People are affected by indoor mold to varying degrees. A long-term presence of indoor mold growth may eventually become unhealthy for
anyone. Certain groups of people may be more susceptible to mold growth and receive health problems at a faster rate than others. These include:
 Elderly
people Infants
and children Persons
with respiratory conditions such as allergies and asthma.The Environmental Protection Agency states that people with asthma
shouldavoid contact with or exposure to molds. Individuals with a weakened immune systemIf you feel your health or that of a loved is affected by indoor mold growth, consult a medical professional. An informative source for mold-related health concerns is State of the Science on Molds and Human Health by Dr. Stephen Redd of the Center for Disease Control. Some of his most revealing point are: http://www.cdc.gov/mold/pdfs/moldsci.pdf Molds have been associated with some cancers. Two mold-produced
toxins(aflatoxins and ochratoxin A) have been classified by the National
Toxicology Program
as human carcinogens (http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/). Chronic
ingestion of these
toxins from eating contaminated foods has been associated with
liver and kidneytumors in animals and people. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that airborne fungal
allergens were most
often associated with allergic diseases, such as allergic
rhinitis/conjunctivitis,allergic asthma, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Certain individuals with chronic respiratory disease (chronic
obstructive pulmonary
disease or asthma) may experience difficulty breathing when
exposed to mold. Also,
people with immune suppression or underlying lung disease are
more susceptibleto fungal infections. In a study of mold in school buildings begun in 1999, several
relationships wereobserved:- There were significant relationships between reports of
work-related respiratory
disease and visual assessment of water and mold-damage in two
studies.- There were significant relationships between endotoxin and
ultra-fine particles in
air and work-related respiratory symptoms.- There were significant relationships between indicators of mold in
chair and floordust and work-related respiratory symptoms. Many respiratory illnesses among workers may be attributed to mold
exposures. Uncommon illnesses that collectively can be called hypersensitivity
pneumonitis
are caused by chronic exposures to high concentrations of mold and are
almostexclusively limited to certain agricultural workers in particularly moldy
environments. Common illnesses caused by molds include allergic conditions such
as hay fever and asthma.Because molds can be harmful, CDC concurs with the general recommendations of agencies such as EPA and FEMA, which offer information on preventing and cleaning up mold growth in indoor environments. Linkages between indoor airborne exposures to molds and other health effects, such as bleeding from the lung, or memory loss, have not yet been scientifically substantiated. CDC and other organizations are taking steps to fill the gaps in our knowledge about linkages between exposure to mold and human health. |
