WebMD article: more downplaying of mold-are they paid off?

[Guest guest]

Have you noticed the new theme in all of these recent mold stories? It is

that mold is ONLY dangerous when digested, not inhaled. These guys are

slick. This is the theme that has been in the last three articles I have read.

Kelman in the first one. Redd in the second one. Now Bardana in the third

one. The problem is though, there is no evidence that says mold is most

dangerous when digested. The exact opposite is true. Current scientific

evidence

says the most effective route is inhalation. Dr. Kelman even says that under

oath in the Haynes case. We keep nailing them on there " scientific

theories " . They keep coming up with new ones to deny our illnesses. The

problem for

them is each theory is getting weaker and weaker.

Sharon

[Guest guest]

uhmmm,,, i touch things in my house and at work and don't wash my hands,,

who thinks about washing thier hands when doing simple things? and who

inadvertently touches thier face and licks thier lips? when we go to pick up a

sandwich per say whatever is on our hands gets transfered to our food.. don't we

digest that? I have been in the medical profession off and on since i was 17,,

I did pick up some very good hygene habits... do they not take this into

account?

[Guest guest]

Sick Of Mold? Maybe Not.

Sept. 30, 2005

(WebMD) Thousands of lawsuits have been filed in

recent years by people who say exposure to mold in

their homes or workplaces made them ill. Now a medical

review of 50 cases that ended up in court shows little

evidence to support the claims.

Researchers reported that in every case, other medical

causes could be identified to explain the illnesses

believed to be caused by the condition that has come

to be known as " toxic mold syndrome. "

They concluded that no credible medical evidence has

emerged to link mold exposure to the wide range of

serious medical conditions associated with toxic mold

syndrome.

" We know that mold can make people sick if they end up

in the foods they eat, " Oregon Health & Science

University professor of medicine Emil J. Bardana Jr.,

MD, tells WebMD. " But there is little evidence that

inhaled environmental mold exposure can cause the

serious illnesses that have been attributed to it. "

Hurricane Houses

As the Gulf Coast begins to recover from Hurricanes

Katrina and Rita, health concerns regarding mold

exposure have taken on a new urgency.

Hundreds of thousands of homes and other structures

submerged in floodwaters for days and even weeks are

now covered in mold that feeds on wood, wall board,

ceiling tiles, and other surfaces.

Because of the severity of water damage, many of these

structures will pose obvious dangers to health,

Bardana says.

" There is no comparison between a home that has

literally been underwater for extended periods and the

cases that we reviewed, " he says. " Mold is definitely

going to be a huge issue with these houses. "

10,000 Lawsuits

Bardana says the lawsuits began about a decade ago

following news reports of a cluster of illnesses among

babies living in Cleveland. The illnesses were

initially blamed on inhalation exposure to a black

fungus known as stachybotrys, which grows on damp,

indoor surfaces.

A few years later, a Texas jury awarded $32 million to

a family who's newly constructed mansion was

contaminated with the mold. In 2003, the Insurance

Information Institute estimated that 10,000

mold-related lawsuits were pending nationwide, and the

number was growing.

In their newly published study, Bardana and colleague

Barzin Khalili, MD, described the symptoms of people

who filed toxic mold syndrome-related lawsuits or

workers' compensation claims. The researchers also

identified unrecognized conditions that could explain

the symptoms being attributed to toxic mold syndrome.

The most common complaints were upper and lower airway

problems such as nasal congestion or shortness of

breath and cough, nonspecific body complaints, and

neurological problems, including dizziness, headaches,

memory loss, mood disorders, and insomnia.

Through allergy type tests the researchers found that

14% of pet owners with allergic symptoms were allergic

to their own pets. And 61% of those with a complaint

of cough were either smokers or former smokers.

" These people were more concerned about the

possibility of adverse health effects from mold

exposure than the known adverse health effects from

the thousands of chemicals inhaled every time a

cigarette is smoked, " Bardana and Khalili wrote.

They further noted that the environmental testing on

the sites considered by the patients to be the source

of their problems was often incomplete and did not

include other potential irritants that could have

caused allergies and other illnesses.

More Toxic Mold Study Needed

There is little argument that exposure to indoor molds

can worsen asthma and allergy symptoms in people who

are susceptible. But a government-sponsored committee

that examined the issue concluded last year that there

is no clear proof that mold causes these complexes of

symptoms.

The examination was conducted by The Institute of

Medicine, a private, nonprofit health policy advisory

group, under the sponsorship of the CDC.

" The committee found very few studies that have

examined whether mold or other factors associated with

indoor dampness are linked to fatigue,

neuropsychiatric disorders, or other health problems

that some people have attributed to fungal

infestations of buildings, " the report stated.

" The little evidence that is available does not

support an association, but because of the dearth of

well-constructed studies and reliable data, the

committee could not rule out the possibility. "

University of Tulsa biology professor Estelle Levetin,

PhD, agrees that more research is needed to clarify

the issue. Levetin is vice chairwoman of the American

Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology's

Aerobiology Committee.

She adds that the lawsuits have gotten ahead of the

research.

" They are not based on solid science, " she says.

" There is no hard evidence that proves (mold-related)

toxins can cause these health conditions through

inhalation. Living in a damp, moldy house can

certainly have a negative effect on health, but we

can't attribute this to toxins. "

SOURCES: Khalili, B. ls of Allergy, Asthma, &

Immunology, September 2005; vol 95: pp 239-246. Emil

J. Bardana, Jr., MD, Oregon Health & Science

University, Portland. Abba I. Terr, MD, University of

California, San Francisco. Estelle Levetin, PhD,

professor of biology, University of Tulsa; vice

chairwoman, American College of Asthma, Allergy, &

Immunology committee on aerobiology. Indoor Mold

Report, Institute of Medicine, May 25, 2004.

By Salynn Boyles

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

© 2005, WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

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