Who Is Most Vulnerable to Illness from Molds

Jun 20, 2018 by

Who Is Most Vulnerable to Illness from Molds

Human bodies can tolerate molds and mycotoxins in small quantities, but common molds are a very common allergen. Because exposure to mycotoxins is relatively rare, allergic effects are more common than toxic effects, but flooding such as is caused by hurricanes and typhoons have led to some serious dangers from Mycotoxin, or what is commonly called Black Mold or Toxic Mold.

Image: Mold toxins can cause flu-like symptoms, especially in children and people with allergies.

Some people are more sensitive to mold than others. There does not have to be an extensive amount of mold in an area to affect certain people. Toxic Mold such as Stachybotrys and Memnoniella can cause serious and sometimes fatal health conditions. (Remember that all molds can be harmful to your health, especially in your home and especially to people with allergies.)

There are not really any laboratory tests of blood or urine that can determine absolutely whether a person has been exposed to mycotoxins. Blood can be tested for antibodies to some specific types of fungi, but these tests only determine if a person who has become allergic to fungi has been exposed recently to that specific type of fungus. Allergy tests cannot determine if a person has been exposed to fungal toxins.

Who Is Most Vulnerable to Illness from Molds

The most vulnerable are:

Infants
Children
Immune-compromised patients
Pregnant women
People who have respiratory problems
Diabetics
People with allergies or asthma
The elderly

Next: Symptoms of Toxic Mold Illness

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How Mold Gets There

Jun 18, 2018 by

How Mold Gets There

Mold is an necessary part of our ecosystem. It aids the decomposition of many organic substances necessary to plant, animal and human life. Molds multiply by producing spores which then circulate in the air. When the spore finds a moist surface it sticks to it and begins to grow into mold. Indoors, those airborne mold spores can cause serious health problems for people.

Image: Mold can hide in your home.

Mold spores can enter a household through open doorways, windows, heating systems, ventilation and air conditioning units. They attach themselves to your clothing and can even be brought in by pets. When they find the right conditions they grow and contaminate the air in your home.

Mold requires just two things for life and growth: there must be a source of water and a surface to which it can cling. Mold can be found just about anywhere, but indoors it is most often found on or around plumbing fixtures like sinks, tubs, toilets, showers, air-conditioning systems and water-heaters.

Many common building materials such as drywall, wood, carpets, and carpet padding are suitable surfaces for mold growth, and mold is often found near points where water can collect, such as roof leaks, improperly sealed windows, foundation slab cracks, unsealed concrete foundations, cracks in siding and plumbing leaks. Beyond leaks and floods, with normal life moisture collects in our homes from showering and cooking, damp basement floors, even just from breathing.

Many experts agree that mold at least in some form is pretty much everywhere, but it is never healthy to live with mold. Current thinking is that mold-related health problems are related not only to the amount and types of mold but also the length of mold exposure.

If you have a moist basement, then you know you have mold. If you smell a moldy odor, then you know you have mold! The odor of mold indicates there are thousands of live mold spores floating in the air. These spores may be breathed in and cause illness, or aggravate pre-existing respiratory conditions.

No matter what type of mold you have, it is unhealthy and you need to get rid of it. The next page will help you find it.

Mold is an necessary part of our ecosystem. It aids the decomposition of many organic substances necessary to plant, animal and human life. Molds multiply by producing spores which then circulate in the air. When the spore finds a moist surface it sticks to it and begins to grow into mold. Indoors, those airborne mold spores can cause serious health problems for people.

Mold spores can enter a household through open doorways, windows, heating systems, ventilation and air conditioning units. They attach themselves to your clothing and can even be brought in by pets. When they find the right conditions they grow and contaminate the air in your home.

Mold requires just two things for life and growth: there must be a source of water and a surface to which it can cling. Mold can be found just about anywhere, but indoors it is most often found on or around plumbing fixtures like sinks, tubs, toilets, showers, air-conditioning systems and water-heaters.

Many common building materials such as drywall, wood, carpets, and carpet padding are suitable surfaces for mold growth, and mold is often found near points where water can collect, such as roof leaks, improperly sealed windows, foundation slab cracks, unsealed concrete foundations, cracks in siding and plumbing leaks. Beyond leaks and floods, with normal life moisture collects in our homes from showering and cooking, damp basement floors, even just from breathing.

Many experts agree that mold at least in some form is pretty much everywhere, but it is never healthy to live with mold. Current thinking is that mold-related health problems are related not only to the amount and types of mold but also the length of mold exposure.

If you have a moist basement, then you know you have mold. If you smell a moldy odor, then you know you have mold! The odor of mold indicates there are thousands of live mold spores floating in the air. These spores may be breathed in and cause illness, or aggravate pre-existing respiratory conditions.

No matter what type of mold you have, it is unhealthy and you need to get rid of it. The next page will help you find it.

