The mold scare: Medical facts versus dubious myths

[Guest guest]

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2002/07/29/editorial3.html

July 26, 2002

Guest Commentary

The mold scare: Medical facts versus dubious myths

Gailen D. Marshall Jr

What do the following things have in common: Wine, penicillin, cheese, beer

and mushrooms?

Can't guess? Here's a big hint: It's also the latest dubious health scare,

costing Texas consumers millions of dollars in higher insurance premiums and

needless home " health " testing, and it's being used as a get-rich-quick

scheme for some personal injury lawyers.

Ah, now you know -- it's called mold.

So how did this very common type of fungus, present in all sorts of good

things we use on a daily basis and ever-present in our environment, grow

into the major consumer crises that it has become today? The answer may

surprise you.

As a board certified allergist-immunologist, I have taught, done research

and seen patients with a variety of immune-based medical conditions for the

past 14 years.

In the last several years, my clinical office has become increasingly

populated by very frightened, sometimes angry individuals. They believe, or

have been told, that they have " toxic mold disease. " But do they really?

Let's examine some facts about mold. There are many different kinds -- at

least 10,000 common types. Mold is everywhere, because it simply requires a

source of water, sugar and oxygen along with a friendly surface to thrive

and grow.

In places where lots of water is actually in the air itself (i.e.

high-humidity environments like Texas), mold easily finds comfortable growth

sites and is especially prosperous.

Molds are not new -- they have always been around us and always will be. It

is not possible to " get rid of mold, " nor would we even want to.

Is mold harmful to people? Can molds cause memory loss, fatigue, or brain

damage? For most people, the answer is a resounding, and hopefully

reassuring, " No! "

The world is filled with mold spores -- we breath it in our air, we eat it

in our foods, and we drink it in our water every day with no ill effects.

Some people do develop allergies and experience symptoms of asthma or hay

fever when exposed to certain mold spores. There are also a few mold-related

diseases that can be serious, but these are extremely rare.

But what about the " experts " who claim to diagnose all sorts of mold related

illnesses such as memory loss or learning disabilities? There is absolutely

no proof to support these claims.

And what about the dreaded " toxic mold? " The term itself seems to have been

manufactured to arouse panic and fear among otherwise normal people. Some

molds do produce " mycotoxins, " but these are mostly of concern in the

agriculture and food industries.

Still, even though health risks may be vastly exaggerated, most people would

rather not have excess, visible mold in their homes. If there is a lot of

mold, it looks bad and has an unpleasant odor.

Mold removal, however, is relatively simple to accomplish. If you have mold,

you have excess moisture and this source needs to be eliminated, whether it

is a roof leak, a shower leak, condensation, or from some other source.

Often, the mold can simply be cleaned off, and will not return if the

moisture is removed.

Should you pay for a " mold test? " No. The nation's most reputable experts,

including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the reigning mold expert

from Harvard's School of Public Health, do not support most home mold

testing.

Remember, in a place with high humidity like the entire Gulf Coast, you will

find at least some mold in virtually 100 percent of homes more than a couple

of years old. If you see or smell mold in your home, clean it up and stop

the source of water. It's that simple.

Should you find someone to blame? The mere presence of mold in a home or

office does not automatically mean that someone has done something wrong.

Unfortunately, our society today seems to be about everyone suing everyone

else for things that used to be considered part of life.

Should you panic? To me, this is the most important issue of all. You need

to react to mold based on the facts, not on the hysteria and hype you may

have recently heard or read.

The mold scare is already having a demonstrable and troubling effect on the

Texas economy and on individual lives. Texas insurance rates are already

more than double the national average and are continuing to rise based in

large part on mold-related claims.

Many people can no longer afford homeowner's insurance, assuming they can

even get coverage in the first place. Home sales are not going through

because of mold concerns.

At the same time, home sellers, lenders, Realtors, title companies and a

host of other industries are being damaged, which will begin to show up as

real job losses for real Texans.

Moreover, individuals and families are being moved out of their homes by

testers and remediators and having their lives disrupted -- most for no

legitimate reason whatsoever.

If you think the major concern is really about your health, ask yourself

this question: Do the apartments and hotels into which these people are

being relocated have higher or lower mold content than the homes from which

they have been removed for weeks or months while expensive renovations are

completed?

Or how about the outside air that we are exposed to every day -- are the

same molds inside the home found in the air outside?

The bottom line is this: If you are ill, see a physician. If he or she

thinks you may have mold allergies, ask to be tested by a reputable

specialist who has the credentials to provide calm, reliable medical

information -- then follow your doctor's direction for treatment.

Check the physician's credentials to determine their expertise claim in the

diagnosis and management of mold-related allergic diseases.

Don't be afraid to discuss with your doctor why he or she thinks mold is

causing your problems. If you see or smell mold in your home, simply clean

it up and plug the water leak. If you need an expert to help, find a

reputable person or company trained in moisture issue management to find and

fix the water source.

And, perhaps most importantly of all, if someone comes to you to try and

assess blame for the mold " exposure, " ask yourself whether you want the

aggravation, expense and frustration associated with trying to get

compensated for the everyday risks associated with living on our planet.

Is the stress, anxiety and guilty conscience really worth it? You be the

judge.

Gailen D. Marshall Jr. is director of the Allergy & Clinical Immunology

Division at The University of Texas Medical School-Houston.