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Photograph of a mold culture dish with several genera/species collected in a home.Mold Related Illness Symptoms & Complaints

My House is Making Me Sick?

This Mold Related Illness Guide provides a broad index of reports of health complaints or symptoms, of Illnesses that are either caused, or aggravated by indoor mold exposure or alternatively, that were believed or suspected by individuals to have a role in their physical or mental health complaints.

Here we provide descriptions and lists of ypes of mold reactions & list of Health complaints in moldy homes, lists of health complaints related to moisture or dampness and reports of those allergens & allergy illnesses in the home, types, causes, prevention. Health complaints by people sending mold samples to our laboratory. Photos of several Different-Appearing Mold-related Skin Rashes on People Not Suffering from Tinea

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Broad classes of reactions to allergenic, pathogenic, or toxic mold, allergens, and other indoor gases or particles

Mold skin rash found on exposure to high levels of Stachybotrys chartarum © D Friedman at InspectApedia.com Four Categories of Mold-Related Illnesses, Symptoms, or Complaints

In understanding how exposure to mold might cause or contribute to illnesses it is useful to distinguish among the meanings of the words allergenic, pathogenic, and toxic effects that exposure to something might explain.

Readers should not rely just on this document for medical diagnosis and instead should consult with their physician or with a specialist such as a medical toxicologist

List of Mold Related Illnesses & Health Complaints

severe mold contamination indoors (C) Daniel FriedmanThis list of mold related illness symptoms and complaints is arranged alphabetically and begins just below.

This list is a combination specific, diagnosed medical illnesses and other anecdotally reported complaints associated with mold in buildings. Research to establish a firm chain of causation between mold and other indoor particles (or other substances) and these complaints in many cases has not been completed.

We capitalize names of known medical conditions. While the following list may be of assistance to some readers researching this topic, it should by no means be considered as scientifically authoritative nor complete.

Some complaints are listed here without any solid medical evidence regarding causation, if the complaints have been expressed to us by people investigating mold-related illness or building mold contamination. Such data should be considered for research purposes and not medically authoritative.

We are interested in adding to this list as well as providing succinct symptom lists associated with medically-diagnosed mold related illnesses. Suggestions and criticism are invited.

Also see MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE

Alphabetical Index to Symptoms of Mold Related Illnesses, Medical & Anecdotal

A  -  B  -  C  -  D  -  E  -  F  -  G  -  H  -  I  -  J  -  K  -  L  -  M  -  N  -  O  -  P  -  QR  -  S  -  T  -  U  -  V  -  WXYZ

Watch Out: this document is a mold-related symptom or complaint list, not a medical document.

This mold-illness-symptoms & complaints list does, however, collect both substantiated mold-related-illness complaints and a wide sampling of the nature and range of other complaints from people who believe or fear that mold or similar exposure has been a factor in their physical or mental health, a general reference for individuals or physicians interested in reading the nature and range of these complaints that may or may not actually be building or environment-related.

Can Mold Make You Sick?

We live in a sea of mold, and other stuff in the air we breathe, on cushions we sit on, clothes we wear, pools we swim-in, and so on. Most mold is not hurting anyone, and some of it makes us well when we're sick(Penicillium notatum, for example). Fear of mold (mycophobia) is unjustified and in our opinion, more a result of media hype, ENVIRO-SCARE, and gouging consumers.

A healthy person walking through a room of moldy air is not likely to die. On the other hand, there is a wealth of less rigorous empirical data matching occupant complaints with indoor mold and allergens.

Finally, for certain people, mold can be a serious problem if it's at high levels indoors. It's probably an overstatement by some authorities who assert that "... there are no proven links between mold and illness" - we refer readers to some of our lab's references for descriptions of illness-related molds, some of which are found in buildings.

See this separate

article MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE,

an Index to detailed articles aid in identifying illnesses that may be related to toxic or allergenic mold exposure. This is an atlas of mold related illness symptoms and complaints & of mold toxicity.

