Mold Related Illness Questions & Answers / FAQs:

This article series describes 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 or alternatively, that were believed or suspected by individuals to have a role in their physical or mental health complaints.

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.

On 2017-10-22 by Shawn Rasbeary

On May 28th of this year I lost my husband Steven to heart problems. Steve had been sick for quite a while with heart problems congestive heart failure and was waiting on a transplant he hadn't made it on the list yet he was being tested at that point. That was in March 2017 I took him over to Dallas Baylor to get him tested and he went down.

Turns out he had many tiny like hundreds of blood clots in his lungs and he had to be intubated for about 3 weeks. Now they let him go with a PICC line that had an antifungal treatment in it he had to give it to himself once a day and when we came home we begin to check for mold. They said it was very rare moles and they wondered where he could have gotten it from they also said that they couldn't figure out where all the blood clots and come from who is on a lot of blood thinner set the time.

Now that he's gone I have tested the house for molds and by the way it's an apartment I've also notified the complex they haven't come to check it or do anything about it. But I did go and buy a kit and grow the mold and it did come out I haven't I didn't send it in to the lab to be tested.

I'm about to call code enforcement and let them know because not sure what kind of bold this is but for by research on mold it looks like he could have been made sicker by the mold. My question is is there any way that I can prove that that's what made him sick and gave him the blood clots in the lungs.

And by the way he was on a hospice at home for 8 days before he died. For the past couple of years he's been telling me that this Apartments been making him sick and I didn't know what he meant. And now I wonder.

On 2017-02-09 by (mod) - basement may be contaminated with mold

Ian,

From your description, it sounds as if the basement may be contaminated with mold. Either you or more experienced inspector should make a thorough inspection for mold growth of mold friendly surfaces such as paper, wood, or an insulation. If there's extensive mold contamination it needs to be removed and then the area needs to be kept dry or the problem will simply return.

On 2017-02-09 by Ian

I live in an older house and each year when the heat is turned on, or when I go into the basement my upper lip, face, and forearms get a burning sensation combined with nasal congestion. We have a half cement half dirt basement which often floods when it rains. The washer/ dryer are located in the basement and when I take my clothes out of the dryer I can notice a " basement " smell on them and within moments the above mentioned symptoms appear.

Out of the 6 people that reside in the house I am the only one affected and and frankly they all think I'm just nuts because it doesn't affect them in the slightest. During spring through early fall I'm not bothered by it, it's only when the heat has been turned on that these symptoms show up. The only other time this happens is when I try to read older books with yellowing pages so I'm assuming it's related to some form of mold but unsure as to what kind. Any insight would be greatly appreciated

On 2016-10-13 by Jennifer

I live in Kentucky in a very rural area. One grocer one pharmacy ect. The doctors are clueless. They think mold is only in Florida. So I've been on my own trying to get better. Mine started exactly one year ago when I moved in a respitory infection that went on for 8 plus mon.

Then swelling of face. Spores in body coming out skin, low grade fever , very forgetful,exhausted, been in twilight zone. Don't talk about it almost embarrassed of it. Had company come definitely mold. After power washing house on Labor Day it got terribly worse. Insurance carrier, Heath department said don't know. Can't afford two house payments. If I pay to have it removed I'm afraid it will be a lot more money. Kinda between rock and hard place. Feels like flu times two every day. Any suggestions??? Feeling hopeless I'm 42 feel like 82!!!

Question: Brittania Heights Apartments in Denver, Colorado had asperguillos and toxic black mold

(Apr 17, 2014) Kimberly Ketiku or email me @ kimberlyjoyketiku@gmail.com said:
I just discovered that our apartment unit at Brittania Heights Apartments in Denver, Colorado had asperguillos and toxic black mold in it and in our storage unit that we leased along with the apartment.

You will not believe the pictures of the toxic black mold growing out of the wall and the asperguillos mold right above our food and dishes for almost 4 years. I am still in shock over what has happened to me and my two sons.

We nearly died from the exposure. I met a woman named Jennifer who told me how her infant, 21 month old son Javon, a healthy beautiful baby boy who died from mold exposure. She said when they did her sons autopsy the child was in good condition but said that she later found out that the home they lived in was infested with black mold. I have now become a spokesperson on the matter of how apartment and homeowners are literally getting by with "Murder".

