Mold Related Illness Questions & Answers / FAQ#3s:

Mold related illness or mold contamination questions and answers discuss complaints or symptoms.

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: My house is killing me and I have many of the symptoms listed in the articleMOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS - how do we prove that we need to move out?

I don't know if anyone will read this or be able to help me, but this is a cry for help!
I am dying from many of these symptoms listed above, most of which are caused by the moldy state of our house.

My young kids are very sick constantly, and one has asthma and was born very sick. I kNOW there is mold in this house- we see it all over. Our basement floods every time it rains.

Why don't we just move you may ask? Well, I have tried...
We rent this house from my husband's parents. Not only does he feel "obligated" to stay here despite the conditions, but I feel that he does not understand how serious this is. Plus, he is very financially driven, and we pay very little to stay here :(

PLEASE please please, could someone help me convince my husband that we need to move out of this moldy hell?

He won't listen to me or my mom (who is a real estate person). He sees us sick every day, but he doesn't understand that we could all be better if we were out of this toxic mold.
I'm only 26 and already I have lost my health completely due to this mold....

My kids and I (and even my husband, though his immune system is a lot better and he has much milder symptoms) have so many classic symptoms of toxic mold poisoning. And, whenever we spend time (weeks) in another place, we all "magically" get better!

Thank you for ANY help you can give.
You can email my husband at ash3ra (at) yahoo (dot) com
His name is Mike.... Thank you!! - Emily 5/3/11

Reply:

If your home is causing or contributing to illness among family members, you should consult your doctor, asking if s/he agrees that your complaints could be caused or aggravated by something in your environment. If the answer is yes, then see the MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ?.

A combination of a medical expert's advice and a building environment expert's findings will make clear whether or not a problem in the home needs to be addressed

. In my OPINION, even if you decided to move, it would be a travesty to leave a problem that could hurt the next occupants and could catch them by surprise.

Additional reader comments about Mold Related Illness Complaints from the U.S., Norway, & other locations

You need to tell him, that you will take your kids and move, even if to your mom...i have suffered and still do because i stayed 6 months in a moldy place! its insanely dangerous to your health!!! pack your bags and move out, and leave your stupid husband to leave alone in the house.

I felt sick myself the last 3months...i feel soooo weak,so sleepy and tired..got head ache and has fatigue syntoms..i just felt my health is failing...then yesterday i desided to move the bed i was sleeping for 4months and discover black molds around the corner of our bed....Now its cleaned up.I wonder if its is the reason for us feeling heavy in our body and sick most of the time.

We are breathing in toxic air....we used to close our windows becouse its very cold here in Norway where we live...Now its summer..i must air the room..hoping we will feel much better. - Pridelin 6/7/11

i feel like my house is slowly killing me and my family. In the four years weve lived here, I have seen a greater frequency in illnesses in everyone. the intensity of preexisting conditions in each of us( dust allergies, ear, nose throat stuff, etc..)has risen to the point that its grossing us all out, because we know why were sicker than before.

An inspector will have no problem determining the severity of it all ..this splendid old scandinavian home we love is just one hellish discovery after another.. we rennovate.. we try. it makes me so sad. sometimes the kids will just walk outside and say.."mom i feel so much better when im breathing outside air.."

and i feel the same way. SO, we play outside... a lot. (its a good idea anyway.) :) - greenpeas 7/18/11

Reply:

Take a look at the article MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ? for help in deciding when it's apparently cost-justified to bring in an expert to help inspect and test a building for mold or other indoor environmental illness contributors or causes.

Also be sure to get advice from your doctor on what sorts of environmental contaminants might be most likely to cause or aggravate the complaints you cite, so that focus starts with looking for those items.

I agree that even without hard science, if you feel better out of a building, something therein is suspect - environmental or on occasion stress.

 

Question: Does Mold Cause Cancer?

What type of cancer will you get from mold? - Karen 8/10/11

Reply:

You should take this question first to your personal physician if you have a personal cancer concern.

