WebMD Adverse Health Effects from Mold

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WebMD Feature Reviewed By _Louise Chang, MD_

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Adverse Health Effects

Of the few types of mold that do cause human disease, reactions vary. Most

people with mold sensitivities react with mild symptoms similar to those

produced by other allergens, like a runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes, sore

throat,

and sneezing. In rare instances, particularly among people with compromised

immune systems, mold can produce much more severe reactions: It can colonize

in lung cavities; produce toxic reactions that can be harmful to the central

nervous system (this symptom is most likely to result from indoor molds);

result in hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a syndrome characterized by

inflammation

of the lungs; or directly invade the body, causing blood and lung

infections, explains .

Asthma Aggravator

For some people with asthma, mold may trigger asthma attacks or exacerbate

existing symptoms. While scientists have yet to quantify the effects of mold

spores on asthma severity, findings published in a November 2000 issue of the

journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine reported that rates of

hospital admissions for asthma increased on days when mold spore counts were

high.

According to the AAAAI, mold spore concentrations above 50,000 spores per

cubic meter are considered unacceptably high.

Underdiagnosed in Children

Some experts believe that the medical community underestimates the role of

_allergies_

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allergies in middle ear infections, a common childhood health

problem. " In an estimated 30% to 40% of children who require ear tubes,

allergies

are to blame, " says allergist Derebery, MD. She explains that, too

often, doctors prescribe multiple courses of antibiotics, to no avail, while

overlooking the possibility that allergies such as mold may be to blame.

An Obstinate Allergen

Mold's stubborn nature makes it particularly challenging for those

susceptible to its allergy-inducing symptoms. " It doesn't take much more than a

day or

two for molds to come back up, " says Rosenstreich. And, he adds, " It's

pretty hard to wipe out mold. "

As mold lingers, so too can its effects. A study of airborne mold taken in

New Orleans two months after Hurricane Katrina revealed dangerously high

levels. According to the investigators conducting the study, the spore

concentrations were high enough -- 81,000 spores per cubic meter at some sites

-- to

trigger severe allergic or asthmatic reactions in people with sensitivities to

mold.

That's bad news for countless residents of New Orleans and other areas of the

country experiencing wet and humid conditions. Because clearly,

sensitivities to mold and other allergens are on the rise. " There's an allergy

epidemic

throughout the developed world, " Rosenstreich says.

____________________________________

Published Oct. 2, 2006.

SOURCES: S. , MD, head of Clinical Allergy and Immunology

Services, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Derebery, MD, allergist;

past president, American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

Rosenstreich, MD, allergist, New York's Montefiore Medical Center, American

Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology web site. Newson R. Occupational and

Environmental Medicine, November 2000; vol 57: pp 786-92. Natural Resources

Defense

Council, 2006: " Contaminants in New Orleans sediment: an analysis of EPA

data. "

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