Me and my two sons are constantly sick in and out of doctor's appointments all the time. I will tell you, like I told these disgusting individuals who think money is more important than a human life; the only way they can remotely understand how serious this exposure is and what it can do to a person's life is when they or one of their precious loved ones life is challenged or when they closed the coffin down for the last time on someone they dearly love. This is real talk. Don't think money is everything like most of these people do.

It brings to mind the sudden death of Steve Job and so many wealthy individuals who have money that can afford the very best medical treatment which many of us cannot afford, but unfortunately he is no longer with us, and he received the best medical treatment, and best doctors from across this country; but he is "Dead".

Another good example, beautiful actress Brittany Murphy and her husband are both now deceased,"Guess What" it was not drugs as they first announced, it was later discovered that both Brittany and her husband who died 5 months apart died from "mold exposure" in their big beautiful mansion. Love U

Reply:"Black mold" or "toxic black mold" is a useful "scare" label but by no means addresses all harmful indoor molds

Kimberly,

While of course any reader will be sorry for those suffering from any illness or worse, a fatality, one wants to be clear in understanding mold hazards and how to deal with them.

"Black mold" or "toxic black mold" is a useful "scare" label that can make unethical companies rich offering bogus mold tests and incompetent mold cleanup services.

There are about 1.5 million mold genera/species, some of which are harmful.

Some but absolutely not all harmful mold species produce dark mold growth that some might call "black mold". SO it would be foolish, even dangerous to focus specifically on "black mold" as a hazard.

A large area (more than 30 sq.ft.) of harmful mold growth indoors needs to be found, removed (not "killed, removed), and its cause corrected. Where people suspect that they suffer from a mold related illness it is important to seek expert medical help.

That begins with their own physician who can, where useful, refer the patient to a physician who has expertise in environmental medicine and mold-related illnesses.

Question:

(June 18, 2014) Moved into the apartment 9/14 by 12/14 noticed black spot on wall in living when checked leathered sofa saw said:
green mold growing on it also walls. Now I am no longer able to walk, suppressed immune system, coughing, and not able to get a diagnosis.

As soon as you clean up the mold it returns. Was never sick in my life until I moved in this apartment and I am 60 plus. Is the green or white mold dangerous?

Reply:

Moved. Possibly, yes, but as there are about 1.5 million mold species so we can't know from just your note.

Question: i have culture molds in culture dish

(Sept 21, 2014) willy said:
i have culture molds in culture dish, i need identification photographs on how to identify those molds

Reply:

See MOLD CULTURE TEST KIT VALIDITY and you'll see why the use of a culture to screen a building for mold is not useful.

Question: raw count of 58 (580 CFR/M3) of Stachybotrys

(Dec 10, 2014) Ava said:
Is a raw count of 58 (580 CFR/M3) of Stachybotrys species something I should be concerned about?

The same was taken at floor level of a small office. The walls were open from pieces of drywall and insulation removed from a moisture issue discovered. The moisture issue has been addressed.

The viable air samples after shutting off a fan to dry area and a dehumidifier was running. Also, once area has been cleaned up and floor tiles put back is it possible to get lower levels of Stachybotrys or I should not get any counts?

Reply:

Ava you should either get a clear answer to your question from the expert you hired to inspect and test your building and thus who has seen it, or you should ask for your money back.

I can't interpret a raw mold spore count without knowing more about the building, its leak history, physical condition, extent of visible mold. I could get a very high count from a single square inch of mold that may be all of the mold contamination - such a count would mean nothing. Conversely if there is a large area of contamination it deserves professional remediation.

Question:

(Mar 29, 2015) Jim Coiner said:
We have been in our home for 3 years. I have some mold in the crawl space due to insulation being installed upside down and it can't breath properly.

My wife does not work and is at home most of the time.

She also seems to have constant diarrhea. I have recently noticed that I have this same problem on the weekends, when most of my time is spent around the house. Another thing that I have noticed is that my lower legs and feet itch in the evening, when I am relaxing in the living room.

