Guest guest Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Get a copy of the book Mold Warriors at moldwarrior.com ~Haley toangiem <twoangie@...> wrote: (Note: I copied over parts of my mold report in this post so it's pretty long. If you're familiar with this stuff then you may just want to skim over it.) Hi everyone, Thanks for your responses - and for also letting me know that my instincts toward anti-fungal treatment were in the right direction. I actually live on the far south side of Charlotte so the SC doctor, Dr. Lieberman, seems to be the best choice. I made an appointment with him but it will not be until August since I need to save up money and he is out of pocket. Sooo, until such time as I can get in to see him, what should I be doing to help myself? I hired a man to test the place for mold before I moved out in December. I would never recommend his services to anyone because he did a poor job, did not record areas he found mold (which, before I even hired him, he had promised me he would record in my report for court on impaired hability case against my landlord. The mold guy left out this information which killed my case.), failed to report the condition of the furnace (filled with thick clumps of cat hair and dirt and God knows what else), failed to record what the swab of the furnace vents contained, failed to obtain mold samples from around the bathtub, did not qualify his report for spore counts being lower in December than in the summer - he used the same scale year round to determine effects on health. This house was a nightmare and the landlord was a slumlord. Can you tell? So, according to this slack report generated in December, my risk level was moderate (the count would have been much higher in summer but, again, he measured according to the same scale so risk was downplayed) and he wrote this later in the report " The type and quantity of mold spore count found within the air and upon surfaces of the apartment does not indicate a health threat. " I had messed up and told him that one of the children on the other side of the duplex had lived there his whole life and had asthma. I had mentioned this to other mold inspectors that I had tried to hire to come out and inspect the place and once I had done that, they had all backed away. I sensed a changed in him as well when I slipped up and mentioned this and I highly suspect that is why he downplayed my report, left out information and decided to state I was at no risk when the descriptions of the molds seem to indicate otherwise - as well as some notes (disclaimers?) that it appears he was required to include but then tried to dismiss with his own statements. He was limited to only going in my apartment and could not access the attic or crawlspace because my landlord blocked them off since I had reported him to the city. This is his scale below and he rated me Moderate: 0 - 50 Good 51 - 100 Moderate 101 - 150 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 151 - 200 Unhealthy 201 - 300 Very Unhealthy 301 - 500 Hazardous The molds that he found that he actually reported on were: Fusarium spp. A common soil fungus and inhabitant on a wide array of plants, this fungi is often found in humidifiers and has been isolated from water- damaged carpets and a variety of other building materials. Human exposure may occur through ingestion of contaminated grains and possibly through the inhalation of spores. Fusarium spp. are frequently involved with eye, skin, and nail infections. More severely it can produce hemorrhagic syndrome (alimentary toxic aleukia) in humans which is characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dermatitis, and extensive internal bleeding. Several species can produce the trichothecene toxins which target the circulatory, alimentary, skin, and nervous systems. Vomitoxin is one such tricothecene mycotoxin that has been associated with outbreaks of acute gastrointestinal illness in humans. Zearalenone is another mycotoxin produced by Fusarium. It is similar in structure to the female sex hormone estrogen and targets the reproductive organs. Alternaria (Hyphomycetes) A common saprobe found on decaying wood, decaying plants, food, soil, and outdoor air. Some species are plant pathogens. Indoors, it can be found in house dust, carpet, damp areas around showers and window frames, and anywhere condensation occurs. Because of its abundance and ubiquity, Alternaria is one of the most important fungal allergens and is recognized as the chief fungal cause of hay fever. Infection is extremely rare. Mycotoxins During the digestion of substrates, fungi secrete enzymes into nutrients in order to break down complex compounds into simpler compounds that can be taken up by the fungi and used as nutrition. These digested nutrients produce secondary metabolic byproducts called mycotoxins that are released to give the fungi a competitive edge over other microorganisms and fungi. Unfortunately, mycotoxins can also be incredibly toxic to humans causing a variety of responses including cold/flu-like symptoms, sore throats, headaches, nose bleeds, fatigue, diarrhea, dermatitis, and immune suppression. Some mycotoxins may also be carcinogenic and teratogenic. Molds that have been known to potentially produce these toxins are Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys. Even though these molds may potentially produce mycotoxins, they will not do so unless specific environmental conditions exist. Currently, it is unknown exactly what conditions promote the growth of mycotoxin production and more scientific research needs to be conducted on this topic for it to be fully understood. (The note below could have been helpful but...he discounted it in the paragraph