Aflatoxins produced by some molds can be highly toxic and carcinogenic and may manifest in a variety of cancers. See these references on the carcinogenicity of some mold related compounds:

• Ames, Bruce N., Renae Magaw, and Lois Swirsky Gold. "Ranking possible carcinogenic hazards." Science(Washington) 236, no. 4799 (1987): 271-279.
• Diebold, Gerald J., and Richard N. Zare. "Laser fluorimetry: subpicogram detection of aflatoxins using high-pressure liquid chromatography." Science 196, no. 4297 (1977): 1439-1441.
• Donate, Paulo Marcos, Rosangela da Silva, Gil Valdo José da Silva, and Carlos Alemán. "Synthesis of benzofuranofuran derivatives: Model of natural products." Synthetic Communications 31, no. 1 (2001): 151-154.
• Frank, Hanns K., R. Orth, S. Ivankovic, M. Kuhlmann, and D. Schmähl. "Investigations on carcinogenic effects of Penicillium caseicolum and P. roqueforti in rats." Experientia 33, no. 4 (1977): 515-516.
• Harris, Curtis C., and Monica Hollstein. "Clinical implications of the p53 tumor-suppressor gene." New England Journal of Medicine 329, no. 18 (1993): 1318-1327.
• Hayes, A. Wallace, Rena Melton, and Shelley J. Smith. "Effect of aflatoxin B1, ochratoxin and rubratoxin B on a protozoan, Tetrahymena pyriformis HSM." Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology 11, no. 4 (1974): 321-325.
• Price, Ralph L., J. H. Paulson, Otis G. Lough, Conrad Gingg, and Andy G. Kurtz. "Aflatoxin conversion by dairy cattle consuming naturally-contaminated whole cottonseed." Journal of Food Protection® 48, no. 1 (1985): 11-20.
• Poirier, Miriam C. "Chemical-induced DNA damage and human cancer risk." Discovery medicine 14, no. 77 (2012): 283-288.
• Rosen, Robert T., Joseph D. Rosen, and Vincent P. DiProssimo. "Confirmation of aflatoxins B1 and B2 in peanuts by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry/selected ion monitoring." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 32, no. 2 (1984): 276-278.
• Wogan, Gerald N., Stephen S. Hecht, James S. Felton, Allan H. Conney, and Lawrence A. Loeb. "Environmental and chemical carcinogenesis." In Seminars in cancer biology, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 473-486. Academic Press, 2004.

Question: Could Mold Cause Bronchial Infections? How do I get My Landlord to Respond?

I have repeated broncial infections and they do come and go...twice i the last three months..lasting about three weeks..

wheezing...mucus and cough..xray do not show any lung congestion but feel lousey..could mold cause this to occu? tired of the rerun..landlord said he would check it but has no homeowners insurance...

can he fix it or should I get my renter insurance company involved? - Kathy U. 9/6/11

Reply:

Kathy, if you search InspectAPedia for "What to Do About a Moldy Rental Apartment " or go directly to RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD & INDOOR HAZARDS you'll find a series of articles in which we give advice to tenants faced with a mold problem.

I can't say if your landlord "can" fix the problem or not. If there is a large problem (more than 30 sqft. discovered perhaps during a professional inspection) then a professional mold cleanup company should be used.

Separately, our article MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE discusses how to decide if the expense of a professional inspection and testing for mold are appropriate and cost justified.

Question: Complaint Against ServPro mold remediation company

For anyone who may call ServPro to clean up mold or do any kind of work involving mold, think again....

they are the reason I am dealing with a problem that should have been taken care of 4 yrs ago.

They sent out a guy, first day on the job, to clean up some water damage that had mold, at the time,

I had no idea this would make me as sick as it has done...they gave me no advice to not be in the house at the time of clean up, the guy was wiping the mold all over the bathroom, smearing it, got on carpet fibers, etc...

.the mold basically grew back because they did not do a thorough or professional job and I was none the wiser till a storm made more damage and mold rose to the surface of the floor...

the bathroom is still at question and hasn't been checked yet, but I smell it there and suspect that it is also going to need to be dealt with..

this has been no small event, as I have been dealing with strange nasal problems that was also linked with body aches and fatigue....many doctors later, I realize that it was likely the mold, as I have been tested and am allergic to 4 types...

Just remember these companies are not as qualified as they would have us believe....never leave them to do a job unless there is a test to determine how well they cleaned it up...never allow a "new guy" to learn on your house.

And in general, do your homework, just because something is insurance covered, it does not mean you have no say in who and who does not come into your home....mold is something you cannot play around with, and if you do, plan for some medical bills....

