Mold growth in your home can be smelly, odorous, and unsightly. But, it can also be a sneaky and nefarious cause of both minor and major health issues. This type of fungus can grow both indoors and outdoors, and it’s estimated that there are more than 300,000 different types of mold on the planet!
While you may be unaware of just how dangerous it can be for mold to be in your home, we will now walk you through some of the serious ways that it can affect your health.
Respiratory Issues
Especially if you or someone in your home already suffers from respiratory problems, like asthma, mold growth can exacerbate these issues.
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIH), a common type of mold called Aspergillus fumigatus can be a direct cause of fungal asthma, creating an overproduction of mucus that obstructs a person’s airway. Over time, excessive exposure to an allergen like mold can cause a person to develop asthma.
The Cleveland Clinic reiterates this point by explaining that mold exposure can trigger or worsen asthma symptoms like shortness of breath, wheezing, dry cough, and chest tightness.
Allergies
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains that allergic reactions to mold are quite normal, though symptoms can range in severity from person to person depending on the immune health of each individual and how much mold they’ve been exposed to. Such reactions can be brought on when a person inhales or touches mold or mold spores.
In more minor cases, mold exposure can cause sneezing, a runny nose, red or irritated eyes, or skin rashes. In more severe instances, it can trigger asthmatic responses, like we described above.
Aspergillosis
Another serious issue caused by the mold type Aspergillus fumigatus is Aspergillosis. As described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is an infection found in people with lung disease or a weakened immune system who breathe in this specific type of fungus. In general, healthy people may not be impacted by breathing in Aspergillus, though those with compromised immunity may be at an increased risk.
Some complications caused by Aspergillosis include lung infections, allergic reactions, and infections in other organs.
Immune Deficiency
The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that severe health issues like immune deficiency and cancer can be caused if exposed to mycotoxins. These are produced naturally by certain types of molds that grow on foods before and after harvest, like dried fruits, nuts, spices, and grains. You can also be exposed to mycotoxins indirectly by drinking milk from an animal that has eaten contaminated feed.
Scientists have already identified a few hundred types of mycotoxins, though only a handful pose a serious threat to human and livestock well-being. In fact, the NIH notes that human studies have discovered a connection between aflatoxins, a type of mycotoxin, and a higher risk of liver cancer.
–
Written by Bailey Schramm in partnership with leading stethoscope distributors Stethoscope.com