I don't seem to have this problem when we are away on trips. Is it likely that these conditions are caused by the mold?

Reply:

We can't say from just your brief note; Start by checking with your doctor including the question of possible environmental cause of the health complaints you describe.

See MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ?

 

Question: Chronic Cough and Post Nasal Drip - PND - What's a Reliable Mold Test Kit?

I have been bothered by chronic cough and post nasal drip for several years, and I am suspicious that the building in which I work is the cause. I know that I am allergic mainly to molds – eight different kinds. So, I tried a test kit that I ordered online.

It was not conclusive. Not sure if it was any good either. Can you recommend reliable test kits? - K.H., Wilmington DE

Reply: Mold test kits have a useful role to play, but you may need a competent building inspection first

A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem, such as a source of irritating dust that you didn't recognize, a leak or moisture problem, or a hidden mold reservoir. That said, here are some things to consider:

While there is a use for testing as part of an expert building inspection, using any test kit to screen a building for mold is not reliable.

See MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY if you want a detailed exposition.

In particular, a "negative" result (a test that does not detect significant indoor mold contamination) used without an expert inspection is unreliable in that there is a significant risk of missing an existing mold problem.

Even a "positive" mold test kit result (the test says problem mold is present at a significant level) does not necessarily identify the actual mold problem in the building as opposed to the mold the kit happened to catch. For example, most molds won't grow in culture, so using a culture to screen for mold is a unreliable.

The use, accuracy, and reliability of mold culture test kits for screening buildings for mold contamination are discussed

at MOLD CULTURE TEST KIT VALIDITY

and MOLD CULTURE SAMPLING METHOD

and see Mold Culture Plate Test Errors.

We recommend starting with a detailed case history of the home and your complaints, combined with a thorough visual inspection for conditions likely to cause an indoor mold problem - if mold's the focus. Don't forget there can be other irritants. I'd also ask the doctor for advice on the sorts of things that s/he thinks would be a particular problem in your environment.

Take a look also at MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ? for help in deciding if it's worth hiring an expert -

Question: where can I find similar advice about a water-damaged automobile?

Are there any good articles on DIY mold remediation for a water damaged automobile? Both my boyfriend and I have cars with long-term leaks in the trunks AND many symptoms of mold sickness.

Once we fix the leaks, I would like to know how we can clean the carpets/ flooring/ surfaces and ventillation/ heating and A/C system. - Kate (8/17/2011)

Reply:

Sure Kate, we've written quite a bit about mold and mold smells in cars. Start at CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION. Or take a look at CAR SMELL - Mold DEODORIZING where we discuss tracking down and curing mold in cars, boats, RVs, etc.

Question: We moved out of a moldy home but may have brought along mold or moved into a new one also moldy; my children appear to have serious mold-related illnesses. How can we find a suitable doctor? What else can we do?

We are a family of 8 who previously lived in a modular home built against code without vapor barriers or flashing around wooden windows frames. It was many years before we realized there was mold in between the walls and after many medical diagnosis of my family.

• My eldest developed a severe allergy to her own estrogen that her allergist said is a cross sensitivity to an estrogen-mimicking mold, as she would have the same reaction to mold as she did premenstrually.
  
  It was a horrible reaction with flu-like symptoms and multiple blistering in her mouth. She'd need steroids, and even narcotics some times, to get through an episode. She now lives in Arizona and is totally symptom free except for visits out to the NE, and one episode during "monsoon season" in Az.
• My second eldest developed bleeding in his kidneys. We monitor it through a urologist.
• My fifth child, who was an infant when an extension was going on in our home, has tested (+) for severe memory problems and is a "special needs" child. We also have allergies, asthma, eczema and thyroid problems among members of my family.

We have since moved from that house, but my eldest will still react when she visits, and had vomiting and diarrhea along w/ her other usual allergy symptoms. So I'm guessing we have dragged some of our microtoxins with us and she is now more sensitive to them.

Her allergist in Az had her tested for molds we found present in our home, and she did test (+) for some of them.

These were basic tests w/ basic molds identified. I do not believe they tested for microtoxins.

My quandry is that the new home we live in not only has the mold we apparently dragged with us, but with such high ground saturation in the NE area in the past 3 years, much of our possessions in the downstairs part of our split level ranch is now newly contaminated with mold.

