Toxic
Mould Allergy
Airborne
allergy due to mould spores and mould airborne particles as potential
allergens.
Mould
Mould (mould) is a fungus
that produces a superficial growth on various damps or decaying matter. It
comes from a microscopic fungi microorganism in either air, water or
insect-borne spore form. It acquires food from the substance on which it
developed itself such as book material (if its growth is on book).
While growing, moulds
produce acids such as citric, gluconic, and oxalic which can damage
paper, leather, cloth and other household properties. They are also
capable of producing stain causing color which are difficult to remove.
 Moulds
are found in virtually every environment and can be detected year round,
either indoor or outdoor. Mould growth outdoor is usually found in shady,
damp areas or places where leaves and other materials decompose. Indoor
mould growth, on the other hand, is common in elevated areas with high
indoor humidity levels such as basements, crawl spaces or showers.
Generally, moulds infest in dark areas with both moisture and nutrients.
They also like dusty or musty papers, cardboard, carpet, upholstered furniture
and bedding, damp wood, air-conditioner insulation, coils, and drain
pans, even in furnaces and automobiles, and drain pans under frost free
refrigerators.
There are several types of
moulds. Stachybotrys chartarum, deadly mould species, was reported already
of its toxicity even in the early 1920s. In general,
Alternaria and Cladosporium (Hormodendrum) are the moulds
most commonly found both indoors and outdoors throughout the United
States. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Helminthosporium, Epicoccum, Fusarium,
Mucor, Rhizopus, and Aureobasidium (Pullularia) are also
common. Know more about moulds (molds) at
Mould Species.
Toxic Mould Allergy and Disorders
Some people are sensitive
to moulds. The most common reaction to mould airborne allergens include
stuffy nose, red or irritated eyes, throat irritation and cough. However,
there are still several
mould symptoms aside from these. People with chronic allergic
reactions mostly encounter high fever and shortness of breath, or in some
cases, develop lung diseases. This is because mould airborne are very
tiny, enabling them to easily invade delicate mechanisms of the nose and
upper respiratory tract.
 Some
kinds of Aspergillus may cause several different illnesses, including both
infections and allergy. These fungi may lodge in the airways or a distant
part of the lungs and grow until they form a compact sphere known as a
fungal ball. In people with lung damage or other related serious
illnesses, this type of mould may invade the lungs or even the entire body
system of the victim.
Exposing yourself to toxic mould such as Aspergillus can also lead to
inflammatory asthma known as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. This condition is characterized by wheezing,
low-grade fever, and coughing up of brown-flecked masses or mucus plugs.
Immunotherapy or allergy shot would not be of any use to treat this kind
of illnesses. It can be diagnosed through skin testing, X-Rays, blood
testing and sputum for fungi examination.
SOURCES
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/mould/
http://allergies.about.com/cs/molds/a/aa071999.htm
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/allergens/mould.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/mould/moldfacts.htm
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/7945/8212.html
Toxic Mould Allergy Control |
