Mold Related Illness Questions & Answers / FAQs#2:

These mold related illness or mold contamination questions and answers discuss complaints or symptoms, of Illnesses that are either caused, or aggravated by indoor mold exposure.

Q & A about reactions to allergenic, pathogenic, or toxic mold, allergens, and other indoor gases or particles

These mold-related illness Q&As were posted originally at MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS - be sure to review the mold related illnesses and symptoms described there.

Question: I have been chronically ill for 5 years, others in my shop have left - chronic fatigue - is it a coincidence?

Hi. I have been cronicly Ill for 5 years 3 people that have worked in the same old shop as me have left because of the same symptoms ie cronic fatigue , sore joints and muscle problems , tiredness , pulsating under skin, cronic thirst, sleep problems leg movements, diguestion problems, constant burning under skin, constant burnig of the joints, night fevers, increased sence of smell, sensitive to smells and food alergys.

Burning and swelling of hands and more. Would you say that this is coincidental or should we contact the owners of the store and get them to check the building out. Yours sincerely , maddy. 12/4/11

Reply: how to decide if further investigation of a building is appropriate

Maddy, even an experienced expert should be reluctant to guess at a building diagnosis by just a note or comment and without studying the building, interviewing the occupants and possibly performing some tests.

That said, in my OPINION, if one or more people suspect that conditions in a building may be contributing to or even causing health complaints, it is reasonable to open the question of whether or not a building investigation is in order.

Take a look at the article titled MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE at our ARTICLE INDEX
for help in deciding how to decide that it is appropriate to bring in a professional.

Question: After living in a moldy apartment I stopped having periods & started having ongoing infections, colds, & low-grade fever - I tested "positive" for mycotoxins

I lived in a basement apartment for a year which had obvious, visible mold growth in the bedroom.

Right after I moved out I stopped having periods, have ongoing infections and colds, and have had a constant low-grade fever. Can this be related to my mold exposure? - Sarah H. 12/7/11

I was recently tested for mycrotoxins in my body. I tested positive for Tricothcene at 0.35 pph and positive for Ochratoxin 5 ppb.

How serious is this and what medical treatment do I need to get rid of these mycrotoxins.

I feel extremely sick internally..also I am having a hard time finding a doctor with enough knowledge of mycrotoxins such as
these to treat me.

I am concerned these are all over my body since I have numerous symptoms..Thank you for your help.. SH 12/20/11

Reply: tested positive for Tricothcene at 0.35 pph and positive for Ochratoxin 5 ppb.

Sarah these are questions you need to discuss first with your physician. I would be expect a doctor to do more than just offer tests for exposure to mycotoxins.

Rather she or he would be more likely to conduct an examination, interview to discuss your symptoms and concerns, and discuss possible appropriate coursed of investigation and treatment.

Also see the illnessess and complaints associated with specific molds and exposure to them discussed in detai

l at MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX.

Question: My home of 25 years has a serious case of black mold - I moved out - could all my medical problems be due to the black mold? I was accused of substance abuse.

It was brought to my attention that the home I had lived in for 25 years has a serious case of black mold. I just recently moved out of it two months ago.

What could be the possibility that all my medical problems stem from having been exposed to the black mold & can u suggest a way to throw it in the face of all the people who thought I had a substance abuse problem? - Rachelle 12/22/11

Reply: don't focus just on "black mold" contamination

Rachelle, the answer to the question of the chances that health problems (all or some) are exacerbated by or even possibly caused by exposure to indoor mold, MVOCs, or mycotoxins is one that you need to bring first to your physician.

After all, "all my medical problems" is a very broad and non-specific charge. Individual sensitivity to mold and its products in buildings varies widely.

And more confusing is the error of focusing on "black mold" - there are plenty of black or dark molds that are the least of the mold problem in a building, and plenty of light colored, often hard to see molds that are far more harmful in some cases.

"Black mold" in a building should be taken as an indicator of mold contamination and an expert inspection and testing should identify the location and genera/species of molds present if/when there is a large reservoir.