Readers needing a medical diagnosis of mold related illness should consult with their physician or with a specialist such as a medical toxicologist. If you need a specialist consult your family doctor and also

see MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE

Alphabetic Index to Common Mold-related Illness Symptoms & Complaints

A

Arsenic poisoning source in antique green wallpaper (C) Daniel Friedmn at InspectApedia.com

B

C

Coccioides soil fungus, U.S. CDC - see Valley Fever  @ Inspectapedia.com Valley fever, also called coccidioidomycosis

D

Skin rash on mold exposure © D Friedman at InspectApedia.com

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M


N

O

P

QR

S

Skin rash associated with mold sensitivity © D Friedman at InspectApedia.com

Browntail moth caterpillar (C) Daniel Friedman at InspectApedia.com

T

Trichothecene mycotoxin poisoning symptoms & medical research

Reader follow-up:

2016/11/12, Anna levis said:

The trichothecene mycotoxins produced by toxic black mold are neurotoxic. This means they can kill neurons in the brain and impair a person’s mental ability. They also cause nervous disorders such as tremors and can cause personality changes such as mood swings and irritability.

Symptoms of trichothecene mycotoxin poisoning:

This comment was posted originally at MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FRAMING & PLYWOOD

Thanks, Anna,

The phrase "black mold" is very misleading.

  1. First, not all "black molds" are toxic and that there are plenty of molds of other colors that are equally risky or health-hazards for people. See BLACK COSMETIC MOLD - not all black mold is harmful
  2. Second, of the millions+ genera/species of molds found on earth, or even just the few hundred commonly-found in buildings, there are many mold genera/species that are not black, may be light colored, even white or light green or gray and that as harmful or even a greater health risk that the most-popular "toxic black mold" of Stachybotrys chartarum.

    For example the very small and often pathogenic Aspergillus or Penicillium mold spores are very common in buildings and probably cause far more illnesses than S. chartarum. We report and we blame what's easy to see, not necessarily what's present and most harmful.

    S. chartarum is a comparatively large sticky spore that is not easily airborne, as much as 25 times larger than an Aspergillus or Penicillium mold spore. Aspergillus or Penicillium mold spores are easily airborne and can remain in the air for many hours, moving in a building more or less as would a gas riding on air currents.
  3. Third, Watch out: the symptoms you listed... that you quoted from a website, are absolutely not restricted to trichothecene mycotoxin poisoning and could be caused by any of a large number of conditions, hazardous exposures, or by other health problems. People suffering from the symptoms you listed should consult with their doctor promptly and in extreme cases should seek immediate emergency medical care.

Research on trichothecene mycotoxin poisoning

U

V

WXYZ

Watch Out: this MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS list is a complaint list, not a medical document. It has not been peer-reviewed by the medical profession, and this list is not in any medical sense authoritative, nor can any list of mold illness complaints or symptms be complete. Readers can not rely on this document for medical diagnosis and instead should consult with their physician or with a specialist such as a medical toxicologist.

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2020-08-10 - by (mod) -

Not sure, Micah, but clearly there's water damage and falling plaster; I see what looks like rusty debris from metal or wood - the photo lacks context.

On 2020-08-10 by Micah

What am I looking at? It's inside the walls of my bathroom

On 2020-06-29 - by (mod) -

Gina

You should take these questions to your doctor, someone who can examine and interview you in detail and with the proper expertise. On internet there are just too many opinions without diagnosis.

It's reasonable then, to ask your doctor about the plausible causes of your complaints and symptoms, including of course contaminants in the indoor environment.

On 2020-06-29 by Gina

My boyfriend and I have been living in an apartment that had a huge leak from the kitchen that extended to the living room carpet n thru bathroom wall. We are now seeing black discoloration under our skin, black ooze from our skin along with other issues.

We know mold us in our apt as it's in every window seal n overtaking one bedroom which we do not use. Of course other symptoms with dizziness n chills etc but is the discoloration probably due to over exposure of mold spores?

On 2020-06-23 by (mod) - moldy sippy cup hazards?

