Symptoms of Toxic Black Mold Poisoning
Mold spores and toxins can drift into family living spaces, settle on food and skin, invade the body and cause serious health problems. Black mold toxicity is often mistaken for allergies or symptoms of cold or flu. Here are the symptoms of toxic black mold poisoning.
About Black Mold (Stachybotrys chartarum)
Black mold is a fungus. Like all types of fungus, mold is a living organism, feeding on natural substances such as wood, drywall, or fabric. Black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum), also known as toxic black mold or toxic mold, is the most notorious species of home-invading mold.
Black mold lurks between walls, inside wooden window sills, under carpets, and in damp, dark basements. Leaky pipes, flooding or high humidity encourage the growth of toxic mold. By the time signs of mold appear in the home, the mold colony may already be rampant.
A colony of toxic black mold grows from a single microscopic spore. Mold spores drift in the house from outside, or cling to clothing, skin and pets. When a spore lands on an edible substance, in conditions of low air circulation and high humidity, it matures and begins to reproduce, releasing more spores. Favorite feeding substances of black mold include:
- wood, including plywood
- drywall
- paper or cardboard
- leather
- fabrics such as wool or linen
- upholstery
- dust
- wooden window sills
- picture frames
- rugs and carpets
- earth
- grout (for example between bathroom tiles)
Black Mold Toxins
Black mold multiplies rapidly in humid, warm conditions with plenty of oxygen and edible organic matter. During the process of feeding, black mold produces toxins known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs create the musty odor associated with mold growth.
Black mold also produces mycotoxins, which are thought to be part of the organism’s defensive mechanism. There are over 400 types of mycotoxins, and one strain of mold can produce several different varieties. Both VOCs and mycotoxins are hazardous to human and pet health.
When released, millions of microscopic spores can carry mold-produced toxins throughout the home. Spores and toxins enter the nasal passages and lungs of humans and pets, infecting the mucous membranes. Black mold spores or toxins can settle on the skin, drift into the eyes, or land on food.
Common causes of black mold poisoning include ingestion or inhalation of toxic mold spores.
Symptoms of Toxic Black Mold Poisoning
Symptoms of black mold toxicity include:
- difficulty breathing
- sinus congestion
- asthma
- chest congestion
- runny nose
- sneezing/coughing
- itchy eyes or skin
- headache
- difficulty concentrating
- dizziness
- chronic fatigue
- nosebleed
- skin rash
- mycosis (fungal infection)
In someone with a weakened immune system, some mold spores can attach to living cells along the respiratory tract, digestive tract or sinuses. Inflammation and mold infection of living tissues, or mycosis, is a danger for people with HIV, diabetes, asthma and other medical conditions.
Toxic black mold can be lethal to pets. The first documented case of fatal mold toxicity in pets was in 2007. The deaths of two cats in Florida were linked to high amounts of toxic mold in the home.
Black mold is sometimes responsible for sick building syndrome. In sick building syndrome, older homes or public buildings may become infested with mold due to high humidity or poor air circulation. Residents or workers develop illness and toxic mold poisoning after prolonged exposure to mold spores and toxins. Sick building syndrome can also result from other causes, such as outgassing produced by some types of building materials, or improper ozone ventilation.
Early signs of mold infestation in the home include a musty odor, especially when the air is humid. Visible signs may not always be present. Under the right conditions, toxic black mold can grow in any hidden nook or cranny.
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