Next : Types of Mold and the Harm They Cause

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History of Mold and Man

Jun 7, 2018 by

History of Mold and Man

Since Biblical times it has been known that indoor mold growth can be a health hazard:
Leviticus 14:39-47. “On the seventh day the priest shall return to inspect the house. If the mildew has spread on the walls, he is to order that the contaminated stones be torn out and thrown into an unclean place outside the town. If the mildew reappears in the house after the stones have been torn out and the house is scraped and plastered, it is a destructive mildew and the house is unclean. It must be torn down – its stones, timbers and all the plaster – and taken out of town.”

Image: Rooms that are not well ventilated, or rooms exposed to the weather in humid climates, can be overrun by mold in a short time.

Several times throughout history mold has been identified as the cause behind the mysterious deaths of farm animals.

Stachybotrys chartarum was found growing on wet grain used for animal feed, and the resulting toxins poisoned the animals. Today, the agriculture industry keeps a close eye on mold and mycotoxin levels in grains to prevent the contamination of animal feed and human food supplies.

Stachybotrys chartarum is a fungus that has become notorious as a mycotoxin producer that can cause animal and human mycotoxicosis. Over the past 15 years in North America, evidence has accumulated implicating this fungus as a serious problem in homes and buildings and one of the causes of the “sick building syndrome.” In 1993-1994, there was an unusual outbreak of pulmonary hemorrhage in infants in Cleveland, Ohio, where researchers found S. chartarum growing in the homes of the sick infants. This incident increased the awareness of home/building molds and brought this fungus to the immediate attention of the medical community. In recent years there has been a cascade of reports about toxic molds in the national media.

The New York Times Magazine, August 12, 2001, ran a front page story on toxic mold. Newspaper articles (Fig. 1) such as “Fungus in ‘Sick’ Building” (New York Times, May 5, 1996) or “Mold in schools forces removal of Forks kids” (Fargo Forum, June 1997) are eye-catching news items. The nationally syndicated comic strip Rex Morgan ran a series on Stachybotrys, and television news shows have run entire programs on Stachybotrys contamination of homes. The fungus has resulted in multimillion dollar litigations and caused serious problems for homeowners and building managers who must deal with the human issues and remediation.

In the 1970s, building construction techniques changed in response energy crises, and homes and commercial buildings became more air-tight. At the same time, cheaper materials such as drywall moved into common use. This combination of increased moisture because of higher humidity and suitable surfaces for mold growth led to an increase in mold indoors.

The recent increase in serious storms and flooding has increased the danger greatly, and some health experts have even predicted a large number of deaths among those of the threatened population with suppressed immune systems.

Molds and fungi growing inside buildings may be the source of indoor air-quality problems known as the “sick building syndrome.” While the syndrome has been blamed on a variety of causes, from the emissions of particleboard partitions and paints to carpets and cleaning supplies, Georgia Tech research has found that metabolic gases emitted from molds and fungi may be a significant source of airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause indoor air-quality problems. The new research suggests that control measures prescribed for sick buildings may need to be altered to address microbial problems as well as building materials.

Next : Types of Mold and the Harm They Cause

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What Is Mold?

Jun 7, 2018 by

What Is Mold?

The term mold is the common name that refers to any growing fungus. This includes fungi such as mushrooms and yeasts. When found on clothing or other household goods, it is often referred to as mildew.

Image: Mold in house walls.

Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.

Molds are everywhere in nature, but mold spores in your home, a common component of household dust, can make you, your family members, and/or your pets very sick. And because mold is so common, and the spores are too small to be seen with the naked eye, they are often missed when you and your doctor search for the cause of illness.

Molds typically grow in buildings affected by water damage and have been found in homes, hospitals, schools, and office buildings. It is estimated that about 50 to l00 common indoor mold types have the potential for creating health problems. Exposure to mold has been identified as a potential cause of many health problems including asthma, sinusitis, and infections. It is also believed that molds play a major role in cases of sick building syndrome and related illnesses.

Mold colors may be white, gray, black, brown, yellow or greenish, or a combination of these. Colonies of mold may appear cottony, velvety, granular, leathery and glassy.

“Toxic Mold” is often used to refer to these indoor air quality problems caused by mold spores. Mold-related illness can strike anyone, but at particular high risk are:

Infants
Pregnant women
Elderly people
Asthma suffers
Diabetics
Those who already have respiratory disorders
People with disorders which compromise the immune system
Some Common Mold-Related Symptoms:
Allergic reactions
Asthma attacks
Increased susceptibility to colds and flu
Sinus infections
Under the right conditions, some species of molds generate molecular compounds called mycotoxins. In large quantities or with chronic exposure, mycotoxins can be toxic to humans or animals, causing allergies or even death. We will discuss this in detain on later pages…

Next : History of Mold and Man

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