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providing you with the facts . . . about health effects |
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health effects There is still a great deal to be learned about mold and how it can affect our health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to research mold in the indoor environment. Below we discuss in detail the potential health effects of mold. allergic reactions The most common health issues attributed to biological pollutants are allergies. The symptoms are easy to identify and can leave a person with a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, cough, aggravated asthma or headache. An allergic reaction is triggered when the body recognizes a particle as being foreign. So, any symptoms that arise from this interaction is your body’s way of telling you that there is a problem. Persisting allergy problems can leave the immune system in a weakened state causing an individual to become susceptible to other infections. It is clear that fungi produce highly allergenic proteins that have been identified as contributors to the symptoms of asthma and hay fever.
pathogenic reactions Mold can also cause pathogenic effects which often consist of skin infections and very rarely pose a serious threat to healthy individuals. Most pathogenic molds are also opportunistic which means that severe reactions are generally seen only in those patients who have weakened immune systems such as AIDS patients or burn victims. These infections include those that infect the nails, hair, and mucous membranes. Some common infections may be athlete’s foot or ringworm. It is important to remember that while normal and healthy individuals may become infected with serious disease, this is a rare occurrence. Pathogenic molds causing pulmonary disease and respiratory infections are generally seen only in those individuals who are immunocompromised. It is important for these people to be made aware of the risks involved with exposure to opportunistic fungal spores.
toxic reactions The toxic effects of fungi may perhaps be some of the most serious. Fungi is capable of releasing chemical substances called mycotoxins that vary in toxicity. These chemicals may be capable of producing a variety of health effects including mucous membrane irritation, rashes, dizziness, nausea, and birth defects. However, the only association with these health effects has been reported in heavily contaminated environments. Individuals are exposed to mycotoxins via ingestion, skin contact or inhalation. Although it is not yet clear how much exposure to mycotoxins is needed to produce adverse symptoms, scientists from the CDC have taken the conservative approach by recommending very limited exposures. Research is still being conducted on the outcome from exposure to mycotoxins at this time.
conclusions The thing that you have to remember is that fungi exist everywhere. They can be found outside, in your home, and on your food. We are continuously exposed to fungi through both inhalation and ingestion. Some fungi are even used as sources of drugs like antibiotics and anti-cancer agents. The majority of fungi that are commonly encountered are unlikely to cause disease unless the person being exposed has a severely weakened immune system resulting from HIV, diabetes, alcoholism, or chemotherapy. It has been found that even in these individuals, only fungi that can grow at the increased temperatures and reduced oxygen levels that are seen in the human body will cause infection. While immunocompromised individuals should know what risks are involved for them, healthy individuals should also take steps to avoid continuous or elevated exposure to airborne fungal spores until more research is done on what ill effects, if any, are produced by mold and its allergenic, pathogenic and toxic components.
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Stachybotrys chartarum |
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