Can Living With Mold Affect Your Health

6/14/2018 (Permalink)

The topic on health hazards from mold exposure is a gray area. It is believed that living with high levels of mold can cause some minor and/or serious health affects. However, there is very little evidence to confirm all instances at this time. 

What most can agree on is living with mold should not be ignored. Not only due to the beliefs of the health risks accompanied but the affects it may cause to the value of your home. Any new buyer or renter will not want to walk into another person's mold issue. 

Mold comes in thousands of different strains but only a few of those produce toxins. The most well known being stachybotrys chartarum also known as "black mold". Did you know the term we hear often as "toxic black mold" is not actually a scientific term. It was created by news reporters that carried the term around to create the myth that "toxic black mold" is deadly which in reality that has not been proven. 

Now lets discuss what types of symptoms are reported due to mold exposure. People who spend time in these environments report respiratory issues such as shortness of breath, development of asthma, coughing, wheezing, eye irritation, nasal congestion and throat irritation. It is believed that those with weakened immune systems or a history of allergies or asthma are more prone to adverse reactions from mold. There are also some people that are more sensitive to particular strains of mold that can vary from person to person.  

The CDC suggested a link between mold and a medical condition called acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage (AIPH) or pulmonary hemosiderosis. Others state that mold causes more serious conditions as well like lung disease, upper respiratory infections or even cancer. These claims have yet to be proven with any substantial evidence. 

Although the research is limited on proving many of these claims it should still not keep someone from treating and removing any mold growth in their home. Hopefully future research can provide more insight so that federal laws can help regulate mold in homes.