Symptoms of Toxic Mold

The term "mold" refers to all species of the fungi kingdom, which grow in the form of multicellular filaments or hyphae. Fungi can grow in any place, where oxygen, moisture and organic matter are present. Thus, molds are ubiquitous (present anywhere) in nature. One more advantage of mold is the huge production of simple and lightweight spores, which can be either sexual or asexual spores. Spores of mold are so minute and light that these can be easily dispersed with the help of air. Hence, they form a common component for atmospheric and household dust. Heavy exposure to fungal spores can cause skin allergies and respiratory problems to many people.

Toxic Mold

Toxic molds are those type of mold that produces mycotoxins (meaning toxins produced by fungi). It is to be noted that not all molds are toxic. Some of the mold species that are harmful to human health are Aspergillus, Fusarium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium and Stachybotrys. Among these, black mold or Stachybotrys is extremely hazardous. The severity of mycotoxins varies depending upon the environmental conditions such as oxygen, moisture and temperature. Many of the species of mold produces severe toxins at specific growing conditions. The mycotoxins can cause serious problems to plants, animals and humans. Sometimes, the condition becomes very worse that it can be lethal to animals and humans.

Symptoms of Toxic Mold

There are basically three ways of getting exposed to toxic mold or mycotoxins. They are dermal-contact, inhalation and ingestion. The symptoms of toxic mold vary according to severity of the mycotoxins produced and the immunity of the person. Small children, senior citizens, people with low immune system and those, who have a family history of allergy, are more prone to toxic mold. Toxic mold has become an epidemic in some of the major regions of the world. The most common symptoms of a toxic mold are allergies and respiratory problems. Following is a list of symptoms of toxic mold, which are caused due to constant exposure.

• Skin rashes
• Abdominal pain
• Body aches and pains
• Hearing loss
• Dry cough and sore throat
• Memory loss
• Headache
• Fever
• Asthma
• Blurred vision
• Red and watery eyes
• Nose bleeding
• Sinus and nasal congestion
• Wheezing and other breathing problems
• Immune system suppression
• Diarrhea
• Hair loss
• Chronic fatigue

One of the serious problems with reference to mycotoxins is that they affect the nerve’s myelin (a phospholipid layer that covers only the axons of neurons) of the human body, leading to demyelination. This disturbs the signals between the brain and other parts of the body, resulting in a number of varied symptoms. Some of the effects of demyelination are neurological diseases, immune system problems, respiratory diseases and gastrointestinal diseases.

Toxic Mold Growing Areas

Dormant spores of mold could be present on any surface of a building. When there is appropriate nutrient, moisture and temperature conditions, these dormant spores will germinate, resulting in the growth of mold. In fact, molds prefer areas that are cool, moist and dark. The areas where toxic mold are prevalent include buildings that have been flooded before, leaked roofs and moist building surfaces, bathrooms with poor ventilation, etc.

If there is a presence of mold in any part of the house or workplace, it should be controlled immediately. There are professional pest control services, from whom you can take help. A simple way to prevent growth of toxic mold in and around your house is to ensure the environment inside is not moist, damp and wet. Removal of mold and regular cleaning with prescribed fungicide is the most effective way to avoid constant exposure to toxic mold.