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They are neither plants nor animals. They are microscopic fungi, related to mushrooms, yeast, and mildew-and they can be found everywhere. Fungi use enzymes to digest food and reproductive cells called spores to reproduce. Molds play an important role in the decomposition of leaves, wood, and other dead plant matter. It puts the “blue” in bleu cheese, and is the original source of penicillin, one of the earliest and most widely used naturally-occurring antibiotics. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most common allergens on the planet

It need moisture to grow and can grow on wood, ceilings, wallpaper, paint, carpet, sheet rock, and insulation, and spores use their powerful enzymes to dissolve home materials in the same way that they dissolve decaying plant matter. An environment with high humidity (high levels of moisture in the air) sets the stage for extreme growth and thereby poses a risk to your health. Kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements, and crawlspaces are notorious for mold growth. If any part of your home has experienced water damage, then you’ll certainly find it there. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one-third to one-half of all U.S. buildings have areas damp enough for mold growth.

Mold growth can not only lead to structural damage to your home (like sagging floors), but it can also adversely affect your health. You can be exposed to it by touching moldy materials, eating moldy foods, and breathing in microscopic spores in the air. You can inhale over a half million spores per minute without even knowing it. Allergy symptoms may include skin rash, runny nose, irritated eyes, cough, congestion, and aggravation of asthma.

A 1999 Mayo Clinic study found that allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) was diagnosed in 93% of cases of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a condition that affects an estimated 37 million Americans. According to a 2005 study, exposure to mold in damp homes can double the risk of asthma development in children.
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Most health problems caused by molds are related to allergic reactions; however, spores can also invade the body as agents of infection. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is a serious lung disease similar to pneumonia in which mold colonizes and grows in asthmatic mucus within the lungs. People with chronic lung diseases and compromised immune systems are more prone to fungal pulmonary infections.

As with pollen, certain spores are allergenic because they are small enough to float in the air and evade the protective mechanisms of the respiratory system. The most common allergenic, indoor molds include Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, and Stachybotrys.

First of all, “toxic mold” is a bit of a misnomer. It is itself not toxic; however, some produce poisons called mycotoxins, which can cause fatigue, nausea, headaches, eye irritation, and respiratory problems. Stachybotrys mold, also known as black mold, has been known to cause fatal lung bleeding in infants when combined with environmental cigarette smoke.

Toxigenic molds present the all same health problems as othes, including allergy symptoms in sensitive individuals. Additionally, in some cases, highly toxigenic ones like Stachybotrys and Chaetomium have been blamed for fatigue, nausea, headaches, pulmonary hemorrhage, chronic bronchitis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, cancer, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, learning disabilities, memory loss, and death.

Since they can cause neurological damage, mycotoxins are also neurotoxins, and they have allegedly been used as biological weapons. Some people believe that biological warfare involving mycotoxins contributed to the Gulf War Syndrome, the unexplained illness that affected many soldiers who fought in the Gulf War. Severe mycotoxicosis (mycotoxin poisoning) results in total exhaustion, weakness, loss of muscular coordination, shock, and death.

Like any mold, toxigenic molds thrive in warm, damp conditions. Houses that have been flooded represent the perfect environment for toxic mold growth.

If you see small, white, thread-like growths or clusters of small, black dots on the walls of your bathroom or basement, or if you smell a musty odor, then you most likely have a mold problem. Some mold, however, is hidden and cannot be detected by our senses.
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Symptoms of the allergy include runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing, fatigue, headache, congestion, sniffling, sore throat, itch eyes, and watery eyes. In children, an allergy typically leads to recurrent respiratory infections.

If you’re allergic to mold, the best method of treatment is to avoid contact. Wear an allergy relief mask when working outdoors, and take measures to control growth inside your home. You can also talk to your allergist about pharmaceutical and immunotherapy treatment options.

In practical terms, you cannot get rid of every single spore, but with environmental control, you can get rid of your allergy symptoms.

Repair any leaks or problems leading to water build-up in your home immediately, and remove all materials that have been damaged by water (this includes wood, wall paper, carpet, etc.). Keep exterior surfaces of your home properly sealed, and avoid piling wood or leaves near your home, as they collect moisture. Scour sinks and tubs at least once a month, and wash out garbage receptacles frequently. Getting rid of indoor plants can also reduce the number of spores in the air.

Make sure your home is adequately ventilated. Hidden mold often grows inside HVAC systems. An allergy relief vent filter will trap it before it reaches you.

A HEPA air purifier will remove a minimum of 99.97% of all spores in your home, and a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner will suck up microscopic spores deep in your carpet so that you can dispose of them.

Monitor the humidity in your home with a hygrometer, or humidity gauge. Keep your home’s humidity between 40 and 50 percent. Most importantly, use a dehumidifier to remove excess moisture from the air and control humidity.

Polyurethane and rubber foams, commonly used in bedding materials, are especially prone to fungus invasion. If you have polyurethane or rubber foam bedding, consider purchasing allergy relief bedding, which is specifically designed to block out allergens.

Use diluted bleach or the versatile, odorless M-1 House Wash or Vital Oxide to clean up visible mold growth, and use M-1 Sure Cote as a sealant to prevent future mold growth.

The act of cleaning it can increase the airborne spore level by ten-thousand times, which can result in severe illness and actually spread growth if done improperly. Such high levels of airborne spores warrant protective clothing, including gloves, goggles, and a respirator. If you suspect you have toxic mold in your home, then you should consider hiring a professional mold remediation expert to clean it up and safely dispose of it.

Similar to the pollen count, this tells us the number of spores counted in a standard volume of air over a 24-hour period at a given time and place. If you’re allergic, stay indoors as much as possible when the count is high and use a special cleaner to control it in your home.