I have recorded below it.) Note: There are no federal or governmental agencies that provide limits or " safe levels " for mold exposure. This is due to the fact that all individuals have different immune systems that can tolerate exposure to molds and other allergens are different. People that are continuously exposed to fungi through both inhalation and ingestion with no apparent ill effects. People that are listed as high risk are infants/children, elderly, individuals that have immune compromised health problems such as asthma, AIDS, Hepatitis, Cancer therapy or who take immune suppressive medications. Different mold species can have varying health effects, but it is important to remember that any excessive mold growth needs to be taken care of, regardless of the species. Any excessive mold growth can lead to increased allergies, toxicity, and house/building structural problems. Other molds may have been present in minor counts that are not mentioned here. Further investigation of the crawlspace will be required to determine the cause of mold growth and the steps to remediate the mold. With the testing performed and the extent of access available at the time of inspection no clear conclusions could be obtained to determine the habitability of this apartment. The type and quantity of mold spore count found within the air and upon surfaces of the apartment does not indicate a health threat. So, there it is. He says it was not a health treat but my lungs burn and are scratchy and they were not before I lived in this apartment. I feel good that I have an apt with a knowledgeable doctor but it is not until August and he is out of pocket. So, until such time as I can go there, what tests should I try to get from other doctors covered by my insurance? Also, what can I be doing to improve the health of my lungs until I receive medical care? THANKS! Angie > dr. lieberman is in the charleston area--north charleston in particular and dr. paul cheney is in asheville. > > toangiem <twoangie@...> wrote: Hi everyone, I just joined and I'm hoping someone here may be able > to help me. I was exposed to mold in a house I lived in for a year > and a half. My lungs have been burning since back in the fall and I > moved out of the place in December. I first noticed the burning > when the weather started to turn cold because it hurt to breathe in > when I went on walks. I don't cough but I almost feel like I'm on > the verge of it but it would be such a dry cough it would not > relieve anything. Hmmm, honestly, it's almost like a burning/itchy > feel. > > I kept thinking this would clear up when the weather warmed up but > it hasn't. I also had a reallllly bad rash on my back that I saw > the dermatologist for before I moved from the moldy house. She gave > me an antibiotic prescription and another prescription for some sort > of cream or lotion for acne. I bought that but never opened it. I > know antibiotics are the worst thing to combine with anything fungal > and I wanted to wait and see if it would clear up after I moved. > Sure enough, it took a few months but my back is now clear. Funny > how the doctor couldn't make the connection even though I told her > the place was moldy. I kept hoping I would have the same luck with > my lungs and they would feel better but that problem hasn't cleared > and my lungs still burn. > > Since I have been exposed to mold, I'm thinking that the best > treatment for me may be a systemic antifungal but I doubt that is a > treatment many doctors offer. My guess is that most would be more > inclined to treat symptoms than to go after the cause. Of course, > I'm not certain since this is a new thing for me so I want to find a > knowledgable doctor to help me and, hopefully, clear up whatever is > going on with my lungs before it turns into something really bad and > permanent...if it's not already. This is out of the area of > expertise for all of my other doctors. Does anyone have any > suggestions on a good doctor? I'm willing to drive for a good one. > > Thanks, > > Angie > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Get the free toolbar and rest assured with the added security of spyware protection. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 his scale sounds right, problem is that air testing amounts can vary daily like the weather. fusarium and alternaria are not ones to take lightly they can both produce mycotoxins. In , " toangiem " <twoangie@...> wrote: > > (Note: I copied over parts of my mold report in this post so it's > pretty long. If you're familiar with this stuff then you may just > want to skim over it.) > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2007 Report Share Posted May 18, 2007 Haley and Who, Thanks for your responses. I looked up the " Mold Warriors " book. It looks like it may be helpful and I will order it. As for the scale...it's right if this was the level from a test done in the summer, when the spore count is highest. However, from what I've read, spore counts change significantly from warm weather to cold weather. It makes no sense for his scale not to adjust by the season. I could tell just by the smell that the mold was lower at that time than it was when it was hot. Plus, I also, like an idiot, cleaned and vaccumed before he arrived. God knows how many spores my vaccum sucked away! So, if you ever get anyone on here who is planning to have a mold inspector out, tell them not to clean in advance! > > > > (Note: I copied over parts of my mold report in this post so it's > > pretty long. If you're familiar with this stuff then you may just > > want to skim over it.) > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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