Womens Health

Serious Reactions to Mold

Feel Lousy?

Most people who are allergic to mold have hay fever-like symptoms that make them feel lousy, though these symptoms aren't life-threatening or serious. There are, however, specific allergic conditions brought on by mold exposure that can be very severe. The short-list of these mold-induced illnesses includes:

Asthma—If you are asthmatic and also allergic to mold, breathing in mold spores can trigger an asthma attack. You should have an emergency treatment plan in case of a severe bout with asthma.

Allergic fungal sinusitis—Fungus can get stuck in your sinuses and begin to grow. The sinus area is small, and the fungal growth can become impacted, necessitating surgery.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis—This is a fungal infection of the lungs. Those who are allergic to mold and also have asthma or cystic fibrosis are vulnerable to aspergillosis.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis—A rare condition which occurs when the lungs become inflamed as a response to airborne particles such as mold spores. Most often, the disease is triggered after exposure to dust in the workplace which contains the offending allergen.

"Black Mold"

The media has been talking up the idea that some molds, for instance, what they term "black mold" may cause a host of certain chronic symptoms including rashes, fatigue, nausea, fever, headache, and coughing. There have even been accusations that this type of mold causes acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage, which causes bleeding in the lungs of infants. It's true that some molds are poisonous when ingested, but there is, as yet, no proof that airborne mold spores release toxins inside of buildings that can harm healthy people.

It is known that spending a lot of time in damp buildings can cause respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, throat irritation, nasal congestion, runny nose, and coughing, but we don't know if mold is the reason for these symptoms in those who test clean for mold allergies. The culprit might very well be something else. Dampness brings other harmful health risks in its wake. A damp building is a great place to find bacteria, rats, and the effusion of chemicals from furniture and building materials.

In people with compromised immune systems, exposure to high levels of mold can cause various problems that an otherwise healthy individual would be able to shrug off. Autoimmune diseases and chemotherapy are two examples of conditions which weaken the immune system. People in this category have to take all kinds of precautions, and avoiding mold would be a prudent addition to such measures.

 

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