We are considering moving to Az where we know through my eldest's experience, there's a resolution.

However, I've yet to find a doctor beyond who my eldest has seen, to link (toxic?) mold to what the rest of us suffer from.

Could you please advise me of any doctors in the mid-Hudson NY State region that specialize in toxicology of mold?

I am an RN and have done much research and realize from credible sources such as the US EPA or the Mayo Clinic that my children seem to suffer from toxic reactions of mold and not just allergy reactions, but I've yet to find a doctor to confirm this. Could you please help me?

Thank you so much - N.N. (2/29/12)

Reply:

Thank you for mold/health question - it helps us realize where we need to work on making our text more clear or more complete. A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem with building leaks, high moisture, and both visible mold and potentially problematic hidden mold reservoirs. That said, here are some things to consider:

Did mold make someone in your home sick?

It is very difficult to prove absolutely that a potentially harmful building mold has actually caused or aggravated a medical complaint.

Burge[6] lists criteria that are burdensome enough in cost and trouble that all of the steps she outlines are rarely followed. Instead most professionals agree on the position that if there is a large reservoir of problem mold in a building, professional cleaning, correction of the cause, and in cases such as you describe, consulting with a medical professional are all appropriate.

See our clinical mold references [7] below for authoritative citations of specific molds that are associated with specific illnesses.

Watch out: individual sensitivty to mold and other indoor contaminants varies widely and, as your own description suggests, individual sensitivty to mold, allergens, other indoor contaminants can be increased by exposure. Also, don't rule out other possible indoor contaminants (such as mis-applied chemicals, pesticides, paints, cleaners).

Do you need to look for harmful mold or other contaminants more carefully at your present environment?

From your description of your case, it is certainly plausible to suspect that

• You imported dusty moldy contents from your old home into the new one. Even if mold was not actively growing on items that you brought to the new home you may have brought items that are thus contaminated.
  
  The good news is that most such items can be successfully cleaned: laundering or dry-cleaning clothes, curtains, bedding, even area rugs is often cheaper and smarter than doing a lot of mold-testing on those items.
  
  Hard goods (dishes, etc.) are surface cleaned using normal cleaning methods. If you had active mold growth on an upholstered couch, most likely it is not cost feasible to remove and reupholster the covering and padding.
• If you believe or if your expert advises that you have a high level of moldy (or otherwise problematic) dust in your present home, additional cleaning (HEPA vacuuming, wiping) may be in order. But first it would make sense to be sure that any mold reservoirs in the present home are found, removed, and their cause cured - if there are any.
  
  At MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ? we list some criteria that can help decide if such an investigation is appropriate and justified in your present home.
  
  From your description it sounds as if indeed an expert, one who actually conducts an interview, inspects the entire building, and perhaps collects some screening samples, would be appropriate.

Watch out: Beware of a "mold consultant" who simply stops by to conduct a few "tests" - that alone is an unreliable approach and even if such a superficial test suggests that action is needed, it was not suffiiciently diagnostic - you would not know how to proceed without still another costly inspection.

How to find a mold doctor:

The right place to start in looking for a physican who has the expertise in mold and enviornmental hazards that you seek is with your own primary care doctor, one whom you trust. Ask his/her help in recommending a physician who specializes in environmental medicine and who has expertise in the mold, complaints, and conditions that you can describe.

Aso see MOLD DOCTORS - ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE and when you find a local physican who you find helpful, encourage him/her to submit a listing to us for that directory - there is no cost or fee to anyone for such listings.

Question: brain infection, meningitis; suspected moldy home, is mold on a nasal spray bottle diagnostic?

My husband, a Baptist evangelist, has been debilitated since last June with an illness that we believe is mold-related (our travel trailer, which was our only home, was severely infested, and we had to abandon it). He was hospitalized then for a brain infection, although the pathogen causing the infection was never uncovered.

Traditional doctors in our area refused to consider mold exposure, and he was released, being told he would recover from the meningitis within weeks. He has yet to recover to a point where he can preach (a few attempts have gone poorly), so we have been without income and home for quite a while. We have since been seeing a naturopath,who also cannot pinpoint the illness or the reason Ron is not healing.

