MOLD: What's the big deal, anyhow?

 

 

During this windy spring season, mold can be major component in making allergies unbearable!  Alternating wet and warm days, combined with leftover yard waste (leaves, clippings, fallen branches, etc.) make for an ideal mold food source.  Still worse than their ability to spark allergic reactions and asthma attacks, molds can cause many other health concerns ranging from temporary discomfort to long term, life-threatening diseases.

So why is mold so harmful, anyhow? 

Molds can be separated into three categories:

• Opportunistic Pathogens (a parasitic organism that does not cause harm to it's host)
• Exclusive Saprotrophs (an organism that only consumes non-living organic matter)
• Aquatic Thermophiles (organisms that require warm temperatures to survive)
  

Molds differ from plants because they do not use photosynthesis to produce their food– mold must find a source of nourishment.  As it feeds on its host, mold works to break down whatever surface it is attached to.  For this reason, mold is beneficial to decaying processes, but when mold turns up in your house, it is important to address it immediately.  Though the mold growing on the grout in your bathroom may seem innocuous, its mere presence means that the only thing holding you tile in place is being slowly disintegrated!

Molds spread by tiny airborne spores, only need a tepid environment, moisture and a food source to germinate (which is why the average house is a perfect mold environment).  Some mold will produce toxins called mycotoxins in order to inhibit the growth of competitive organisms.  The problem with mycotoxins is that molds enjoy the same environments that people do, and because of this, the humans are exposed to more dangerous mycotoxins than they may realize.

It is nearly impossible to destroy mycotoxins– the digestive system cannot break them down and temperature treatments like heating them or freezing do not affect them.  This is why mycotoxins are one of the primary causes of food-borne illness.  Certain mycotoxins are considered to be the most potent carcinogens in existence.

 

 There are several ways in which mycotoxins affect the body:

• Hypersensitivity - (an allergic response to molds and spores)
• Mycotoxicosis - poisoning by food products contaminated by fungi
• Mycetismus - the ingestion of preformed toxin (i.e. toadstool poisoning)

• Infection (systemic) - (also known as Mycotoxicosis)

People with mycotoxicosis will have recently experienced at least 8 of the symptoms from this list):

• Headaches
• Anxiety/depression, heart palpitations - confusion, PTSD
• Extreme blood pressure, cholesterol, or triglycerides irregularities
• Ringing in ears, balance problems, dizziness
• Chronic fatigue
• Intermittent face flushing; almost always systemic (called the Mylar Flush)
• Numbness in face and limbs, intermittent twitching
• Night sweats and hot flashes (especially around the head)
• Multiple chemical sensitivity 
• Nose bleeds
• Bruising easily
• Respiratory distress, coughing, sneezing, sinusitis
• Difficulty swallowing, choking, spitting up (vomiting) mucous
• Fibromyalgia
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
• Burning in the throat and lungs (similar to acid reflux)
• Asthmatic signs; wheezing, shortness in breath, coughing, burning lungs, etc.
• Dirt-like taste in mouth, coated tongue
• Food allergies/leaky gut syndrome/altered immunity
• Memory loss; brain fog, slurred speech, sometimes leading to dementia
• Vision problems
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Large boils on neck (often a sign of anaphylaxis)
• Thyroid irregularities
• Rash or hives all over the skin (often systemic)
• Reproductive system; infertility, changes in menstrual cycles
• Sudden weight changes
• Hair loss
• Joint/muscle stiffness and pain
• Heart attack
• Seizures
• Inadvertent facial movements or extremity jerking
• Hypersensitivity when re-exposed to molds, which can lead to anaphylaxis
• Anaphylaxis upon re-exposure to mycotoxin producing molds

When in doubt as to what is mold and what is not, it’s always best to get the opinion of a professional mold remediation company.  If have a flooded area in your house that has been submerged for more than 24 hours or moldy area larger than two square feet, call a mold remediation company (it could be dangerous to clean this yourself in these two cases)!   

We at AJAX hope that this information has been helpful, and be sure to consult your physician should you feel as if you have any symptoms of mold exposure. Be safe, and stay healthy!

For more information visit www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.html