Besides causing structural damage to your home, molds can also adversely affect your health. You can be exposed to mold by touching moldy materials, eating infected foods, and breathing in microscopic mold spores in the air. You can inhale millions of spores within a couple of minutes without even knowing it. Mold allergy symptoms may include skin rash, runny nose, irritated eyes, cough, congestion, and aggravation of asthma.
According to a 2005 study, exposure to mold in damp homes can double the risk of asthma development in children. A 1999 Mayo Clinic study found that allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) was diagnosed in 93% of cases of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a condition that affects an estimated 37 million Americans.
Most health problems caused by molds are related to allergic reactions. Nevertheless, molds can also infect your body, colonize and grow in asthmatic mucus within your lungs. the result is a serious lung disease similar to pneumonia. People with chronic lung diseases and weakened immune systems are more prone to fungal pulmonary infections.
Which kinds of mold are allergenic?
Not all molds are allergenic. Just like pollen, certain mold spores are allergenic because they are small enough to float in the air and elude the defense mechanisms of your respiratory system. The most common allergenic, indoor molds include Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys.
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