Recently Ron believed that he felt the illness migrating to his sinuses. A day later, his nasal spray bottle grew spores. We believe that these came from his body, and we would like testing to determine what exactly they are, and if they could be the root of his ongoing problem. Perhaps if we have a clear-cut cause for his illness it will aid us in its treatment. I would like to request that you consider either pro-bono or reduced fees, but if not, then please advise me on what costs would be and on how to send you the sample on the nasal spray bottle. - A.A.

Reply:

If someone in your home is seriously ill, in my opinion you and that person should consult a medical doctor, starting with your general practitioner who can refer you to a physician who specializes in envrionmental medicine if that is what's needed. If you are not comfortable with your local MD, ask him/her for a referral to another doctor - as one point in starting your own search for a physician in whom you have confidence.

While I respect your wish to consult with a naturopathic physician, there may be important differences between a naturopath (unregulated in some jurisdictions) and a naturopathic physician - an M.D. who also uses principles of naturopathy in his/her practice. In any event, you may be consulting someone who lacks the specific expertise and experience that you and your husband need.

Regarding conditions in your home, a competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem well beyond what a homeowner may observe.

That said, here are some things to consider:

• there is no reliable correlation between mold that grows on a nasal spray bottle and environmental contamination
• a more thorough building inspection, site interview, etc. would be required to form an accurate evaluation of mold risks in your home

Therefore, although you could collect a tape sample of what's on the nasal spray bottle, it's not, in my opinion, a reliable direction of investigation.

Take a look at MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE and if you find significant mold contamination in your home, you'll want to see MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD

If you want to collect one to four samples of suspect mold and perhaps some settled dust from a room where your husband spends a lot of time, we'll examine them in our lab - pro bono (no fee) and report to you. But keep in mind that your collected samples, as you're not an expert, are not by any means a thorough investigation. Follow the sampling procedure at MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS and Include a copy of this email with your samples so I won't be looking for a check.

Take a look also at MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERT, HIRE ? for help in deciding if your home conditions justify bringing in a professional.

Question: convinced of mold related illness but getting odd advice

(Nov 23, 2014) Trish said:
Hello, I'm convinced it starts with some type of mold exposure in our homes that gets into the air and heat/air cond. ducts and reproduces rapidly and I now see visible specs in the air. I was told by a mold remediation duct cleaning company that it also can visibly be seen in different forms floating and does land on furniture appliances and carpet etc.. When I dust or wipe down surfaces, within a half hr. new particles or a film shows up on everything.

My ears nose and mouth produce accumulated clumps of attached segmented clumps in many forms and some are blood tinged from feeding off of me.

The mold company explained we humans are the hosts and we breathe in these spores that multiply. Getting rid of is nearly impossible but I was advised to get an ionizer that weighs down the particles so you can vacuum and dust constantly daily.

They also seal off ducts and ionize the air inside, then used special vacuum brush hoses for walls of vents to be scraped and cleaned and suck up as much as they can into bags to prove what is growing in the ducts and also being spread with furnaces and air conditioners

. It's all to overwhelming to me.

But I can say I had carpet that didn't dry for days after a steam cleaning, and I was told a year later my carpet and pad had mold! I replaced it, yet out management company dragged the old carpet out without containing it, and more spores I'm sure were flying everywhere airborne.

So this is hard to accept and deal with since it's in my body and in my environment! I have a film on my scalp daily and even a yeast infection that's not yeast but light grayish slimy mold coming out of my vagina.

So my body must be invaded systemically. IF people visit, I notice they also start to itch as i do, so I KNOW this mold is real. I've been tested for everything (all negative) BUT not mold tested since my insurance doesn't cover the high cost of testing.

If ANYONE has some other remedy please share with us.
DESPERATE AND ALONE!!! nationaltrish@aol.

Reply:

Trish you are being given highly questionable and unscientific "advice" by someone who perhaps plans to sell you something.

Start by taking your health concerns to your medical doctor, not to a mold remediation company.

...

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-2 - more-recent questions & answers posted originally at this article's home page given above

Or see these

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• 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 RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS

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