Confined spaces and long-term contact exacerbate the health effects of mold exposure. Fungal growth in a house, therefore, puts people with mold allergies at special risk for developing immediate and chronic symptoms. Houses with damp bathrooms and basements, or water-damaged carpets and wall coverings, favor indoor-growing molds. These thrive on high humidity, warm temperatures and organic dust and debris. Health symptoms may appear and disappear as the reproductive cycles of fungi periodically taint indoor air with allergenic spores, which the residents inhale.
Inflammatory Effects
Microscopic molds can only be seen when they grow large enough to form colonies, yet the smaller growths still cause allergic reactions when they reproduce. Skin and eye irritation may comprise the first signs of visible or invisible mold exposure, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. Illness usually begins as soon as inhaled allergens circulate through the bloodstream and prompt an inflammatory response.
Eye health effects, or allergic conjunctivitis, result in red, inflamed, itchy eyes, with profuse tears. People with mold allergies can also develop skin problems of allergic dermatitis from touching moldy surfaces or inhaling fungal allergens. Skin symptoms include red, itchy skin that may swell or form raised bumps.
Breathing Effects
People who don't react to outdoor-growing fungi may experience breathing effects from indoor mold exposure due to the higher concentration of spores in the air. The CDC notes that some molds even grow in air conditioners and ventilation systems, harming air quality on a continual basis. As the respiratory system reacts to inflammatory chemicals in the blood, fluid accumulation and irritation of the airways results in breathing problems.
Respiratory health effects of mold allergies include runny noses, postnasal drip, coughing and sneezing. As the sinuses become inflamed, nasal congestion obstructs breathing. The CDC also reports that individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, or asthma can suffer sudden attacks triggered by mold allergens. More severe coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath may require immediate treatment with a rescue inhaler.
Lung Damage
Long-term or high-level mold exposure, or any mold inhalation in patients with certain underlying medical conditions, can create more serious pulmonary health effects. According to the Merck Medical Library, chronic lung inflammation from mold allergies, or hypersensitivity pneumonitis, can permanently damage lung tissue.
People who have COPD or asthma disorders, or those with immunity lowered by cancer or HIV conditions, risk fungal lung infections. These invasive mold diseases, which include aspergillosis, cause fungal growth in the lungs or sinuses, which can spread to the liver and kidneys.
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