COMPLICATIONS OF MOLD ALLERGIES

Most allergic responses to mold involve hay fever-type symptoms that can make you miserable, but aren’t serious. However, certain allergic conditions caused by mold are more severe. These include:

• Mold-induced asthma. In people allergic to mold, breathing in spores can trigger an asthma flare-up. If you have a mold allergy and asthma, be sure you have an emergency plan in place in case of a severe asthma attack.
• Allergic fungal sinusitis. This results from an inflammatory reaction to fungus in the sinuses.
• Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. This reaction to fungus in the lungs can occur in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis.
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. This rare condition occurs when exposure to airborne particles such as mold spores cause the lungs to become inflamed. It may be triggered by exposure to allergy-causing dust at work.

Besides allergens, mold may pose other health risks to susceptible people. For example, mold may cause infections of the skin or mucus membranes. Generally, however, mold doesn’t cause systemic infections except for people with impaired immune systems, such as those who have HIV/AIDS or who are taking immuno-suppressant medication. Exposure to mold may also irritate eyes, skin, nose and throat in some people. Other possible mold reactions are the subject of ongoing research.

For more information, visit our website at Biowashing.com

A number of factors can make you more likely to develop a mold allergy, or worsen your existing mold allergy symptoms, including:

• Having a family history of allergies. If allergies and asthma run in your family, you’re more likely to develop a mold allergy.
• Working in an occupation that exposes you to mold.Occupations where mold exposure may be high include farming, dairy work, logging, baking, millwork, carpentry, greenhouse work, winemaking and furniture repair.
• Living in a house with high humidity. If your indoor humidity is higher than 60 percent, you may have increased exposure to mold in your home. Mold can grow virtually anywhere if the conditions are right — in basements, behind walls in framing, on soap-coated grout and other damp surfaces, in carpet pads, and in the carpet itself. Exposure to high levels of household mold may trigger mold allergy symptoms.
• Working or living in a building that’s been exposed to excess moisture. Examples include leaky pipes, water seepage during rainstorms and flood damage. At some point, nearly every building has some kind of excessive moisture. This moisture can allow mold to flourish.
• Living in a house with poor ventilation. Tight window and door seals may trap moisture indoors and prevent proper ventilation, creating ideal conditions for mold growth. Damp areas, such as bathrooms, kitchens and basements, are most vulnerable.

MUSTY ODORS VS. MOLD

Musty odors are caused by volatile organic compounds. While mold is a common source for these compounds, they can come from other sources. If there is no water anywhere in the basement, then musty odors are probably not caused by mold. If there is water, mold probably plays a role, but may not be the entire problem.

First, let’s talk about mold. Actively growing mold produces a wide range of volatile compounds, some of which can impart a musty odor. Many of these compounds can be detected by the human nose at very low concentrations. The mold colonies do not have to be sporulating to release these compounds, so that nearly invisible mold can be the source. When I see carpeting on a basement floor, I usually assume that it is the source for any musty odors that might be present, even if the carpeting looks new and dry and clean. Removal of the carpeting usually ends the odor problem. Mold does occur behind paneling if the wall is damp, and drying the wall is the only solution. Such drying may or may not involve removing the paneling. In both of these cases, airborne spore concentrations can be very low. This is an indication either that the mold producing the odors is not sporulating, or that any spores that are produced are trapped and not entering the air.

Wet concrete has an odor that could be interpreted as musty. While mold can grow on the surface of concrete, it isn’t always present, and just the dampness may be producing odors. Standing water usually doesn’t result in mold growth, but bacteria may grow and produce volatiles with “musty” odors.

Dehumidification is one means for controlling both mold and the damp concrete odors discussed above. I use a dehumidifier that keeps my entire 1000+ square foot basement odor free, and that drains directly into my stationary washtub. It could also drain into a floor drain. Otherwise, the reservoirs of dehumidifiers have to be emptied regularly, and if they are not, they could become odor sources in themselves.

Finally, some dry environments have a musty odor. One cause of this odor that I call the “Antique Shop Odor” is degradation of paper products and very old wood. Old waxes and polishes could also contribute. I am not aware of publications that discuss the specific compounds that cause these odors. I do know that some people find them objectionable and, for that reason, don’t visit antique shops or even museums with antique collections.

For more info click this link:  Biowashing.com