However it is worth discussing with your doctor that exposure to some mycotoxins can have neurological effects that influence behaviour, mood, etc. - we have had clients report mental symptoms whose onset appeared to correlate with exposure to mycotoxins in buildings, including:

• memory loss
• word and language loss & difficulties
• anger outbursts and general irritability
• confusion and difficulty making decisions

So one could SPECULATE that such exposure and effects could be mistaken for a drug use problem.

Question: dust-like particles are coming out of our AC vent & I get a salty taste - what can this be?

I sometimes feel Dust like Particles blowing into my eyes from the AC vent. After this happens I would get a salty taste in my mouth. What can this be?

Reply:

Jenny no one who is responsible would try to diagnose your complaints with so little information, but I can suggest that you

• check with your doctor about experiencing taste sensations, as it could be an indication of something worth investigating
• check that the HVAC filter(s) on your system are clean and in place and not leaking

I'm not sure it's worth it but you also have the option of collecting the dust you suspect and having it analyzed by sending it to an appropriate forensic lab. (Don't send us a sample - we must avoid any conflict of interest).

Reader follow-up:

Thanks Dan. This situation is happening at my workplace and they have called in a local testing company and they could not find what is causing the problem.

They found other problems with the system and made recommendations for those to be corrected. I believe those issues have since been attended to.

The dust like particles is not visible. Other random employees on different floors of this 5 story building have similar complaints. Some experience rashes and burning sensation on the skin. - Jenny 3/5/12

Question: Can you get acute lingual tonsillitis from exposure and breathing mold toxins.

Can you get acute lingual tonsillitis from exposure and breathing mold toxins.

This was a result from a leaking ice maker/refrigerator and a leaking pipe from a pantry sink. This caused 3 floods in a work area and the adjacent wall had visible mold and the carpet had stains of mildew and smelled like sewage.

Do you have any facts and/or articles/literature to send me as soon as you can. Thank you in advance. - D.T. 5/14/12

Reply: tonsillitis is a bacterial or viral infection

D.T.

Your tonsillitis complaint and causation questions should be discussed with your personal physician, someone who knows the details of your personal health, health history, and also details of your actual exposure to potentially problematic indoor environment.

I agree that it is possible for flooding and mold conditions in a building can cause problematic mold growth, ranging from trivial to extensive, and I add that improper cleanup procedures can make matters worse by stirring up high levels of dust and debris that enter building air and later building settled dust, as well as by incomplete work or other mistakes.

That said, and emphasizing that I am not an M.D. nor do we offer medical advice, we can give some general information about your question that may be helpful.

Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils that is caused by a virus or bacteria. Apparently viral causes are more commen than bacterial causes. Your doctor will usually take a throat culture to rule out other illnesses or causes (such as diptheria or strep). Mold, nor mycotoxins, and mvoc's are not listed as causing tonsillitis. Ask your doctor for her opininon.

But we suspect that respiratory system irritation (including the throat) may contribute to the vulnerability to or development of a throat or tonsil infection, as might a challenge to the immune system.

The individual response to a given level of exposure to anything potentially irritating or harmful varies widely, from no response at all to severe allergy or asthma or other complaints.

Even you were exposed to airborne mold or mvocs one can not assume that all mold exposure involves exposure to mycotoxins - the term you used in your question.

Not all indoor mold growths produce mycotoxins, some that do are rarely airborne, and even among molds that can potentially produce mycotoxins, those substances are not always actually produced, depending on the growth substrate and indoor environment conditions, even the species and strain within genera of mold.

Also see MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE and see the illnessess and complaints associated with specific molds and exposure to them discussed in detail at MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX.

Question: I think my daughter's Barrets' Disease & Celiac disease may be due to mould in our cottage; how can I proceed?

Is it safe to remove the contents with this condition of chaetomium and ulicladium mould spore debris? We need to demolish the cottage.

I have a daughter who has now been diagnosed with barrets disease and celiac disease and I believe this could be due to the mould in the cottage. Could this be true?

How do I know from the Lab test if I can safely proceed with removal of contents and demolition?

The cottage is surrounded by old growth trees and is very close to the neighbouring cottage on either side.

The cottage is all constructed in wood with no insulation and was build in 1916.