To the woman whose husband is renting from his parents and don't want to move, to this: Look in the yellow pages for a good female attorney who handles divorce or separations, call, make an appt...go in there and just talk about your options for support....

tell them simply, "if I stay with my husband, I am not sure how long my family will be here and healthy" ...

your conditions may heed a fast court hearing to start family support...Do it for your children..neva look back - ICyourPoint 9/25/12

Reply: the expertise of individual franchisees may vary widely

Thanks for reporting your Serv - pro result and dissatisfaction. Having inspected and tested many mold remediation jobs I add that Serv Pro is a large franchise with considerable variation in skill level among franchisees.

In my experience, having inspected and tested over three thousand building mold cleanup jobs, some mold remediation companies or franchisees are quite competent. Others ... Well ... A lot depends on having an expert job manager on site all during the work.

When you are dissatisfied with a contractor of any work you should first take yoru complaint to that company, personally, and in writing, to give them an opportunity to respond. If you remain dissatisfied and the company is a franchisee, you may also make your views known to the parent franchisor.

Question: Landlord won't install a sump pump, we purchased an air purifier to kill mold spores

Emily [see Q&A earlier in this series]: we are having the same issue. my son is renting the first floor of a duplex that is above a basement that floods on occasion.

He's asked his landlord to install a sump pump and he has refused. Personally, I would move in with anyone who will have you until you get the environment tested.

You can go to either a Home Depot or a Lowes and pick up a mold test kit for $10 or under.

Follow the instructions and if there is visible mold growing after 48 hrs, you can send it to a lab (which can cost $40.00) to have it analyzed. Results can take up to 3 weeks. In the meantime, purchase an air purifier that has a HEPA filter and one that kills mold spores.

...some are quite expensive and some are more responsible. We purchased the Honeywell brand - they come recommended by doctors.

Be sure to order one or more to cover the square footage of your house - or you can carry them from room to room.

See if your family feels better with them running - recommended to run 24 hrs per day. If your mold test results came back dangerously high - then report the findings to the EPA and your landlord will be forced to remediate the mold. But again, personally if I had a place to go - then GO.

Your husband most likely isn't getting as sick as you because he's out to work everyday and away from the poisons you are living in. Best of luck. - Lorettas 9/27/11

I meant to say some are quite expensive and some are more reasonable in price.

Reply: Sump pumps & "mold killing" air purifiers are incomplete band-aid approaches that are completely ineffective if there is a real mold problem in a building

Loretta, unfortunately your advice is not the best. Since 90 % of molds do not grow in any culture media whatsoever, your recommend mold test kit is 90 % wrong when you open the box. More, what might grow on a culture may not be the actual problem in the building.

Wheee here is indoor mold contamination the source reservoir needs to be found and rmoved (not "killed" ) and the cause of mold growth must be fixed too.

Also there is no portable air purifier on the market that will cure a mold problem, though indeed air filtering with a HEPA filter may reduce the airborne particle level in an enclosed space that's not too large.

Question: I think my apartment is dulling my mind

I think my apartment is dulling my mind! Several weeks ago, around the time when my 1960's buildingswitched from ac to heat, I felt acute respiratory symptoms. That subsided after a week or two, but I didn't want to spend too much time in my dry 14th floor condo.

I think I'm only allergic to cats somehow, maybe dust or dust mites, and since my building is supposed to be pet free, I thought I was either imagining things or had a serious dust problem.

So I cleaned the hell out of the place, still no good. I'm tired when I get home and these days, instead of recharging at home, I grow more tired

. Daily, after some time at home, my blood feels hot, face feels flushed, lungs feel scorched, and I generally feel apathetic, lethargic, numb.

But each of these things to such a minor degree as to make me question whether I'm imagining it; In aggregate, I have to think no. But I don't know where to begin to diagnose the problem.

A friend asked about allergens here on a visit, and I just spoke with a neighbor who thought he was imagining it too!

I'll post what I find if I don't die first. I'm thinking I'd rather not get a hepa filter first, so as not to hide the symptoms. I'd really like to find the root, so if you've got suggestions I'd love to hear how best to investigate this!

- Psychosomatic 10/24/11

Reply:

Psychosomatic:

While cleaning and even HEPA filtering (if you have a central air handler such as for warm air heat) can improve indoor air quality, given your description and complaint, I recommend that you first consult with your physician about your symptoms and concerns.

Ask the doctor what role s/he thinks your environment could play in the complaints and that combined with further medical tests, if she/he agrees, can help direct your thinking about what to look for and what to fix in your home. Otherwise you risk spending time and money working on the wrong problem.

