Dr Jackson Kung'u- Mold Specialist

Helping People Resolve Mold Problems

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Mold Allergy Symptoms

Allergies can be caused by one or possibly a combination of many different things including an array of triggers such as food, medicine, environmental factors and inhalants.  Allergies are among the most common chronic conditions worldwide.

Mold allergy symptoms vary from one person to another and range from mild to severe.  Mold spores and very fine hyphal fragments trigger allergic reactions in about 20% of the adult population. The reactions are due to protein and polysaccharide components of molds. The smaller the spores and the finer the hyphal fragments the easier it is for them to penetrate deep into the respiratory tract. In humans mold allergy symptoms are of two types, the immediate hay-fever or asthma Type I and the delayed farmer’s lung Type III. Type I allergy occurs only in allergic individuals and may be caused by many types of molds including plant pathogens. Alternaria and Cladosporium spp., are two of the common molds causing seasonal mold allergies of this type.

Mold allergy symptoms can include sneezing, nasal congestion and itchy or watery eyes. People who suffer from Asthma may experience wheezing and shortness of breath. Some people may experience mold allergy symptoms all year round while in some others symptoms would flare up only during certain seasons of the year depending on what triggers the allergy or the amount of allergens present in the environment. Mold allergy symptoms are significant when the weather is damp, and when indoor or outdoor spaces have high mold spore concentrations.

People who are sensitive to mold can experience mold allergy symptoms both indoors and outdoors. For example in summer and fall several types of molds thrive on dead leaves and release spores into the air. On inhaling these spores, individuals who are sensitive to mold spores are likely to experience allergic reactions.

Controlling mold allergy means controlling your exposure to mold. That isn’t always easy outdoors. But you can limit exposure inside your home by controlling mold growth, cleaning up existing mold growth, and to some extent preventing outdoor mold from infiltrating indoors.

Mold Spores: what are mold spores?

Several molds that grow both indoors and outdoors, produce spores. Mold spores have been likened to the seeds of a dandelion, but they are microscopic in size. Because of their size, mold spores cannot be seen with the human eye save with the aid of a microscope. Mold spores occur in various colors and shapes, such as round, spheroid, banana-shaped or tadpole-shaped. They can occur in enormous quantities depending on the type of mold producing them, and at all times of the year where the environmental conditions allow.

Mold spores are well known for their ability to cause sensitization and allergic responses.  Exposure to airborne mold remains the biggest concern when looking at molds and their affects on human health.  Mold spores and other fungal structures (e.g. hyphae) contain allergens. These allergens cause mold allergy to sensitive individuals and may also exacerbate asthma. Whether or not the spores are alive, the allergens in and on them may remain allergenic for years.

There is no definite seasonal pattern to mold spores in indoor indoor environments. Growth of mold indoors is determined by the presence/absence of moisture. However outdoor molds are seasonal, first appearing in early spring and thriving throughout summer until fall. Outdoor spore concentration also influences indoor spore concentration as outdoor spores generally infiltrates indoors.

Mold spores are much smaller than pollen grains and easily bypass the normal filtering function of the nose. Inhalation of mold spores into the lung is a common cause of asthma attacks in people who are allergic to molds.

 

Sources of mold spores

Mold spores come from soil and decaying vegetation, and are everywhere in nature. In houses with evaporative cooling and old carpets, mold can be a problem.  Growth of mold in houses increases after a plumbing, roof leak or chronic condensation. Many types of molds are found in soil and house dust.

Asthma and other Mold Related Illnesses

Question: Approximately 7-9 years ago, I worked in a building in which I may possibly have been exposed to mold and developed asthma. Prior to being in the building, I used to run up to 7 miles, almost every other day, almost religiously.

In reviewing my health records, it appears that prior to being in the building, I never had a breathing problem, or went to the doctor much. It seemed that after being in that building, the breathing problems persisted.

For my undergrad practicum, I was in the building beginning in Fall, around September. Then by end of year, when I finally went to the doctor, I was told I was suffering with breathing problems. The doctor diagnosed that I had asthma, which I could not believe. I had been running for over 20 years at that time, and could not believe that asthma came on just like that.

When I did my graduate practicum in the building, I was congested all the time. Later, when I started working in the building on June 9, 2003, by Friday, June 13, 2009, I was sick. I went to my doctor, and was again told by the doctor that I had asthma….

My story continues,…. But, to make it short, I have been to medical doctors, specialists, naturapathic doctors, etc., etc., etc., who continue to treat the symptoms, and have not been able to tell me the cause of my ailment.

I have submitted to two allergy tests: one early on, and the latest completed in December 2009, which showed I tested high for several types of mold, including Stachybotrys. I have been on sick leave, and decided to look on line to research the molds, other allergens I appear to be highly sensitive to, and came to your site.

On that note, too, when I was working in the building, I used to clean my work area. I kept some of the paper towels used to clean and dust, which were soiled with blackened dusts. My question is: can those towels be tested even though much time has passed, since I last worked in that building at end of 2003?

I just want to be cured, and to be able to run again.

Answer: Thank you for your email. I can feel for you having experienced something similar to what you have described. Fifteen years ago I had what doctors called bronchitis and others called Asthma. No doctor was able to tell me the cause of this problem. I was not sure whether the cause(s) of my asthma was from home or my place of work. At work, I was working as a plant pathologist and used to culture a lot of fungi (yeasts and molds).

Almost 15 years ago when I left my place of work and the house where I used to live, I have not had even a single attack. I still work with molds including Stachybotrys almost every day.

As for your question regarding testing of paper towels, I am not sure if that would be of any help. First, are those paper towels still there? Secondly, what would the towels be tested for? If mold, 7 years is a very long time!

Contact Information

Dr. Jackson Kung'u, PhD.
Phone: 905-290-9101
Fax: 905-290-0499