Reply: Pathogenicity of Chaetomium & Ulocladium; other building moulds present; how to proceed

With the reclama that I am a forensic investigator not a mycologist, and that more accurate answers should come from a physician who knows your daughter's medical history and who has expertise in environmental medicine, still I can provide abasic reply to your question.

You refer to two fungal genera: Chaetomium and Ulocladium.

There are multiple species within each genera, so first, we don't know quite what fungal species are in the home.

The potential medical effects of individual fungal species can also vary depending on local growth conditions such as what material the fungus is growing on.

Pathogenicity of Chaetomium sp.

My most extensive clinical reference (deHoog et als) cites

• a pair of (thus very very rare) pathogenic fungal infections associated with Chaetomium atrobrunneum (not the Chaetomium I ususally find in buildings).
• subcutaneous lesions associated with C. funicola
• a variety of infections associated with C. globosum (commonly found in buildings)
• skin and other infections in a single case in China involving C. murorum

Pathogenicity of Uloclasium sp.

Ulocladium sp. also involves multiple species, too many to enumerate here.

An example: U. chartarum (common in buildings) has been associated with skin infections.

Mold exposure relationship to Barrets disease or Celiac disease?

Generally people who are already at medical risk from factors such as a compromised immune system or being elderly, infant, asthmatic or allergic to mold are at higher risk than others when exposed to mold that may be allergenic, toxic, or pathogenic.

I am not familiar with Barrets Disease but WebMD says

"Barrett's esophagus is a serious complication of GERD, which stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease."

NIH describes Celiac disease as

Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. - NDDIC, division of NIH, retrieved 4/23/14, original source: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/

As a layman one might infer that these two complaints sound related. The references did not focus on fungal exposure in discussing those medical complaints

From the clinical literature I see no obvious connection between Barret's disease or Celiac disease and the molds you cite but that OPINION is of course just that.

You are at Risk of Missing the Mold Forest for the Mold Trees: water-indicator moulds

What your question is missing is a more general understanding of how mold growth occurs in buildings. In my experience, both Chaetomium sp. and Ulocladium sp. are more importantly considered as water-indicator molds.

That means that where these molds occur the building has been wet and mold-friendly materials such as drywall have been wet.

In that kind of building environment, the chance that these are the only two molds that were the only fungal genera/species present is close to zero.

Furthermore, it is often the case that other molds, possibly ones that were less visually obvious, may be present and may be far more harmful, such as light-colored species of Aspergillus or Penicillium that an inexpert investigator might miss.

See LIGHT COLORED MOLD

Too often on-site investigators collect mold samples of just the dark colored molds

1. first because those are easy to see,
2. second because of the misleading media accounts of "toxic black mold" as if that were the only mold of concern in buildings (dead wrong), and
3. third because other more important mold reservoirs may be less obvious even if larger, such as mold in building cavities or in a hard-to-access crawl area.

What all of this means is that

• You cannot conclude anything about a relationship between your daughter's illnesses and the building molds you describe
• You should assume that other molds are present even if they have not been identified
• You can assume that your mold test was incomplete and inaccurate as a characterization of what is in the building
  
  If there is more than 30 sq.ft. of contiguous mold in the building then the level of exposure to workers is potentially harmful so work on the building should proceed accordingly - that means using personal protective gear and keeping at-risk people out of and away from the building.

Mouldy Building Contents Salvage Advice

Watch out: Beware of bringing moldy contents out of a building into a new residence as you may import high-enough levels of mold to irritate building occupants even if the new location does not encourage mold growth.

Take a look

at SALVAGE BUILDING CONTENTS for advice on moving things out of the moldy home you describe.

Please keep me posted on how things progress, and send along photos or additional details if you can.

Such added details can help us understand what's happening and often permit some useful further comment. What we both learn may help me help someone else.

Question: can Ascomycetes cause sleep apathy?