Question: My son gets sores that start as scabs, spread into circles, could mold cause these?

My son has been getting thes soars that start out like a litte scabs the spread into circles about the size of dimes over the years they go away

Ifound out that it coulsd be the mold that is around in the shower of my sisters house whom we stay with another times thes sores showed up was when we had to stay at friends for some months and they had mold also and these sores apperd also

But it does not effect no one else in the house but him do you think somthing could be going on with his body when he comes incontact with mold have you came across this problem before. - Latoya Clarke 11/17/11

Reply: See your doctor. Photos of Three Different-Appearing Mold-related Skin Rashes on People Not Suffering from Tinea

Latoya,

There are indeed some skin sores and skin rashes that can be caused by exposure to some molds, as we illustrate here, at the top of this article, and at Dermatitis and Skin Rashes in the index above.

And it is common for mold sensitivity (as well as other allergies or medical conditions) to vary widely among individuals, from no reaction by some people to severe reaction experienced by others.

Our round mold rash on skin photo (above) illustrates a client who reported the onset of skin rashes that look like the one above following a do-it-yourself cleanup of a moldy home that included extensive exposure to Stachybotrys chartarum.

Some individuals who are particularly sensitive to certain airborne or direct-skin-contact molds have responded to mold exposure with this rash.

It first appears as a small solid red spot, expands, and develops the pattern shown here and resembling (but most likely is not) a ringworm (Tinea) infection. Tinea is also a fungal infection by the way, caused by a fungus that lives on dead skin tissue, often the scalp, face, beard, body, hands, groin, nails, or feet.

Our next more widespread mold-related skin rash photo (left) shows the condition of one of our clients who, with her husband, insisted in doing their own "mold-cleanup and sorting" of very moldy contents of their home following a flood.

The client rapidly developed the rash on her head and neck (shown at left) after two days of cleanup work in an environment high in Aspergillus sp. and Stachybotrys chartarum that were disturbed during the cleaning operations.

Her husband, who had about the same exposure, suffered none of these symptoms.

Our round raised sigular rash shown in the photo at left appeared on the under-arm of a woman exposed to very high airborne molds, including Aspergillus sp. and Stachybotry chartarum while occuping the upper floor of a home whose moldy basement was being demolished with no dust control measures whatsoever.

Two dogs in the home became sick and a third died, apparently from the same mold exposure conditions. [Actually the "rash" shown at left looked to us like a mole that had been scratched - but it's your doctor who should evaluate this complaint.]

But any skin ailment is difficult to diagnose and it would be a mistake to assume we understand the cause, severity or cure of a rash without consulting an expert.

I'd start by asking the doctor for a diagnosis, advice, and also whether or not the conditions in a building could cause or contribute to your son's complaint.

More mold skin rash examples are in the article above at the article introduction and at Dermatitis and Skin Rashes in the index MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS

Also see the illnessess and complaints discussed in detail at MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX.

...

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

Or see MOLD RELATED ILLNESS FAQs-4 - more-recent questions & answers posted originally at this article's home page given above

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• BLACK MOLD, HARMLESS - Photos of of often recognizable, usually harmless or cosmetic black mold on wood
• MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE - Photos of what mold looks like in buildings, organized by mold color and appearance.
• MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD - Photos of material that is not mold but is sometimes mistaken for mold
• MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX, Pathogens, Allergens and Other Indoor Particles - actual and possible medical health effects of Mold (separate online document)
• MOLD FREQUENCY in BUILDINGS - Table of what mold genera/species are frequently found in indoor mold tests.
• MOLD GROWTH ON SURFACES, PHOTOS - Photos of what mold looks like in buildings on more than 100 surfaces, organized by mold growth on various kinds of building surfaces and contents or items found in buildings. Mold in situ.
• MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, TABLE OF - Summary table of what mold genera/species are frequently found on various building surfaces and materials
• MOLD BY MICROSCOPE - Mold under the microscope - photo identification of the most common indoor molds found in buildings
• MOLD in the PETRI DISH, PHOTOS - what mold looks like on culture plates or in culture-type mold test kits
• MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS

Suggested citation for this web page

MOLD RELATED ILLNESS FAQs-3 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to MOLD CONTAMINATION & REMEDIATION

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Questions & answers or comments about possible symptoms of mold related illness & health complaints.

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca

Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---