Jamie

That doesn't sound like a mold problem to me, but nobody can diagnose illnesses by a brief e-text; I'd say if the problem persists check with your doctor.

On 2020-06-23 by Jamie

I used a sipping cup yesterday that I haven't used in about 2 months. The last time it was used was for storing prepped scrambled eggs.

I used it for my iced coffee this time. I was having a hard time drinking out of the sipper spout, when I got a big release, a big sliver of fungus like hard substance came out! Ever since, I have a weird dry patch in the back of my throat. Is this something to be worried about?

On 2020-05-25 - by (mod) -

Sorry, Layla but no, not from your photo alone can one identify that the material is mold nor, if it is mold, what's the genera/species.

That looks to me like efflorescence and moisture leaks through a plaster wall.

The amount looks trivial - clean up using normal household cleaners; watch for signs of and investigate further if there are leaks into the wall.

On 2020-05-25 by Layla

Any idea what kind of mold?

On 2020-01-18 by (mod) - Can mold inter your body thru the skin?

No, Mitzi, in general mold, that is mold spores, cannot enter your body directly through your skin unless the skin is cut or similarly compromised.

However

- mold spores of SOME molds (not all molds are pathogenic or harmful to humans) can get into an open cut or sore on your body to possibly cause a fungal infection there.

- some mold spores can get into a sinus cavity through being inhaled through the nose to give a fungal sinus infection

- some small mold spores such as members of the Aspergillus or Penicillium mold families can be breathed into the lung and in immune-compromised people can lead to fungal infection there - such as Aspergillosis

- And finally, WHILE THE HEALTH RISK IS LOW For MOST PEOPLE (Boonen 2012) it might be possible for MYCOTOXINS in a few molds including MVOCs to be absorbed through the skin

- that's not spores entering the body but rather chemicals produced by some molds.

See

Boonen, Jente, Svetlana V. Malysheva, Lien Taevernier, José Diana Di Mavungu, Sarah De Saeger, and Bart De Spiegeleer. "Human skin penetration of selected model mycotoxins." Toxicology 301, no. 1-3 (2012): 21-32.
Abstract:

Dermal exposure data for mycotoxins are very scarce and fragmentary, despite their widespread skin contact and hazard toxicity. In this study, the transdermal kinetics of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), fumonisin B1 (FB1), citrinin (CIT), zearalenone (ZEA) and T-2 toxin (T-2) were quantitatively evaluated, using human skin in an in vitro Franz diffusion cell set-up.

All mycotoxins penetrated through the skin, except for FB1, which showed concentrations in the receptor fluid below the LoD, resulting in a Kp < 3.24 × 10−6 cm/h. ota showed the highest permeation (kp = 8.20 × 10−4 cm/h), followed by cit (kp = 4.67 × 10−4 cm/h). afb1 and zea showed lower permeability rates (kp = 2.11 and 2.33 × 10−4 cm/h, respectively).

t-2 was found to have the lowest permeability (kp = 6.07 × 10−5 cm/h). from literature-based mycotoxin-concentrations, dermal contact surface, exposure time and apparent kp's obtained in this study, the daily dermal exposure (dde) in two industrial and one residential scenario was estimated. dermal exposure to the dna-reactive genotoxic carcinogenic afb1 can lead to a health risk for agricultural workers which are exposed to a mycotoxin contaminated solution in a worst case situation.

for all the other investigated mycotoxins, no significant health risk is calculated after dermal contact in neither agricultural nor residential environments.


kemppainen, b. w., r. t. riley, and j. g. pace. "skin absorption as a route of exposure for aflatoxin and trichothecenes." journal of toxicology: toxin reviews 7, no. 2 (1988): 95-120.

senkpiel, k., d. sassenberg, r. keller, and h. ohgke. "content of mycotoxins in conidiospores from mould in buildings." mycotoxin research 16, no. 1 (2000): 88-93.>

On 2020-01-18 by Mitzi

Can mold inter your body thru the skin?


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