May 17 2014
hello i have the mold ascomycete in my room can it cause sleep apathy i had stroke in 2010 i am on a lot of medicine can it interact with the medicine and cause pain on the forhead and other places on the head before my stroke

my brother use the romm to grow his tomato plants their is a lot of old books and some toys in the room it is also used to store blankets the room is over 80 years old my stroke was the fault of heart center of the rockies in loveland co. thank you - E.J. C. 5/23/2014

Reply:

Ascomycete is a huge group of fungi, a stage in development that occurs in other forms, and most likely indicates that other molds are present too.

We'd need to get more specific

Reader follow-up: you told me that the mold ascomycete could cause my sleepapathy what you have told me is could it interact with the medcine I take

hello you told me that the mold ascomycete could cause my sleepapathy what you have told me is could it interact with the medcine i take could it cause pain in my forehead and other parts of the could it cause sinus problems it would be easier for me to mail you a list of the medcine i take their is over 20 to 30 i had a stroke in 2010 - E.J.C. 5/28/2014

Reply: ascomycetes at high levels indoorse = leak indicator: look for other molds

No I did not tell you any of those things, Edward, there seems to be a misunderstanding.

What I said is that Ascomycetes is a huge range of classes of fungi and even more complex is that Ascomycetes are in general a class of fungi that exist under different species/genera names when the fungi, in their natural state of evolution, pass through other states of development (often called "sexual phase" in the literature).

At MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX we describe Ascomycetes

Ascospores: or Ascomycetes are ubiquitous spore with more than 3000 genera. Allergic reaction varies depending on genus and species; they have been poorly studied. Common indoor ascomycetes include Chaetomium and Ascotricha. -- EMLAB www.emlab.com

We (DF) find these spores individually in air samples indoors and outside, and we find them in dense profusion on occasion on decaying building surfaces.

Therefore no one who is even slightly familiar with the meaning of the term "ascomycete" would or should venture to claim that there is a specific association with a specific illness or medical complaint for that group.

Medical illnesses or even more broadly, health complaints, that some people associate with or suspect are related to exposure to fungal spores, mycotoxins, or MVOCs excreted by some fungal genera/species, are studied with respect to individual fungal genra/species.

Just taking the genera Aspergillus sp. for an example, (not an ascomycete) there are more than 100 species within that genera, with widely varying health effects, and even within individual species, the toxicity depends often on growth conditions.

The exact same mold genera/species may produce toxic substances ranging from none to severe depending on the material on which it is growing as well as depending on variations in growth conditions such as temperature and humidity.

What I intended to suggest to you is that when someone reported to you that there are "Ascomycetes" in your environment you cannot make a darn thing about that statement.
You don't know

• What mold genera/species is present
• What is its allergenicity, toxicity, pathogenicityh, varying by growth conditions
• How much mold there is - how large is the mold reservoir
• Where it is, what caused it, what cleanup is needed, how much enters your environment
• What is your exposure level to harmful mold

The ONLY thing you can infer from "there are ascomycetes in your environment" is that if that class of fungi was detected at what appears to be a high or abnormal level for indoors, that it can be take as an indicator that "mold-friendly" conditions exist in the building.

In turn that means that there are very likely to be other mold genera/species present, some of which may be far more harmful than the genera that your rather not-helpful test indicated.

It is a fundamental error to latch on to "black mold" or "ascomycetes" detected in a building and from that to conclude that that detected mold is the most-harmful mold or that it can itself be specifically assumed to be the cause of an illness or IAQ complaint.

What does make sense is to decide if further, more expert inspection and testing are in order.

See MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ?

And if you are discussing your health concerns with your doctor you can at this point say that you MIGHT be spending time in an environment with abnormal levels of mold but you don't yet know the level, the exposure, nor anyhing about what mold is actually present.

Question:

(Mar 22, 2014) Anonymous said:

Does anyone know of a good doctor in the Montreal,QC area who can diagnose and treat severe exposure to mold. thx

my email is reisca@gmail.com

Reply:

See MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE

...

Continue reading at MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see MOLD RELATED ILLNESS FAQs-3 - more-recent questions & answers posted originally at this article's home page given above

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX
• MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD
• MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
• MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS
• MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE
• MOLD SPORES in the HOME - a Photo ID Library for detection and identification of mold allergens on indoor building surfaces and for an atlas of building molds.
• WHO MOLD BULLETIN

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