon as sensitive individuals inhale allergenic mold spores. For workers or others who inhabit moldy areas every day for prolonged periods, more severe effects may take place 4 to 6 hours after re-entering the environment, the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, relates. People with mold allergies may experience a range of responses from mild irritation, such as allergic contact dermatitis, to serious breathing problems. Removing visible fungal colonies immediately can prevent relapses.
Eye Irritation
The first noticeable effects of mold allergies may include eye irritation, or allergic conjunctivitis. The UMMC points out that eye health symptoms arise from an inflammatory response to airborne allergens. The mucous membranes, or conjunctiva, of the eyes become swollen when the body sends forth histamines to battle fungal invaders. Inflammation causes redness, itching and watery discharge. Puffy tissue around the eyes can progress to dark circles if irritation persists for any length of time.
Skin Irritation
Touching black mold or inhaling reproductive spores can also cause inflamed skin at the point of contact or in random patches. Health symptoms can include an intense itching or burning, redness and swelling. Raised hives, or painful bumps or blisters on skin can also arise. Allergic contact dermatitis may develop after years of fungal exposure. Once sensitized, patients will contract the same type of skin irritation whenever they contact mold.
Breathing Problems
Health symptoms generated in the respiratory tract can be moderate or extreme, MayoClinic.com notes, depending on individual sensitivities and air quality. Due to the reproductive cycles of black mold, air quality changes from day to day.
Patients with mold allergies can have bouts of coughs and sneezes as the body tries to rid itself of allergens. A buildup of fluids causes runny noses and postnasal drip, while sinus inflammation creates congestion. The degree of upper respiratory inflammation determines the impact on patients' breathing abilities.
Complications
People with mold allergies who also have asthma may have worse breathing trouble. According to MayoClinic.com, inhaling fungal allergens can trigger asthmatic constriction of the airways, producing wheezing and shortness of breath. Long-term or extreme exposure to black mold can generate a perpetual state of respiratory inflammation in the lungs called hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The UMMC reports that delayed onset of symptoms, such as coughing, fever, chills and breathlessness, can recur as long as patients continue to enter moldy environments.
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